By Professor Fabiano Papel

As a Jiu-Jitsu referee, one of the most common things I see is athletes competing for the first time who are completely unprepared. Many, especially white belts, enter tournaments without knowing the rules, understanding the basic procedures, or even ensuring they have the proper equipment.

In this article, I will highlight the key points you should pay attention to when competing, especially in IBJJF tournaments. While these tips are specific to IBJJF events, they can also be useful for other competitions.

Take care of your nails in advance – Trim your nails at the beginning of the event week. Doing it on the competition day can weaken your grips and even cause discomfort.

Monitor your weight – Check your weight before the event and, if necessary, adjust your category in advance. Avoid last-minute weight cuts that could affect your performance.

Check your gi – Make sure your gi meets the federation’s requirements. I often see athletes panicking because their gi doesn’t comply with the rules, forcing them to buy or borrow one at the last minute. Prevent this stress by checking everything beforehand.

Study the rules – Understanding the referee’s verbal commands, knowing the scoring system, and being aware of potential penalties can make the difference between winning and losing a match.

Arrive early at the event – I recommend arriving at least one hour before your scheduled match. IBJJF tournaments often move faster than planned, and being late could cost you your chance to compete. Arriving early allows you to check if you can weigh in and report to your ring coordinator.

Stay alert after your match – If you win, remain in the warm-up area. If you need to leave, inform the area coordinator. Many athletes miss their next match because they leave the area and can’t be found, which could lead to disqualification.

By following these guidelines, you’ll avoid unnecessary setbacks and be able to focus on what truly matters: giving your best on the mats!

If you found these tips helpful and want more Jiu-Jitsu and competition-related content, follow me on Instagram @fabianopapel! I regularly share insights to help you improve on your journey.

Good luck, and see you on the mats! Oss!

The year of 2006 in the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship was all about Xande Ribeiro. Beating the odds, he defeated favorite Roger Gracie to be crowned male adult black belt open class champion. At Tijuca, in the last year the Worlds were held in its birthplace, Xande took the gold using takedowns as his big weapon, at least in the final against Roger. To get there, Roger’s 5th and Xande’s 1st, the two had no easy path.

Roger first choked Zumbi Lara from the back, then caught Rodrigo Cavaca on a triangle. The semifinal was against Marcelo Garcia and here is how GRACIEMAG #114 reported it.

Standing, Roger saw the Alliance middleweight tangle his short legs and try to pull him into guard. Roger maneuvered and kneeled in the half-guard; passed it at 3:27; Marcelinho was trying to slide away from danger, but as he escaped the mount he left his back exposed to the rival. Roger sat on a Garcia who had his belly down, used the hooks in the so-called “spread-chicken” position and trapped the neck at 5:22. “This year he gave me even less room,” Marcelo smiled.

Xande also had three fights until the gold medal match. First he faced a newly promoted to black belt Tarsis Humphreys and scored a solid 13-0. The next opponent was Romulo Barral, who started ahead with a sweep. Xande swept back, passed and got the mount, from where he choked Rominho. The spot on the final would come with another choke from the mount over Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu, who had defeated Braulio Estima and Demian Maia.

The final was the last match of the championship, as it usually is, on late Sunday afternoon. Here is how it went, according to the report of GRACIEMAG’S Marcelo Dunlop, on issue #114:

Indeed, Roger Gracie vs Xande Ribeiro begins in outright standup action, with a duel of such strong grips that Xande is at one point left without his upper gi. Roger drives him off, resists Xande’s charges and, with de-ashi-barai, takes down the younger Ribeiro brother at 7:30.“It was then that Alexandre started to recover,” Saulo narrates. “Roger tried for a guillotine attack, pulled into guard and suffered the two points. Draw. Alexandre went to the half-guard, got an advantage and Roger restored the guard.”

Xande Ribeiro vs Roger Gracie – Mundial 2006 by z3nm0nkey

Precisely when Saulo shouted from the fence, “Keep it, he’ll get desperate,” at 5min, Roger again took the lead in their Jiu-Jitsu spectacle: with an omoplata, he made the Gracie Humaitá black-belt turn, thus characterizing the sweep: 4-2 for Roger. With 3:30 to go, the 2003/04/05 vice-champion went after the submission that was missing in a perfect campaign. On the ground, he embraces the foe’s back, rests his head and breathes, as if noticing the time to let the chronograph do its job.

