If you want to compete at the 2013 ADCC World Submission Championship, here is your chance.

The North-American ADCC Trials are scheduled october 14 in San Diego, California.

The event is exclusive for bearers of Canadian or US passports.

Registrations are open and the cost is $80.

Winners of all weight categories are invited to participate in the 2013 ADCC and get a Fuji Kimono.

The female trials will be scheduled soon.

For more info and to register, go to adccna.com.

Bráulio Estima upon winning ADCC 2011 supermatch. He may face André Galvão in Brasil in 2013. Photo: GRACIEMAG.com

The most captivating of the world’s submission wrestling tournaments, the ADCC looks likely to touch down in Brazil in 2013. According to ADCC general secretary Wagner Gomes, the plans are on the cusp of fruition.

“We have the best competitors on the planet in the ADCC, and holding a grappling World Cup in Brazil means the event has to be on par with the level of the athletes. Our plan is to hold the biggest grappling show here in Brazil. We already put together a group of committed people who are working to exhaustion to do so,” he said with optimism. The ADCC has already been held in the South American nation once, in 2003 at Ibirapuera Gymnasium in São Paulo.

News from the ADCC doesn’t end at that. The tournament is entering this season revamped, even with a new federation, the Brazilian ADCC Federation, charged with the task of managing the ADCC brand in Latin America.

The entity will already be holding its first event, Troféu Brasil, on the coming 30th of June in São Paulo. Contestant age groups are divided as follows: 14/15 years of age, 15/16, adult beginner, intermediate, professional, master and senior.

“It’s important that we establish standard divisions and apply ADCC rules. That way the athletes will gain more experience and have more opportunities to test themselves,” explained Wagner. ADCC 2013, however, will only feature an adult division and the usual seven weight classes.

Troféu Brasil will take place at Esporte Clube Sírio, in the Moema borough of São Paulo City. All the divisions will pay out in cash prizes and kits.

“There will be another event come September, the inaugural Pan-American ADCC, and in 2013 there’ll be the inaugural Qualifying ADCC, where we offer sign-up, travel and board for the 2013 ADCC Trials,” said the promoter.

Sign-ups for Troféu Brasil are open at www.adccbrazil.com.br .

Further information can be obtained by telephone, (21) 7864-2029 (Nextel: 10*2001), from Wagner Gomes himself.

Roger, with Renzo (in blue), Kyra and Rickson / Photo: Daren Bartlett

While fighting back a nagging desire to be wearing not jeans and a T-shirt but shorts and a rash guard, Roger Gracie relished ADCC 2011 amid his numerous fans and students in England. Following the event, Roger, like Marcelo Garcia, was trapped in the gymnasium, swamped by hordes of people asking for photos, autographs, handshakes and to exchange brief conversations.

Despite investing more and more of his time and energy on MMA training – and with audacious plans to perhaps join the stacked UFC light heavyweight division –, Roger still guarantees he will be back in his uniform of choice, the one that brought him to fame: the white gi. “I’ll be competing at the 2012 Jiu-Jitsu World Championship,” he said, responding to an inquirer. And nor does he discard the possibility of appearing at ADCC 2013.

On the grappling spectacle that transpired in Nottingham, England, over the weekend, he made his contentment apparent, however incomplete the contest was for him.

“I’m happy about Kyra; she was strategically flawless, didn’t make a single mistake. I’m impressed by how she did everything just right and had a perfect campaign. Bráulio was great throughout the entire supermatch. The only thing missing was a win from Renzo, who fought well but the task of facing a 100kg Zé Mário while weighing 80kg was a trickier one. He tried compensating for the weight difference with speed, and it worked as far as the wet and slippery mat permitted,” recalled Roger, referring to the humidity caused by there being an ice hockey ring one floor below the main arena.

“I enjoyed the matches, learned a lot today. Truth is, I’m always learning. And the standout in the men’s contest really was André Galvão. I’ve never seen him so  technically and physically well prepared before. He’s to be congratulated for his performance. The absolute title ended up in the right hands,” said the 2005 open weight champion in praise.

But enough banter, let’s get to the position the Gracie taught exclusively for GRACIEMAG.com readers, with the help of black belt Alex Faria, who also teacher at Roger Gracie Academy in London.

Under-99kg competitor Lucio “Lagarto” Rodrigues (Gracie Barra) awoke with some joyous news in London. He, who voiced his desire to compete in the world’s most prestigious grappling tournament throughout the virtual world, was finally invited to ADCC 2011, to compete in the weight class above his.

