Patrick fighting in Moscow. Photo: IBJJF

From a childhood in Campo Grande, West Zone of Rio de Janeiro, to teach classes in Russia and continue with intense competition training in Hawaii. Patrick Almeida tells his very unusual trajectory of those found in Jiu-Jitsu: he abandoned his career in medicine to follow his passion for the sport.

A lot has happened in the hiatus of his story full of challenges, consistency and determination, all thanks to the good old Jiu-Jitsu. Nothing was easy for black belt Patrick Almeida, 26, an athlete trained by professors Everaldo Penco and Fabinho Oliveira at Carlson Gracie Recreio. His successful trajectory can serve as an inspiration for you, a dreamer who wants to follow even more hard in pursuit of your goals.

Jiu-Jitsu appeared in Patrick’s life, as in many other cases, when he was still young, to fight the bullying he suffered at school. Patrick was the target of constant nicknames and constant assaults at school until his older cousin suggested that he enter Jiu-Jitsu classes. Patrick’s parents wrinkled their noses at first, fearing the still present image of bullies of the 90s, however, they ended up giving in to the sport.

Fabinho Oliveira and Patrick with Everaldo Penco. Photo: Personal archive

His first Jiu-Jitsu lesson was about adaptation. With a borrowed kimono and a lot of desire to learn, Patrick used his time after school to ride his bike to the gym and give his first “balls” at the Vikings academy, with professor Elienai Rodrigues. Later, the teacher moved and Patrick, already living at Recreio, had the opportunity to train at Team Nogueira, with professor Everaldo Penco, who was to be his master throughout his career as an athlete.

The training life was intense, but the biggest plan at that time was to study medicine at a federal college since Patrick had excellent grades at school. The entrance exam took him on a different path, which was to study Engineering in Minas Gerais, and there his first steps as a teacher started in a small social project. Subsequently, a general shutdown of the college in Minas Gerais took Patrick back to Rio, giving him another opportunity to study medicine, this time in icy Russia.

“I went to Kursk, a very cold and extremely remote city,” says Patrick, “at that time I didn’t have Jiu-Jitsu, but sambo, judo, and wrestling were part of their daily lives. In my college there was sambo and I decided to try it. I was lucky enough to get there on the day of solo training and I with Jiu-Jitsu lay down and rolled over the Russians. I earned their respect, but they didn’t relieve me from falling training. I didn’t know what floor or ceiling was in the felling class. In striking training, it was the same thing, only worse. I started attending the Bola de Neve church there and I was told that they had plans to open a Jiu-Jitsu training, except that a teacher was missing. I applied and the classes grew ”. Little did the black belt know that he would have been one of the pioneers of Jiu-Jitsu in Kursk, leaving a legacy in the city.

Patrick with his students, at the Moscow Open 2014. Photo: Personal archive

With the experience gained teaching classes and a referral from his friend Mahamed Aly, Patrick moved to St. Petersburg, also in Russia, to train and help at a Jiu-Jitsu academy, requesting a transfer to the St. Petersburg University of Medicine. As Patrick fought and won most national championships, his passion for Jiu-Jitsu began to speak louder than his ambition for medicine. Patrick then decided to take a risk, drop everything and pursue his career as an athlete. This was the first time, of many, that the black belt learned to reinvent himself.

Back in Rio de Janeiro, Patrick helped to found Carlson Gracie Recreio and, later, began to act as a teacher, giving some private Jiu-Jitsu classes. One of her students paid her hours in advance, and her biggest dream in Jiu-Jitsu would be realized: fighting the Worlds in California.

With tickets and hotel reserved, everything was fine to compete in the biggest Jiu-Jitsu tournament, if it weren’t for an unforeseen event: an ear infection hindered the final stretch of training and the weight didn’t go down as it should, forcing Patrick to rise from the middleweight. for heavyweight. Even with all the difficulty and against medical advice, and tears on reaching the Long Beach Pyramid, the tough guy came in to fight, being overcome.

“Once again Mahamed was at my side to help me,” revealed Patrick. “I had problems with the ticket back to Brazil that forced me to stay in the USA for a while longer. I did not fail and went back to Rio, where I would have another sensational experience. ”

Patrick with Leo Dalla and Mahamed Aly. Foto: Personal archive

Patrick spoke of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. A friend of the family indicated the sportsman to work at the event, coordinating the weighing area of several modalities such as judo, taekwondo, and boxing. This baggage made him receive a new invitation to return to the country that was indispensable in his career: Russia. This time Patrick was not going as a medical student but as a Jiu-Jitsu professor and partner of one of the largest academy chains in greater St. Petersburg.