Wrong. Their rhythm remains, and Roger keeps the fight open. So open that, at 40s to go, they both get up. Could lighting strike twice? The answer comes thundering down and causes a roar in the gym: from the fence, Saulo performs an ippon-seio-nage in the air and shouts: “The takedown!” Through telepathy or whatever it is that unites two brothers, Xande repeats the gesture and grabs Roger’s collar; the latter’s defensive instinct is overwhelmed by his not-so-cautious submitting instinct: rival’s back unprotected, Gracie sees the chance to connect with the hooks and attack the neck. The scale tips over toward Xande.

Roger goes to the ground. Referee Muzio De Angelis raises two fingers. The clock says 15s. The chronograph goes over its routine: end of fight and tournament, 4-4 on the score, with one advantage to Roger and two to the new king, Alexandre. “It was a wazari attained at a perfect shot,” Xande summed up, after a long hug to his brother Saulo.

Ever since the first edition in 1996, our stars have filled the web pages of GRACIEMAG.com with timeless utterances. Words of disgust, bursts of joy, good cheer, relief and humility spill from their lips.

GRACIEMAG.com dove into the past 19 years of the Worlds to rescue the best phrases uttered by the dynamos of the mats. And, of course, if you remember something once said that didn’t make it on here, don’t hesitate to post in the comments section.

GRACIEMAG’s coverage of the 2015 Worlds is brought to you by Hayabusa.

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A lot of folks called me crazy for creating the Jiu-Jitsu World Championship, in 1996. They’d say the sport was still just crawling and need to grow a lot before there could be such a competition, but I knew the Worlds was going to lead Jiu-Jitsu to growth – Carlos Gracie Jr, CBJJ / IBJJF president. Photo by Luca Atalla

Finally! – Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro, in 2000, upon beating Leo Vieira after three losses in three matches

I’m wearing my underwear and it’s not my fault he’s not wearing his – Daniel Simões, in 2000, commenting on his controversial loss to Saulo Ribeiro in the super heavyweight division.

I got to beat on my chest. I’m the only five-time world champion. At least until next year – Robson Moura, in 2000, upon winning his fifth gold medal in five world championships.

I’m stoked! Tonight there’s going to be a party in the favela! – Fernando Tererê, in 2000, after winning the middleweight division with his victory over Nino Schembri.

To keep them from saying I’m running away, I decided to go out on a limb, but I fought with a twisted ankle – Márcio Pé de Pano, in 2001, after dropping out of the absolute in the semifinal.

I’m a heck of a salesman! – Vitor Shaolin, in 2001, after winning his second world title and selling his gi to a Japanese spectator for 200 dollars.

There’s still one more coming! – Saulo Ribeiro, in 2001, after losing the medium heavyweight final to Margarida, warning that the two would meet again in the open weight final (a match he would also lose to Margarida).

I scored my two points and hung on, which doesn’t go over too well in a final – Fredson Paixão, in 2001, confessing that he stalled in the featherweight final.

I watched his matches so many times that the tape broke – Fredson Paixão, in 2002, with reverence for Ricardo De La Riva, who he beat in the featherweight final.

Jacaré squashes his opponents, submits them and walks off wearing the same expression he bore when he went in, without even sweat on his face. Look at that – Ryan Gracie, in 2002, impressed by then-brown belt Ronaldo Souza.

He carries a lot of weight and big old legs! – Saulo Ribeiro, in 2002, explaining what Pé de Pano’s weapons were, after the absolute final.

I was 30% in shape, but that’s enough for today’s Jiu-Jitsu – Márcio Pé de Pano, in 2003, after winning his second absolute title in a row. Photo by Gustavo Aragão

Look at that, now he’s in the mix, too! – Márcio Pé de Pano, in 2003, after seeing Jacaré get his black belt, on the podium.

I still want Pé de Pano. He’s the best and I want to be the best by beating him – Fabrício Werdum, in 2003, after winning the ultraheavyweight division.

I hit a big old plate of rice, beans and chicken at Tererê’s house. It was so good and was stuffed when I fought – Ronaldo Jacaré, in 2003, explaining why he started off slow in his showing at brown belt.

At least I lost to the champ. Or do you think someone’s going to beat that monster? – Roberto Traven, in 2003, predicting Jefferson Moura’s opponents in the heavyweight division wouldn’t stand a chance.

The poor are used to sleeping under a fan. I got hit with a nasty air conditioner on the bus from São Paulo to Rio and caught an awful cold – Fernando Tererê, in 2003, on the rough ride he had before winning his second middleweight title.

Once it was over, I felt like crying and hugging everyone in the stands, I was so happy – Felipe Costa, in 2003, after winning the roosterweight title.

I never had a knack for it, but I train a lot – Felipe Costa, em 2003.

The score stands at 1 to 1, but I took an arm in advantage – Roger Gracie, in 2004, after losing to Jacaré in the most controversial absolute final of Worlds history.

