Medals for the 2014 Masters IO. Photo: Flash Sport

With the Rio Open in Brazil this past weekend, the Masters International Open ran right alongside it as in previous years. Previously known as Masters & Seniors, this is the first year the Senior divisions were absent as every division is a master division starting from 1 to 6.

Athletes thirty-years-old and up can compete in this tournament held at the Tijuca Tenis Club in Rio de Janeiro.

The team results for the championship are as follows:

1 – Nova União – 205
2 – GF Team – 139
3 – Gracie Barra – 136

For the Master 1 division, the double-gold champion was Paulo Jose Pinto of Alliance who won both the heavyweight division and the absolute.

For the ladies in the Master 1 division, Silvana Cristina Silva Abreu of Nove Uniao conquered the absolute after having no one in her super-heavyweight division.

Here are the results of the Master 1 black belt divisions:

PRETA / Master 1 / Masculino / Galo
Primeiro – Bruno Cesar Gomes da Silva Moreno – Nova União
Segundo – Tiago Marques Magalhães – Team Gigueto
Terceiro – Takahito Yoshioka – Tokushima BJJ

PRETA / Master 1 / Masculino / Pluma
Primeiro – Douglas Rufino da Silva – CheckMat
Segundo – Ariel de Abreu Barros – Escola de JJ Leão Teixeira
Terceiro – Pedro Paulo Sá Neto Carvalho – Maromba Jiu-Jitsu
Terceiro – Diego Figueiredo de Azevedo – GF Team

PRETA / Master 1 / Masculino / Pena
Primeiro – Denilson de Carvalho Pimenta – GF Team
Segundo – Antonio Marcio Della Motta – Núcleo JJ
Terceiro – David J H Brooksbank – The Dojo
Terceiro – Marcelo dos Santos Silva – Marcelo Galo Jiu-Jitsu

PRETA / Master 1 / Masculino / Leve
Primeiro – Michel da Silva Maia – Michel Maia Jiu-Jitsu
Segundo – Raphael Cardoso Chiecon – GF Team International
Terceiro – João Rafael Rodrigues Carvalho – Zenith BJJ
Terceiro – Iuri Cilenti – Academia POA

PRETA / Master 1 / Masculino / Médio
Primeiro – Adriano Ferreira Araujo e Silva – Barbosa Jiu Jitsu
Segundo – Daniel Garcia Dias – Nova Uniãoerceiro – Rodrigo de Paula Oliveira – Nova União
Terceiro – Roger Roberto Ribas dos Santos – Guetho Jiu Jitsu

PRETA / Master 1 / Masculino / MeioPesado
Primeiro – Andre Machado Bastos – Nova União
Segundo – Victor Del Corso Bomfim – GF Team
Terceiro – Mateus Maia Vinhas – Gracie Barra
Terceiro – Luis Carlos Marques Damasceno – G13 BJJ

PRETA / Master 1 / Masculino / Pesado
Primeiro – Paulo José Pinto – Alliance
Segundo – Fernando Jose Di Pierro – Alliance
Terceiro – Thiago Braga de Menezes – GF Team
Terceiro – Ian Paêlo Costa – Isaias JJ

PRETA / Master 1 / Masculino / Super Pesado
Primeiro – Tiago Pereira Almeida – Ribeiro Jiu-Jitsu
Segundo – Diego Pereira de Santana – Ribeiro Jiu-Jitsu
Terceiro – Cassio Lisboa da Costa Junior – Top Brother
Terceiro – Ricardo Henrique de Oliveira – Nova União

PRETA / Master 1 / Masculino / Pesadíssimo
Primeiro – Daniel Sobreira Galdino – Ribeiro Jiu-Jitsu
Segundo – Victor Barreto Rodrigues – GF Team
Terceiro – Kallil Rodrigues Leão – Pássaros da Manhã
Terceiro – Takashi Haguihara Junior – ACT JJ

PRETA / Master 1 / Masculino / Absoluto
Primeiro – Paulo José Pinto – Alliance
Segundo – Luis Carlos Marques Damasceno – G13 BJJ
Terceiro – Diego Pereira de Santana – Ribeiro Jiu-Jitsu
Terceiro – Andre Machado Bastos – Nova União

Check out the full results of the Masters International Open here: http://static.ibjjfdb.com/Campeonato/000263/pt-BR/Resultados.pdf

The Brazilian No-Gi Nationals caught fire last Saturday. Photo: IBJJF/Flashsport

The charming Brazilian temple of BJJ, Tijuca Tennis Club was the stage for another exhibition of all that’s best about the gentle art. The no-gi championship was a good deal for the athletes that battled the Rio heat without being further punished by the cloth on October 26.