“I’m in! Well, I’m in the big guy division, but what to do? I’ve been training hard and I’m already on my way to GB Birmingham to join Bráulio, Victor Estima and Popovitch,” Lagarto told GRACIEMAG.com.

The Rio de Janeiro native living in London stepped in for Antonio Bigfoot, who will undergo shoulder surgery, following his loss at Strikeforce last Saturday. Lagarto will be facing the likes of current champion Fabrício Werdum, Mario Rinaldo, Japanese juggernaut Sekine Hideki, Gabriel Vella, Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu, Bruno Bastos, Jeff Monson, José Junior, Vinny Magalhães, and Denmark’s Alexander Trans.

ADCC 2011, headlined by supermatches between Bráulio and Jacáre and Zé Mario and Renzo, will take place in Nottingham, England, on the 24th and 25th of this month, will full coverage right here on GRACIEMAG.com.

The ninth installment of the event will take place in Nottingham, England, on September 24 and 25. Although the most likely way into the tourney is by participating at one of the tryouts held around the world. But for better-qualified competitors, there’s always the rare chance your CV will be accepted for one of the few vacant spots to fill the brackets, so send yours to Guy Neivens at thecohiba@yahoo.com.

To make sure your CV is considered, send in the body of the email your name, contact information like email and telephone, your country of origin, height, weight, age, fighting style and a list of all the competitions you have participated in, as well as any links to your fights on the internet.

In the subject line of your email, include what division you intend to compete in.

It is worth noting that the rules have changed, so the weight-in takes place just before you go to fight, and a subsequent weight-in may be requested on day 2, so fight at your true weight. Moreover, not a gram of tolerance will be given.

For further information, acess Adcombat.com.

Rules and regulations: http://www.adcombat.com/adcc-rules-and-regulations .

For further information on prizes, http://www.adcombat.com/adcc-prize-allocation

Organizers Lefterious Magriopolous and Guy Neivens with Bráulio Estima, absolute champ in 2009, at the arena

Wedum beats Roberto Cyborg at ADCC. Photo: Carlos Ozório

This coming Saturday, November 13 is the last day to get in on the first of two North American tryouts for the classic ADCC submission wrestling world championship 2011, where thousands of dollars will be up for grabs for the winners.

The qualifying tournament will take place November 20 at Belleville High School, in New Jersey, USA.

Saturday is the last day, so be sure to secure your spot by clicking here now or sending an email to  info@adccna.com.

Marcelo after beating Kron Gracie at ADCC 2009. Photo: Ivan Trindade

There’s news out of the traditional submission grappling tournament the ADCC, which is about to kick off the tryouts stage for the 2011 event. Changes have been made to the competition rules.

Traditionally, weigh-ins would be held the day before competing. As the finals are on the second day of competition, some of the competitors would make it to the final well over the weight limit.

Now weigh-ins are to take place shortly before the athletes take to the mats for their first bout. But, even after the first match, the athletes will not be able to stray from their diets. The referees shall have the authority to request a second weight in at any time. In this case, the fighter has wiggle room of 2 kg (4.4 lbs). Should the athlete be heavier than that, they will be disqualified.

“I think it’s great,” said three-time champion of the tournament Marcelo Garcia over Twitter.

Popovitch's celebration in 2009

The 170lb division champion, otherwise, did not like the change. Pablo Popovitch, who defeated Garcia in Barcelona, last September, commented the new rule also on Twitter: “With this change, the 170lb division is over for me. It is impossible for me t compete right after making the weight. Next year, I will compete at the category above. I’d really liked to have a forth final in a row against Garcia to make history.”

About the rivalry with Garcia, Popovitch has a suggestion for the ADCC: “They could put Marcelo and myself in a superfight. We sure deserve it as we closed out the last three 170lb division finals.”

Another reason for the change is to preserve the athletes’ physical integrity, by avoiding extreme and dangerous weight cuts.

Check out this electrifying game of kinetic chess between two little guys under the classic ADCC rules whereby points were not counted during the first five minutes. Turn up the sound and listen to the jubilant drums of Abu Dhabi.

Who better to teach submission grappling techniques than three-time ADCC champion Marcelo Garcia, who took gold in 2003, 2005 and 2007? Beyond the three back-to-back wins, he took silver in 2009 and was considered the most technical fighter in the ADCC twice (2003 and 2007).

The Fabio Gurgel black belt also leads the current ADCC ranking, a point-scoring system created by GRACIEMAG.com to evaluate each fighter throughout his career in the event. To check out the rankings, click here.

In the video below, Marcelo teaches the tricks to taking an opponent’s back in no-gi combat.