I’m not stopping! I’m not stopping! – Jacaré, in 2004, after escaping Roger’s armbar. Photo by Gustavo Aragão

I regret nothing! – Ronaldo Jacaré, in 2004, on not having tapped to Roger’s armbar.

He didn’t give me any room, all I could move were my eyes! – Fernando Tererê, in 2004, on his loss to Roger in the absolute.

He has no arms or neck; makes it hard to attack him – Marcelo Uirapuru, in 2004, in praise of Marcelinho after losing in the absolute.

I wanted to show how the ant can beat the cockroach – Fernando Tererê, in 2004, after entering the ultraheavyweight division weighing just 80 kg.

Just because I’ve fought in all the Worlds’ folks call me old. But I’m 30 – Cássio Werneck, in 2004.

If they don’t watch out, I’ll submit a lot of purple belt men. I’m strong as hell – Mirella Cortes, in 2004.

I didn’t get on the stand because I didn’t lose. To pick up the silver medal would be to recognize defeat – Roger Gracie, in 2005, after more controversy with Jacaré.

If I’d lost, no one on my team would have questioned the result – Jacaré, in 2005, complaining about Roger’s team whining.

Jacaré only fired off one shot, but it was a bull’s eye! – Saulo Ribeiro, in 2005, on Jacaré’s strategy against Roger.

I wanted to submit Roger and he wanted to submit me. That’s why the match was so good – Xande Ribeiro, in 2006, on the absolute final.

I don’t even know what I did. I just used my grandfather’s and father’s Jiu-Jitsu, which I’ve been practicing since I was a kid – Kron Gracie, in 2006, at 18 years of age, already drawing attention as a purple belt.

You see my fight? I got taken on a carousel ride! – Marcinho Feitosa, in 2006, cheerful even after losing to Cobrinha. Photo by Pedro Stabile

It was worthy of Rocky Balboa. He got beat up the whole time, and then in the end: pow! – Saulo Ribeiro, in 2006, commenting on Xande’s strategy in the absolute final.

Seems like there’s a car on top of you – Robert Drysdale, in 2006, regarding the pressure of Roger Gracie

That’s seven! – Robson Moura, in 2007, on winning his seventh title.

Get your hands off me! – Luiz Theodoro “Big Mac”, in 2007, still disgusted with the close decision favoring Rafael Lovato Jr in the ultraheavyweight division.

Triangle defense and standing! – Saulo Ribeiro, in 2007, teaching how he avoided tapping out to Rômulo Barral in the medium heavyweight division.

This medal takes four years of weight off my back – Roger Gracie, in 2007, relieved for winning the absolute gold medal.

I’m going to stop being the nice guy! – Xande Ribeiro, in 2008, complaining about a controversial move by Gabriel Vella, who denied tapping to an armbar.

You need a ladder to fight him – André Galvão, in 2008, after facing Roger in the absolute.

Pull guard, Roger! – Renzo Gracie, in 2008, foreseeing that playing the standup game would not end well for his nephew in the absolute against Xande.

This win goes to respect in Jiu-Jitsu. The Gracie Barra crowd offended me! – Xande Ribeiro, in 2008, shortly after becoming two-time absolute champion.

There isn’t a name for that takedown yet, so we’ll call it xandeguruma! – Xande Ribeiro, in 2008, dubbing the takedown that yielded him the two-time absolute title.

Japanese fighters are always tough. They don’t tap! – Samuel Braga, light featherweight champion, in 2008.

I came here to be champion! – Mário Reis, in 2008, complaining of the refereeing.

I tapped! – Kron Gracie, in 2008, still in disbelief over the outcome of his black belt debut against Sérgio Moraes.

By training a lot, I’m getting to Tererê’s level, but he was a natural – André Galvão in 2008, in tribute to his eternal master after winning the medium heavyweight division.

I moved up in weight to escape Roger and when I look at the bracket, who do I see? Roger – Eduardo Telles, in 2008, laughing as he saw the pairings in the ultra heavyweight division.

I never imagined he was that much better than the rest – Guy Richie, in 2009, on his teacher Roger Gracie.

That’s the so-called invisible Jiu-Jitsu – Saulo Ribeiro, in 2009, referring to Roger’s performance.

Oooh, there goes the blanket! – Gracie Barra cheering section, in 2009, during Roger Gracie’s matches. Photo by Ivan Trindade

It even spoils the fun when I don’t get taken down – Roger Gracie, in 2009, joking about his “weak point”.

Next year I’ll be back for us to put on that show again – Xande Ribeiro, in 2009, saluting Roger for his second absolute title.

