“My two judo Instructors! Feels good to be the white belt again!” Photo: Instagram @rafarosendobjj

GMA member Rafael Rosendo Dos Santos is the owner and head professor at Alliance Jiu-Jitsu of Greenville in South Carolina. An active competitor, he is also a teacher who prides himself on knowledge. As many say, you never stop learning in Jiu-Jitsu but new challenges in, say, a different martial art is an even bigger step towards gaining knowledge.

Recently Rafael has taken up Judo as a way to extend his abilities on the mat. We wanted to know what it felt like for a seasoned black belt to return to the mat wearing a white belt and what lessons he learned. Check it out:

GRACIEMAG: When was the last time you wore a white belt before this?

RAFAEL ROSENDO: It has been a long time. The first time I wore a white belt was in 1997 when I was just thirteen-years-old and I’ll be 31 this month!

How long have you been a black belt?

I have been a black belt for the past ten years.

What is the importance of remembering what it is like to be a white belt?

When you are a black belt for a long time it can be easy to forget how it used to be. If you keep a white belt mindset you will wake up every day trying to get better each time you step on the mat. When you look back you will see the years of your life pass by, just like my life on the mats. It has already been 16 years and I’m still learning in Jiu-Jitsu like it is my first class! Jiu-Jitsu can be a neverending history if you keep an opened mind! Just as well, it is good to maintain a humble attitude!

What lessons are you learning as a white belt now?

The lessons I’m learning right now doing Judo and putting myself as a white belt, is how to have more patience because as a white belt you want to know everything in the first day. And just like in Jiu-Jitsu it may take some time, so we must learn to understand that in order to be better it will need effort and commitment.

Are you able to use what you’re learning in Judo towards Jiu-Jitsu?

Yes, sure! To be a true Judo and Jiu-Jitsu practitioner I would take the risk of saying that it is the same art applied with different philosophy and one works more on the feet and the other more on the ground. But the principle of leverage and saving energy by using the opponent’s energy to manipulate the body are the same. Definitely balance is something that is helping me a lot by doing Judo!

See some of Rafael’s Judo moves working into his Jiu-Jitsu here:

Daniel Beleza (kimono azul). Foto:Dan Rod/ GRACIEMAG

No sábado, algumas estrelas do Jiu-Jitsu retornam à ativa no torneio New York Sumer Open de Jiu-Jitsu. O evento organizado pela IBJJF será mais uma vez no ginásio Nat Holman (138th Street & Convent Avenue New York, NY 10031).

Entre as feras, destaque para alguns faixas-pretas que impressionaram no último Mundial, como Osvaldo Queixinho (leve), Vitor Oliveira (médio) e Daniel Beleza (pluma), o responsável pela eliminação do tricampeão mundial Gui Mendes. O evento tem ainda DJ Jackson, Rafael Rosendo e Leo D’avila no adulto, enquanto, no master, nossos GMAs Marcos Torregrosa e Daniel Alvarez marcam presença.

Para ver as chaves do NY Summer Open, acesse o site da IBJJF, aqui. Aguarde a cobertura completa em GRACIEMAG.

NYC hosts WPJJ five stars trials

The World Pro has another set of trials this Sunday, March 11th, in New York.

Directed by GMA member Luiz Sergio Correa, the trials will award 13 full travel packages for the main event, next April, in Abu Dhabi.

The prizes have attracted some important Jiu-Jitsu names, such as Roberto Tussa Alencar, Roberto Cyborg Abreu, Renan Borges,Lucas Lepri, Lucas Leite, Abmar Barbosa,DeAlonzio Jackson, Rafael Rosendo, Francisco Iturralde, Bruno Malfacine, Samir Chantre.

For more info, go to  abudhabijiujitsuprotrial.homestead.com.

He is also the owner of GMA member school Alliance Greenvile, where Rafael Rosendo teaches.

He is also very loved by his students.

Here is a video that prooves it.

For more info, go to alliancegreenville.com.

GMA member Rafael Rosendo invites all to the South Carolina BJJ Open.

The tournament is scheduled October 29th, at the Greenville ARP Church Gymnasium, in Greenville, SC.

Participants also have the option of attending a seminar with world champion Lucas Lepri.

The registration deadline is October 26th.