Man of the hour Luiz Fernando Panza (Barbosa JJ), who recently took gold in New York, came to Brazil to get some more at the No-Gi Nationals. And he succeeded. Panza was ferocious and managed to win both the heavyweight division and the absolute.

Among women, the day belonged to Talita Treta (Ryan Gracie). She, who’s been flirting with MMA, having won a bout at Circuito Talent last month, was also a heavyweight and absolute champion.

Other standouts were Douglas Rufino (Checkmat), who beat Leandro Lopes (Soul Fighters) at light featherweight; José Tiago (Cicero Costha), who went past Victor Genovesi (Alliance) at featherweight; AJ Agazarm (Gracie Barra), who took gold over Kim Terra (Caio Terra Ass.) at lightweight; GFTeam members Vinicius Marinho and Jacob Mackenzie, who closed out the middleweight class; Claudio Cardoso (Gracie Barra), who defeated Gabriel Procópio (BTT) at the medium heavyweight final; Salomão Ribeiro
(Alliance), who beat Leonardo Corrêa (Atos) at super-heavyweight; and Gabriel Lucas (Checkmat), who took gold over Otavio Serafim (Barbosa JJ) at ultra-heavyweight.

Click here for the complete results.

Felipe Preguica takes the back of Diogo Moreno in the final. Photo: Gustavo Aragao

The Copa Podio Middleweight Grand Prix was held Sunday, September 8 with various athletes thrown into a mix of talent for one trophy. Brown belts, judokas, new black belts, seasoned competitors, Australians, Americans, featherweights, you name it. The amount of differences between each opponent left the predictions scattered.

The event lasted many hours at the famous Tijuca Tenis Club in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil with two superfights intertwined as well. The two groups faced each of their group members to earn points based on how the match was won. A win earns three points, a draw earns one point for each opponent and a loss is zero points. Whoever has the most points in their group will go on to face the person who has the most points of the other group. A third place match is set for the second place athletes from each group. In the case of a tie-breaker, overall submissions and aggressiveness will determine.

Felipe Preguica won the grand prix while Leandro Lo and Clark Gracie both won their matches.

The full results:

Copa Podio Middleweight GP

Tijuca Tennis Club, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Challenge of Cities: Clark Gracie (San Diego) took the back of Diego Borges (Manaus) and finished with a choke 22:37 into the no time limit match

ROUND 1 OF GP

Green Group: Renato Cardoso (Checkmat) defeated Travis Stevens (Renzo Gracie) with a triangle 1:11

Green Group: Paulo Miyao (Cicero Costha) swept Manuel Diaz (Caio Terra) and won 2-0

Yellow Group: Felipe Preguica Pena (Gracie Barra) won Alexandro Ceconi (Ceconi Team) by 7-0

Yellow Group: Diogo Moreno (Soul Fighters) swept Davi Ramos (Atos) and won 2-0

ROUND 2 OF GP

Green Group: Paulo Miyao (Cicero Costha) drew with Jaime Canuto (GFTeam) with 0-0

Green Group: Travis Stevens (Renzo Gracie) defeated Manuel Diaz (Caio Terra) by 1 advantage

Yellow Group: Diogo Moreno (Soul Fighters) beat Kit Dale (Checkmat) by 5-2

Yellow Group: Davi Ramos (Atos) finished Alexandro Ceconi with a toehold in 31 seconds

ROUND 3 OF GP

Green Group: Manuel Diaz (Caio Terra) defeated Renato Cardoso (Checkmate) by 2-0

Green Group: Travis Stevens (Renzo Gracie) defeated Jaime Canuto (GFTeam) with an armbar from omoplata