I felt like crying from training so much – Bruno Malfacine, in 2009, on his prep work at Alliance

We’re bothering some people! – Guilherme Mendes, in 2009, to the Alliance cheering section.

The snake had two heads! – Rubens Charles Cobrinha, in 2009, responding to provocations from the Mendes brothers in Abu Dhabi one month earlier.

I only beat Kyra because I’m big – Lana Stefanac, in 2009, after being crowned champion of the absolute black belt division.

“We both pulled guard, and I landed with the hold on his foot already in place. Bad luck for him and good luck for me,” – Rodrigo Cavaca, in 2010, explaining his victory over Roberto Cyborg in the open class.

“Look, there’s no such thing as the master division to me. I’m going to compete as an adult until I realize I can no longer handle the new kids’ pace. Right now–at 28 years of age, Ican’t see myself stopping until I’m 34, 35 years old.” – Roger Gracie, in 2010, making a promise life didn’t allow him to fulfill.

“Ever since ADCC 2003 people come up to me and say, ‘Did you see your bracket? It’s the toughest one there is!’ And I always reply with ‘I didn’t even look.’ It’s always the tough- est bracket, but thank God I al- ways win it,” – Marcelo Garcia, in 2010, explaining his attitude towards his opponents.

“I was the underdog, but everyone has two arms and two legs and can thus be beat. If now I’m a favorite, I’m going to train even more for it!” – Bernardo Faria, in 2010, about his win over Xande Ribeiro.

“Shoot, this is the happiest day of my life!” – Gabi Garcia, in 2010, after two golds and a poium-tied black belt.

“We’re always gunning for who’s on top, and today the one on top is Rodolfo. He came on way strong.” – Sergio Moraes, in 2011, recognizing the superior performance of the open class champion.

“Shut up!” – Rodolfo Vieira, in 2011, telling his crowd to stop celebrating his win before the fight was over.

“I’m not invincible; far from it. But I train to be the best!” – Gabi Garcia, in 2011.

“This is my life! We put in 100% and want 200%.” – Sergio Moraes, in 2011. Photo by Ivan Trindade

“He believes in me more than I do myself.” – Marcus Buchecha, in 2012, on the importance of his coach Rodrigo Cavaca.

“I was sort of ron- aldo Jacaré in there! My arm popped all the way through, but they were only going to beat me if they choked my lights out or ripped off an arm or a leg!” – Marcus Buchecha, in 2012, on the armbar Rodolfo Vieira had in place at the very end of their quarterfinal match.

“They’re going to pay more attention to me and my matches now.” – Otavio Sousa, in 2012, after his first gold medal as a black belt.

“For what I’ve trained, in all modesty, I was expecting this result” – Leo Nogueira, in 2012, after gold in the super-heavy and silver in the absolute.

“Nowadays, he’s the only one who is able to annul my game completely.” – Rodolfo Vieira, in 2013, after the 0-9 defeat to Buchecha in the open class final. Photo By Ivan Trindade

“I submitted nobody, I have to improve,” – Leandro Lo, in 2013, analysing his own performance after his second world title.

“The category had the two- time champion Mário Reis, three-time champion Rafael Mendes and four-time champion Cobrinha. Only I had no title.”- Augusto Tanquinho, in 2013, joking about his motivation to win gold at featherweight.

“I think I lost the first ten championships I played. I’d always come back with bigger motivation to train more.”- Felipe Preguiça, in 2014, after winning his first world title as a black belt.

“Cavaca used to say there’s the talented one, the hard-working one and there’s me, the talented hard-working guy!” – Marcus Buchecha, after wining his third open class title in 2014.

“Buchecha is stalling!”- Atos Jiu-Jitsu coach during the open class semifinal between Buchecha and Keenan Cornelius, in 2014.

“I’m a staller?! Are you sure of that?!!!”- Marcus Buchecha to the same guy after passing Keenan’s guard in the last minute of the fight.

The 50/50 guard. Photo: Erin Herle

As it does regularly, the IBJJF has launched a new series of updates to the Jiu-Jitsu Rules Book.

This time, the most important alteration is the end of the advantages in the 50/50 guard.

From now on, the referee will not award athletes with advantages for nearly coming on top when tangled in the 50/50 guard.

The alteration once again aims to make the matches more fluid, making less interesting for athletes to stay in the 50/50 to try winning the match by advantages.

This new update adds to the one already in place that prevents athletes from staying in the double pull guard position for more than 20s at a time without coming on top.

Also in the new series of updates is the prohibition of the suplex takedown that lands the athlete on his/her head or neck.