The cost goes as follows:

Gi / No Gi (1 Event) – $50

Gi AND No Gi (2 Events) – $65

Gi OR No Gi AND No Gi Open Event – $65

No Gi Open Event Only – $65

Gi AND No Gi AND Open Event – $80

World Champion Lucas Lepri Seminar (not competing in the SCBJJ Open) – $80

World Champion Lucas Lepri Seminar (competing in the SCBJJ Open) – $60

For more info and to register, go to scbjjopen.com/Register.html

One month from today, world champion Lucas Lepri will be in Greenville, South Carolina.

Lepri will be teaching a seminar at GMA member school, Alliance Greenville.

Black belt Rafael Rosendo will be hosting the class on October 28th.

For more info, go to alliancegreenville.com

GMA member Rubens “Cobrinha” Charles is inviting all competitors for a special training camp just before the 2011 Worlds.

From May 23rd to May 31st, in Los Angeles, Cobrinha, and black belts Lucas Lerpi, Michael Langhi, Bruno Malfacine and Rafael Rosendo will be teaching 14 classes in 9 days.

The focus will be on competition oriented techiniques.

The cost is US$ 400 for the whole period or US$ 80 for single classes.

For more info, go to cobrinhabjj.com or call 323-931-9953

Um dia após o Pan 2011, com a presença dos companheiros de Alliance e GMAs Fernando “Soluço” Di Pierro e Léo Iturralde (Alliance Ecuador), Lucas Lepri (Alliance NYC), Rafael Rosendo (Alliance Greenville), Stephen Hall (Pesadelo BJJ) e muitos outros, como o general Fabio Gurgel, Michael Langhi, Gabi Garcia, Bruno Malfacine e Bernardo Faria, um dos grandes nomes do Pan.

One day after the 2011 Pan, many Alliance associated GMA members gathered in Los Angeles for the grand opening of Rubens Charles “Cobrinha” Maciel’s new academy.

Fernando “Soluço” Di Pierro and Leo Iturralde (Alliance Ecuador), Lucas Lepri (Alliance NYC), Rafael Rosendo (Alliance Greenville), Stephen Hall (Pesadelo BJJ) and many other Alliance black belts, such as Fabio Gurgel, Michael Langhi, Gabi Garcia, Bruno Malfacine and Bernardo Faria were present at the opening.

The ceremony was a huge success with the newly-opened mat area packed with gentle art practioners.

Here is a video of the ceremony.

Cobrinha BJJ Grand Opening from cobrinha brazilian jiu-jitsu on Vimeo.

The event in Greenville, South Carolina, was a huge success. A true celebration of team spirit.

Jacaré overlooked the graduation of 12 blue belts, four purple belts and a new black belt. Here are their names:

Blue Belt

1. Kenton Allison
2. Adam Cellamare
3. Devin Daw
4. Susan Fraser
5. Robert Gamble
6. Dale Gilbert
7. Alan Hester
8. Adam Kleinfelter
9. Shaun MacNary
10. Joe Toppe
11. Jerry Malsam
12. Luke Henry

Purple Belt

1. Jonathan “Neal” Grant
2. Chad Bingham
3. Paul Stone
4. Edmund Woo

Black Belt

1. Adam Hunnicutt

For more info, go to alliancebjj.com, alliancegreenville.com.

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The Alliance crew with Rosendo on the far right

Our GMA Rafael Rosendo, of Alliance Greenville, is proud of one of his students.

Ben Sims fought his second MMA fight earlier this month, in South Carolina. Sims won the fight by guillotine in the second round.

The Alliance fighter is still undefeated after two fights.

To know more, go to alliancegreenville.com.

Rosendo (à direita) com Ben Sims (2v, 0d) e equipe.

Professor da Alliance Greenville, Rafael Rosendo mandou recentemente uma mensagem ao GRACIEMAG.com.

Primeiro, queria celebrar a vitória de seu aluno Ben Sims em fevereiro, seu segundo triunfo no MMA. “Ben venceu com uma guilhotina no primeiro assalto no último dia 5”, diz. (Confira mais em www.fightsite.wordpress.com.)

O segundo recado de Rosendo pode interessar ainda mais ao leitor: “A revista GRACIEMAG deste mês (com Royler na capa) está excelente, e com certeza vai ajudar muito no meu jogo, assim como no jogo de tantos outros leitores. Parabéns a toda equipe”.

E você, já conferiu a edição de fevereiro? Clique aqui!