Yellow Group: Felipe Preguica (Gracie Barra) choked Davi Ramos (Atos) from the back

Yellow Group: Kit Dale (Checkmat) swept Alexandro Ceconi (Ceconi Team) and won 2-0

ROUND 4 OF GP

Green Group: Paulo Miyao (Cicero Costha) turned the fight and defeated Travis Stevens 2 advantages to 1

Green Group: Jaime Canuto (GFTeam) defeated Renato Cardoso (Checkmat) by 3 advantages to 0

Yellow Group: Diogo Moreno (Soul Fighters) swept Alexandro Ceconi (Ceconi Team) and won 2-0

Yellow Group: Felipe Preguica (GB) swept and won Kit Dale (Checkmat) by 2-0

ROUND 5 OF GP

Green Group: Manuel Diaz (Caio Terra) finished Jaime Canuto (GFTeam) with an armbar

Green Group: Paulo Miyao (Cicero Costha) took his back and choked Renato Cardoso (Checkmat)

Yellow Group: Kit Dale (Checkmat) drew with Davi Ramos (Atos) by 2-2

Yellow Group: Felipe Preguica (Gracie Barra) defeated Diogo Moreno (Soul Fighters) with a triangle

SEMIFINALS:

Diogo Moreno won Paulo Miyao by 4-2 in sweeps

Felipe Preguica won Travis Stevens by 9-2

SUPERFIGHT (no-gi):

Leandro Lo (Cicero Costha) won Calasans Claudius (Atos) by 7-0 (two sweeps and a pass)

DISPUTE THIRD PLACE:

Paulo Miyao beat Travis Stevens after draw at 2-2

THE FINAL GP:

Felipe Preguica took the back of Diogo Moreno and won by 4-2

Leandro Lo tries to choke Alan Finfou at the Rio Open. Photo: Gustavo Aragão / GRACIEMAG

Last weekend, the gymnasium at Tijuca Tennis Club hosted the sixth edition of the IBJJF’s Rio Open, an event that occurs parallel to the charming International Masters and Seniors.

More than that, it also served as the stage to a great fight between a skinny fighter and a super-heavyweight, a type of duel that has always been part of the essence of Jiu-Jitsu.

Leandro Lo, the lightweight world champion, signed up this time at middleweight, and the tactic worked: he won the absolute at the end of a final versus João Gabriel Rocha.

After passing through the light heavyweight Felipe Preguiça (Gracie Barra) in the semifinal of the open, Lo beat João Gabriel by one advantage. After the match, he commented on his victory with GRACIEMAG: “The decisive point in this fight was again my guard; I had to take my spider guard to its limit to win this [laughs]! After many years of training, I feel good under my opponent, regardless of whether he is a big guy like João or a smaller guy. I use this game of spider guard and it has always worked – I always control one sleeve and hold tight there near the bottom of the pants, and I drill it in the gym. And it worked in the absolute final,” said the Cicero Costha student.

That same afternoon, Leandro won gold at middleweight with an arm submission against Alan Finfou (Checkmat) in the final. He told of what changed for him in this new category: “I prepared myself better than for the Pan, when I fought also among the middleweight and did not do well. Now I am doing weight training and preparation! I think that was key for me to get good at middleweight. I did not really like working out, but now I’m picking up the weights and feeling much stronger,” said Lo, who praised the runner-up.

“The fight with Alan Finfou was good; I had fought with him in Sao Paulo before the Rio Open. He is very tough on top, he applies good takedowns and is fast. Finfou threw me down, but I adjusted myself and got back at him with a sweep. Then I got his back and applied the choke, but my arm was a little over his mouth and ended up slipping. So I made the correct grips on his arm and found an armbar at the end.”

Before leaving the venue, GRACIEMAG wanted to know about Lo’s stamina, which seems to have no end during fights. To which Leandro replied with this nugget: “It’s what I always tell people, teammates and fans: in fact I do not have a lot of stamina. What
I do is pace myself very well during fights, holding my grips fast. It looks like I’m attacking all the time, but sometimes I pretend to attack – some of those times I rest… You need to know how to pace yourself.”