The technique is still allowed, but the athlete will have to land on his side or back for the takedown to be valid.

Jump to pull guard. Photo: Ivan Trindade

A third important update is the prohibition of the jump to put the opponent in closed guard in the white belt division.

This alteration aims to increase the safety of athletes with little experience in Jiu-Jitsu.

The jump to closed guard is still allowed in all other belt ranks.

All updates are effective today.

Click here to read the full set of updates and the updated rules book.

Beatriz Mesquita earns open weight gold. Photo: Dan Rod

The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) informed both Marcus “Buchecha”Almeida and Beatriz Mesquita that no prohibited substances were found in their samples after the 2014 Worlds.

For the second year in a row, the IBJJF requested USADA to perform anti-doping tests on the elite division of athletes of the Worlds.

So far, both the male and female black belt open class champions have been informed that they are cleared of any prohibited substances.

Bia Mesquita even posted the letter she received from the USADA on her Facebook page.

She also wrote: “For those who doubted that a lightweight athlete could be open class champion without using anything, here’s my answer.”

Buchecha sent the GRACIEMAG.com the letter he received from the USADA.

Bia Mesquita’s letter from USADA

Buchecha’s letter from USADA

Once again, he was at the Long Beach Pyramid to register the 2014 Worlds and produced amazing images.

The 58 pictures that compose the following gallery are perfect examples of his unique point of view.

Enjoy.

The 2014 Worlds open class podium with Keenan, the first American to place third in the division

Once again, all champions in the 2014 Worlds male black belt division came from Brazil.

Americans JT Torres (silver in lightweight), Keenan Cornelius (bronze in the open class), Rafael Lovato Jr (bronze in the heavyweight), Danish Alex Trans (silver in the ultra-heavy) and Ecuadorian Jorge Santistevan (bronze in the roosterweight) were the non-Brazilians that made to the podium.

In all history, only two times the gold medal of a male black belt division rested on the chest of guys not born in Brazil: in 2000 BJ Penn won the featherweight and in 2007 Rafael Lovato Jr won the ultra-heavy division.

Robert Drysdale, born in Provo, Utah, won in 2005, at the heavyweight division, but he is also a Brazilian citizen and earned his whole training in Jiu-Jitsu in Brazil.

More popular than ever all around the world, the spread of the gentle art is still to be translated into gold medal in the highest level, despite the number of black belts scattered throughout the globe.

GRACIEMAG went after two of the 2014 medalists to try to understand why Brazil still dominates the black belt division.

JT Torres during the battle against Langhi

JT Torres, who had a great campaign in the lightweight, beating two-time world champion Michael Langhi in the semifinal before being stopped by Lucas Lepri, says it’s not about numbers, but time.

“I don’t think it’s the quantity that matters, but the fact that Brazilians still have some what of a head start over other nationalities when it comes to the level of BJJ. Eventually over time I do believe the medal count will for sure be more balanced as other countries have more time to further develop the level in BJJ in their region.”

Alex Trans, who is the sitting European black belt open class champion, and who was stopped only by Marcus Buchecha in the ultra-heavy divison of the 2014 Worlds, also gave his opinion on the matter.

Trans in the quarterfinal against Abraham Marte

The Danish is direct in his approach: “It’s obviously happening because Brazilians are the best, and I think it’s going to take a long time before the other countries catch up. I think it’s just a question of the sport being very new, and Brazilians being way ahead, because the art was invented in Brazil, and it’s not that long ago that the art started spreading out in the World.”

Trans sees a  bright light in the future, at least in the USA: “Maybe this new generation of fighters who are in their early teens now in the US are going to start catching up slowly in like 10 years, as the level of Jiu-Jitsu there is getting higher every year, especially because a lot of the top guys from Brazil who moved there to train and teach. But in Europe it’s going to take longer, maybe if the sport becomes more professional so it makes sense for the countries to invest in the sport, like you see in wrestling and judo. But if the sport keeps growing then I’m sure it will be more balanced at some point for sure, I don’t think the Brazilians are winning because they have better genetics, but simply because they have more and better training partners and instructors.”

A great judoka, Rodolfo also bet on the takedown to score first

Rodolfo Vieira is a beast.

Five times world champion as a black belt and already a hall of famer at the young age of 24, Vieira is the epitome of pressure passer.

He is a force that few in today’s competition circuit has the slight chance of resisting when confronted with it.

At the 2014 Worlds, he had  a unthinkable performance, finishing all eight opponents both in the absolute and weight division, prior to the open class final.

Unlike Roger Gracie, who in 2009 finished all his opponents from the mount, Rodolfo Vieira presented his opponents with a wide array of submissions.

He caught Bernardo Faria twice, first with a wrist lock and then with an armbar, but he also handed out chokes from the back, clock chokes and more.

Even so, Rodolfo was still unable to reach his goal in full in Long Beach.

Once again, he was faced with Marcus Buchecha in the open class final and couldn’t put his game into action.

The 2 – 0 defeat to the three-time open class champion put their personal score at 5- 1 in favor of Buchecha.

After the match was over, one question lingered over the heads of those who just watched another chapter of today Jiu-Jitsu’s biggest rivalry.

Why is that Rodolfo Vieira cannot exercise his pressure game against Buchecha?

GRACIEMAG went after some of Jiu-Jitsu’s most recognized Professors and team leaders to help us solve this puzzle.

On the bottom, Rodolfo worked to sweep right away

Xande Ribeiro, a two-time open class champion himself, knows a thing or two about beating heavier and bigger opponents, as he did in his battles against Roger Gracie.

He says the answer could be inside Rodolfo’s mind: “He has to believe in his judo skills and that he can do it. In each tournament, Rodolfo has an almost perfect record while Buchecha goes through some rough patches, being scored against, but then recovering to win. What changes when they face each other is that Buchecha always knows what he’s gonna do. Rodolfo needs to be willing to fight for 10 minutes straight and risk it without fear that things go wrong. Only with that he’s gonna be able to get to positions of control and win”.

Fabio Gurgel, a four-time world champion and leader of nine-time world champion team Alliance, weighs in analyzing Buchecha’s qualities as a fighter and trying to point out Rodolfo’s needs to overcome them: “Buchecha has been able to beat Rodolfo with his unpredictability. He is a guy that joins technique, explosion and speed that make the fight leans towards him. When the opponent thinks he is going to pull guard, he goes for a takedown, for example. Without a doubt, Rodolfo’s chances lay in playing on top, so the standing game is vital for him.”

Three-time world champion and leader of Gracie Barra, Marcio Feitosa joins the conversation agreeing that being on top is Rodolfo’s number 1 priority. “He has to work his stand up game better. He has strong takedowns, but he was taken by surprise this last time with Buchecha’s strategy to annul his judo. Once on the ground, Rodolfo needs to trust his guard passes. He has a lot of pressure passes and needs to believe in it.”

Pressure was the name of the game

André Galvão, leader of Atos JJ and a two-time world champion, has competed against both Rodolfo and Buchecha and know the dangers each one can present to their opponents. He says that a combination of factors is causing Buchecha to win the race against Rodolfo. “First I think it’s psychological. Buchecha is very confident at the moment with his latest wins in their matches. I also think training has a lot to do with it. Buchecha is taking better results from his training, besides the fact that he is stronger, faster and taller than Rodolfo. It’s Buchecha’s moment now, but Rodolfo cannot give up. Nobody is perfect.”

Buchecha’s professor since always, world champion Rodrigo Cavaca adds to the discussion with an assessment on his pupil’s biggest quality: “Since the blue belt, he risks all with whatever comes in his mind during a match. Many times he made mistakes and needed to recover. One recent example was in the 2014 WPJJC open class final, when he tried a guillotine choke and ended with Rodolfo in his half-guard, Vieira’s strongest passing position. He had to fight the whole match to recover and win at the end.”

At last, Rodolfo’s Professor, Julio Cesar, closes the discussion for now with his view on the matter: “Rodolfo gets disappointed with the results because he trains always with the best result in mind. It’s always a tough match up. This last time, I think we lacked more judo training. In Abu Dhabi, we lacked a better refereeing. One thing is for sure is that we will never give up until we can reverse this situation. Buchecha is that guy that never comes to a match with the same game as the last one. All we can do is hold our head high and train harder.”

 

Alan do Nascimento was the protagonist of one of the most dramatic moments of the 2014 Worlds.

At the end of his middleweight semifinal match with Otavio Sousa, the Checkmat athlete couldn’t get up and told the event medics that he could not feel his left leg.

Taken to a local hospital, Finfou spent the last days being examined so doctors could find out what was wrong.

He talked to GRACIEMAG.com this Thursday and made sure to tell he is doing much better: “I’m back to felling my legs again. I’m using a walker to move around with the help of the doctors. I’ll be back soon,” said Finfou.

Exams showed no important injury both to Finfou’s spinal cord or head.

Leo Vieira, the leader of Checkmat, also talked about Finfou’s case:”He should be released from the hospital this Thursday. After three days with his legs paralysed, he is back to having movement and his strength is coming back little by little.”