João Gabriel Rocha por cima de Léo Nogueira no Brasileiro de Jiu-Jitsu, em Barueri. Foto: Rafael Carvalho

João Gabriel Rocha, estrela da Soul Fighters, retorna a partir de hoje ao ginásio que conhece bem desde 1996. Era no ginásio do Tijuca Tênis Clube que o pequeno João, com o pai e os amigos, assistia aos Mundiais de Jiu-Jitsu desde a primeira edição, sonhando em brilhar também um dia.

Hoje, João Gabriel é o favorito de GRACIEMAG para abiscoitar o ouro absoluto do Rio Open 2013, que começa nesta quinta-feira, em meio à visita do Papa à Cidade Maravilhosa.

“Eu estava treinando somente para o ADCC, sem kimono, mas decidi lutar o Rio Open apenas por ser no Tijuca. Eu praticamente nasci dentro daquele ginásio, é um lugar que faz parte da história do Jiu-Jitsu – eu comecei a treinar no Tijuca, e agora eu também dou aulas lá. É muita história”, comenta ele, confiante em vencer em casa.

A pedido de nossa reportagem, João Gabriel distribuiu cinco lições para você se tornar um bom passador de guarda como ele:

1ª lição: Não lute Jiu-Jitsu para atender a pressão de ninguém. Quem tem de cobrar para você evoluir é sua própria vontade, é você mesmo. A motivação que vem de você mesmo é a principal para o atleta.

2ª lição: Ao passar guarda, jamais fique parado por cima. A inércia é sua inimiga.

3ª lição: O bom guardeiro usa os dois braços e as duas pernas dele contra os seus dois braços. Sem muita pressão e um bom plano você não vai passar.

4ª lição: Lembre-se de travar o quadril do adversário quando estiver passando – nesse momento você já vai dominar 50% da lateral do oponente. Depois é só ajustar as pegadas e estabilizar.

5ª lição: Não esqueça de procurar sempre matar as pegadas que o adversário faz para segurar você.

E para você, amigo leitor, praticante e professor? Qual sua dica para evoluir na passagem de guarda?

Para ver quem mais está no Rio Open, clique aqui.

Jackson Sousa em ação no Campeonato Brasileiro Sem Kimono 2012. Foto: Gustavo Aragão/GRACIEMAG

Pelo Campeonato Brasileiro Sem Kimono 2012, ocorrido no Tijuca Tênis Clube, no Rio, o campeão absoluto Jackson Sousa (CheckMat) precisou passar pela guarda da fera em ascensão Paulo Miyao (Cícero Costha), na semifinal.

Na final, Jackson ainda venceria a fera da Alliance Rodrigo Aquiles. No vídeo a seguir, confira como Jackson, campeão absoluto e do peso pesado, fez para domar a guarda de Miyao.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKaaPG0RyEs

Leandro Lo, one of the favorites to win this Saturday’s Brazilian No-Gi Nationals: he should be moving up to middleweight in 2013. Publicity photo.

Current Jiu-Jitsu world champion Leandro Lo is one of the big names venturing into the lightweight division at this weekend’s Brazilian No-Gi Nationals 2012. And GRACIEMAG.com will be there at the Tijuca Tennis Club in Rio de Janeiro to bring you all the news.

Lo took a moment out of his frenetic training schedule to have a quick chat with GRACIEMAG.com, revealing to us his plans for 2013, as well as the hard time he has been having in his battle with the scale. Check out what he had to say:

Gi vs. No-Gi

“I feel it’s really different fighting without the gi. I’m not as comfortable as when I do Jiu-Jitsu in the gi. So I got some major help in preparing for the Brazilian No-Gi Nationals, and the November No-Gi Worlds in California. I did a lot of training with Murilo Santana, who’s won the No-Gi absolute in Tijuca before, and he helped me a lot. We’ll see how I do now at the Brazilian Nationals and next month’s No-Gi Worlds.”

Battle with the scale

“It’s hard making it down to lightweight, but the good part is that I feel good fighting at middleweight. I like fighting at middleweight so much I even felt good at the Copa Pódio Middleweight GP. Still I feel I didn’t fight that well. Even so, I managed to win, thank God. For those reasons, I intend to fight at middleweight next year.”