Regarding a diagnosis, Leozinho says it’s still unclear what exactly happened: “The doctors did not come to a specific diagnose. This thursday we will meet with them to hear what their conclusion is”.

Keep following GRACIEMAG.com for further news.

That’s why we come back to the questions and try to put in words what we saw at the Long Beach Pyramid.

Here we go.

At one point, Rodolfo relied on the deep half guard

1. Will Buchecha be the first athlete ever to win three black belt open class finals in a row?

Yes. Marcus Buchecha made history this Sunday, June 1^st. Since 1996, no other athlete was able to win three open class gold medals in consecutive years. Still at the beginning of his career, Buchecha seems destined to set unthinkable records. Let’s see how far he can go with his pressure, speed and unpredictable technical skills.

On the bottom, Rodolfo worked to sweep right away

2. Can a heavier Rodolfo finally put a stop to Buchecha’s reign?

No. The sixth battle between the two was yet another chapter of Buchecha’s dominance. Since 2011, when Rodolfo managed an armlock submission, the count is 1-5 against him. Vieira’s career has two sides. The first one is his bright side, where he controls and imposes his game over all his opponents. The other side is how he seems unable to do that when the opponent is Buchecha. If he can find a way to solve that puzzle, things will look better for him.

Pressure was the name of the game

3. Can anyone prevent an absolute final between Rodolfo and Buchecha?

No. Buchecha and Rodolfo are many steps ahead of the rest of the pack. In Long Beach, Vieira finished all his opponents up to the open class final, eight matches all-together. Buchecha didn’t get all the submissions he could, but also had an impressive showing, never being in any actual risk. Unless something changes or someone appear (Roger, maybe?), the landscape should remain untouched for some time.

GB’s Preguiça victory also meant Alliance’s triumph in the male adult teams competition

4. Will Atos JJ repeat its performance of the 2014 Pan and snatch the adult male teams title?

No. Well, Atos JJ had a great performance. The team went head to head with Alliance up to the final stretch and ended up with second place by only six points (or one gold medal instead of a silver medal). Never in history, the Alliance crowd rooted so much for a GB athlete than when Felipe Preguiça was fighting André Galvão in the heavyweight division final. Preguiça’s win was Alliance’s triumph, as a matter of speaking.

Beatriz Mesquita earns open weight gold. Photo: Dan Rod

5. Can any other black belt step up and be a real threat to Gabi Garcia in the open class?

No answer. The great Gabi Garcia was not there to be challenged by anyone. A rib injury made the two-time open class champion sit out in 2014. Even so, the female black belt division was one of the most thrilling of recent times. Bia finally got the double gold she wanted so much, Nicolini was fierce, Tammi was fearless, Janni amazed all with her happiness after the win and Ana Laura made us cry with her victorious comeback.

Gui and Paulo also starred the same cover of GRACIEMAG

6. Will the Miyaos have success in their first Worlds as black belts?

Yes and no. Yes, because both brothers got to their division finals. No, because they didn’t win. João and Paulo stopped only at the hands of Malfacine and Gui Mendes, respectively. Young as they are and relentless as only the two can be, are there any doubts that those gold medals will eventually rest on the brothers’ chests?

Their match up was also important for the adult male teams title between Atos and Alliance

7. Will Cobrinha win his fifth title in the featherweight or is Rafael Mendes going to tie the score in 4 – 4?

Rafael Mendes scared away last year’s ghost. The last-minute defeat to Augusto Tanquinho prevented him from reaching the magic number of four world titles in the featherweight division, something only Royler Gracie and Rubens Cobrinha had. Next year, if the IBJJF holds another Hall of Fame event, Rafa (and his brother Gui) will have earned their seats.

Marcus Buchecha faced Alex Trans once again in 2014 at the ultra-heavy final

8. Are we going to see a non-Brazilian win an adult male black belt division for the third time in history?

No. Jonathan Torres and Alex Trans were the ones that came the closest with the second places at the lightweight and ultra-heavyweight divisions, followed by Keenan Cornelius with his bronze medal in the open class. Truth of the matter, it is not that important where the champions come from. Jiu-Jitsu is an international sport already and nothing can change that. Besides that, non-Brazilians had an amazing showing in many different divisions all over the board.

9. How will fighters adapt to the updated rules?

They adapted well. Not that many had problems with the double guard pull stalling, the single leg defense or leg crossing. The most high profile case was Kennan Cornelius’, which was disqualified for knee reaping in the medium-heavy division. Besides that, the refs were on top of the updates rules most of the time.

10. Who’s gonna be next big thing in Jiu-Jitsu?

In the male division, many athletes come to mind. Brown belt open class and superheavy champion Erberth Santos is a name to be carefully looked at. Marcio Andre is now a black belt, after winning the brown belt featherweight division. Tim Spriggs follows his path of putting a show for the crowd while collecting medals. Now a brown belt after winning the purple belt open class, Edwin Najmi is building up to be one of the most exciting fighters of his generation. Among the ladies, Monique Elias swept the brown belt division and got her black belt on the podium. For sure she will create trouble in the new rank in the years to come.

Twelve months have passed, but nothing changed.

Just like in 2013, Marcus Buchecha and Rodolfo Vieira will decide who is the best Jiu-Jitsu competitor of the year.

For the second year in a row, the two rivals will be face to face to fight for the adult male black belt open class title.

The run to the final was rocky one for both finalists.

With four fights each, obstacles were great for both Rodolfo and Buchecha.

Vieira first met with AJ Agazarm and won by choke from the back.

The next opponent was Sean Roberts, also choked from the back.

The third opponent was Alex Trans, the 2014 Euro Open absolute champion.

Even so, Trans’ fate was the same as the two before him, finished with a lapel choke.

The adversary in the semifinal was an old acquaintance of Rodolfo, Bernardo Faria.

The two absolute finalists of 2011 met once more and despite a strong start by Faria, Rodolfo soon caught on to the rythm and won with a wrist locck after passing and mounting.

On the other side of the bracket, Buchecha debuted against Juarez Nunes, quickly finished with an armlock.

Then it was time to face GF Team’s Ricardo Evangelista, defeated by points with a 5-2 score.

The third challenge was Felipe “Preguiça” Pena, and victory came by the way of a foot lock.

In the semifinal, Buchecha had a tough time against Keenan Cornelius.

The match was close up until the end when, with 40s left on the clock, after the Atos crowd teasing him by saying he was stalling, Buchecha sped up and passed guard to win 7-2.

So, tomorrow, the last match of the 2014 Worlds will a hair-raising battle between the two best competitors since 2011.

Will Buchecha reach his third open class in a row or will Rodolfo tie the score with two titles a piece?

Other than the two finalists, the crowd in the pyramid witnessed great matches this Saturday, in the absolute.

Leandro Lo and Keenan Cornelius battled in the eight finals in a thrilling exchange of sweeps.

Bernardo Faria had an imptressive showing against Braulio Estima, reaching a 26-4 score.

Again, Keenan finished Leo Nogueira with a triangle to prove he is a force in the black belt division.

Here’s a photo gallery with the best images of the black belt open class.

For results of every match, go to http://instagram.com/graciemagazine

Day 2 of the 2014 World Jiu-Jitsu championship went out with a a bang.

All thanks to Gracie Barra’s featherweight Edwin Najmi, who amazed the crowd with a flying triangle to catch Alliance’s Nicholas Meregali and win the adult male purple belt open class division.

The strike was so sharp that Meregali had nothing to do but to tap with only 22 seconds on the clock.

“It was amazing. This is a move I started doing in 2013 and I do it a lot. Today I tried three other times,” said Najmi after celebrating the title with his mentor, Romulo Barral.

The final prize for such a superb move and also for the dominating performance in the absolute came during the medal ceremony at the podium.

Barral awarded Najmi with his well deserved brown belt.

Among the women, Bianca Barbosa won the 2014 Worlds female purple belt open class.

She had four matches in the absolute and won all by points.

The final was against Amanda Santana and a last-second back taking granted Bianca the gold with a 6-4 score.

She also finished the featherweight division in third place.

In the blue belt division, also two open class competitions deserved attention from the crowd.

Tara White is the 2014 Worlds female blue belt open class champion.

She had four matches and submitted three opponents in the absolute.

In the final, she defeated Erin Harpe 1 – 0 on advantages after a 2-2 tie on points.

Hungary’s Krystof Szucs (GB) is the 2014 Worlds male blue belt open class champion.

Third in the middleweight, Szucs had four matches in the absolute, all won by points.

The big final was against Alliance’s Fabio Alamo. A guard pass secured the 3 -0 score.

Besides the open class divisions for the purple and the blue belts, some of the weigh divisions of the brown belt also went into play this Friday.

Brazil’s Marcio André needed six matches to snatch the featherweight gold and become a black belt.

Day 3 kicks off this Saturday, at 9AM. The adult black belt open class (male and female) goes into action at 10AM.

In the team’s partial results, the standings is as folows.

1 – Atos Jiu-Jitsu – 63
2 – Alliance – 62
3 – Gracie Barra – 44

For more info and for all the results, ibjjf.com.

Here is a photo gallery of the day.