Future challenges

“On December 8 there’s the IBJJ Pro in Long Beach, and that’s going to be a really cool championship. Only the top ranked in the IBJJF standings will get to compete, and there will be fewer weight divisions, so the lightweights and featherweights will compete against each other. That will be a challenge but also a pleasure, since there are some really tough guys at featherweight who I’d like to fight, like Rubens Cobrinha, Bruno Frazatto and Rafael Mendes, who is a really good and strategic fighter. I really want to compete against those guys.”

Copa Pódio

“After that, on January 13 there’s Copa Pódio, and I should be at middleweight once again. I’m going to do a supermatch with Felipe Preguiça, who’s really good. I’m going to have to be really well prepared for that match.”

Leandro Lo, um dos favoritos do Brasileiro Sem Kimono deste sábado: ele deve migrar para os médios em 2013. Foto:Divulgação.

Atual campeão mundial de Jiu-Jitsu, Leandro Lo é um dos grandes nomes da categoria leve do Brasileiro Sem Kimono 2012, que promete arrastar uma legião de fãs da arte suave neste fim de semana no Tijuca Tênis Club. O GRACIEMAG.com estará por lá para trazer tudo em primeira mão, no Twitter e no nosso Facebook.

Em preparação frenética para a batalha sem pano, Lo bateu um papo rápido com o GRACIEMAG.com. Falou sobre os planos para 2013, e sobre a dureza de enfrentar a balança. Confira os melhores momentos:

Pano vs Sem Pano

“Acho muito diferente lutar sem pano, não fico tão confortável quanto lutar Jiu-Jitsu, com kimono. Contei então com uma grande ajuda para me preparar o Brasileiro Sem Kimono e depois para o Mundial Sem Kimono, em novembro na Califa. Treinei muito com o Murilo Santana, que já foi campeão absoluto sem pano no Tijuca, e ele me ajudou muito. Vamos ver como vou me sair agora no Brasileiro e mês que vem no Mundial Sem Kimono”.

Briga com a balança

“Está duro descer para os leves, e o lado bom disso é que me sinto bem lutando no peso médio. Eu gosto de lutar como médio, inclusive eu me senti muito bem no GP dos Médios da Copa Pódio. Porém, acho que não lutei bem. Ainda assim, consegui ganhar, graças a Deus. Por tudo isso, ano que vem pretendo lutar de médio”.

Futuros desafios

“No dia 8 de dezembro tem o IBJJ Pro, em Long Beach, e esse campeonato será muito legal. Vão lutar só os mais bem classificados no novo ranking da IBJJF, e serão menos categorias, então os pesos leves e penas competem juntos. Isso será um desafio mas também um prazer, pois tem uns caras muito duros do peso-pena com quem eu gostaria de lutar, como o Rubens Cobrinha, Bruno Frazatto e Rafael Mendes, que é um cara muito bom e estratégico. Gostaria muito de lutar com eles”.

Copa Pódio

“Depois, no dia 13 de janeiro, tem a Copa Pódio, e já devo ficar de vez no peso médio. Vou fazer uma superluta com o Felipe Preguiça, que é um cara muito bom. Vou precisar estar muito bem preparado e treinado para esta luta”

Vitor Shaolin ganhou Nova Iorque com mseu Jiu-Jitsu. Foto: Divulgação

Após quase uma década sem competir de pano, Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro voltou a vestir o kimono para lutar o primeiro Campeonato Mundial de Masters & Sêniors este mês na Califa, e voltou a todo vapor vencendo novamente no peso leve.

No vídeo abaixo, o lutador que levava o ginásio do Tijuca à loucura ensina uma das suas tradicionais finalizações da guarda-aranha, com a chave omoplata.

“Comece sempre colocando o pé no bíceps do adversário. Depois estique a perna direita saindo o quadril pra esquerda. Com a perna esquerda, envolva o braço direito do oponente. Repare como então eu solto a pegada do braço esquerdo dele, e seguro a ponta do meu pé que estava envolvendo o braço dele. Depois saio meu quadril pra esquerda, e fecho a omoplata”, detalha o professor carioca radicado em NY.