“I got there at a time when the government supported newaza tournaments, a fight that was fought with submissions,” recalled Patrick. “Our students trained in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and were outstanding in these competitions. In the middle of this rush of classes and tournaments, Everaldo Penco traveled to Russia for a seminar tour, and when I got there I graduated to black belt. I was even training for the European Jiu-Jitsu Championship, with a focus on brown belt, but he said that I would have to turn around and fight as a black belt because I would graduate anyway. ”

As a teacher, Patrick won his weight class and won the no-gi absolute at the Moscow Open, in addition to refereeing in tournaments across Europe in cities like Copenhagen, Prague, Lisbon and Moscow, which he had previously referred. Unfortunately, in one of these tournaments, the beast ended up breaking two knee ligaments and had to reinvent himself a second time. Classes decreased due to the severity of the injuries, with some students being turned off by the lack of a teacher. After a while, he and his then partner, Igor Buchman, received an interesting proposal to sell the academy. And so they did.

With his knee injured and being forced out of competition for a period, Patrick took the opportunity to travel the world and visit other countries – more than 30, according to the athlete. His sabbatical season ended when he received a proposal to teach in Denver, USA, appeared, but another factor would tangle such a simple equation.

Patrick with the gold medal at Lisbon. Photo: Personal archive

“Tiago Oliveira, who is a soccer coach and trained with me and Everaldo at Recreio, came to me intending to take me to Hawaii, to give a seminar. They sent the tickets and when I got there, I met Keola Akao, an outstanding Hawaiian who introduced me to the local culture. I ended up falling in love with the place, the people and their hospitality. He commented that he was looking to expand the academy, form a competition team and such, so I talked about the proposal I had in Denver to teach, but I would still like to stay in Hawaii and continue my dream of being a top athlete. Keola made me a counteroffer, offering me all the support and we agreed that I would stay. I was also lucky to have the support of Horlando Monteiro, a black belt from Kimura, who is also here in Hawaii, as the team’s coach. We are of similar age and weights, being able to help each other in the process. I’ve been here for a few months and I’m applying to stay as an athlete, so I can live my dream again. ”

With a history that began in Rio de Janeiro, taking Jiu-Jitsu classes to defend himself at school, then going on to teach classes in Russia in parallel to his medical course and, finally, going to Hawaii, where he is currently continuing to your career as an athlete. Choice of dreams, changes in plans and, above all, a lot of determination and intense training. Patrick Almeida learned to reinvent himself with every unforeseen and opportunity that life offered him. “It is very difficult to stay away from the people we love, family, friends and give up so many other things for a purpose because this is your dream and you need to win in life. The price of giving up so many things is very expensive, but without that nothing is possible ”, says the black belt.

Patrick fighting against Tommy Langaker. Photo: Personal archive

In this way, we can conclude that even a young man in the face of such different dreams and having to reinvent himself several times throughout his career, was able to reach the world and will continue to fight until he conquered his goals in his career as an athlete. Even in times of pandemic, with quarantine in all parts of the world, Patrick’s baggage of overcoming and willpower makes the teacher deal with the moment particularly, already with plans for the end of the storm.

“‘ The winner is the winner for winning. The loser is a loser because he gives up. ’ Not even this quarantine will stop me. I operated on my knee during the severe winter in Russia, I couldn’t move around the neighborhood because of the cold and the ice accumulated on the street, which slipped a lot. I was practically in a semi-quarantine at that time, and I learned that stuck at home, you either sink or you rise to the maximum. We cannot let ourselves rest, staying at home makes us lazy. We have to fight comfort. I have used the quarantine to train more, read more and take several courses online. Take the time to invest in yourself and become a better person”, he concluded.

As usual, the best newsteam in the Jiu-Jitsu media was there to cover all the action and brought our readers to the middle of the action. Photographers Dan Rod, Ivan Trindade and Erin Herle captured thrilling images from which we selected the 28 best.

1 – During the Worlds, Photographer Ivan Trindade captured this incredible detail of a competitor that lost his contacts, found it and put back in his eye

2 – Blue Belt Luciano Mariano was the living (and grappling) proof during the Worlds that when you want it, nothing can stop you

3 – Tim Spriggs did great in his last Worlds as a brown belt and even had time to conduct his fans

4 – Rubens Cobrinha expression and Isaque Paiva’s face translate with perfection the score of their featherweight match at the Worlds

5 – As the image of Leo Nogueira illustrates, understanding defeat is the first step towards victory

6 – Bernardo Faria’s reaction is as powerful as Rodolfo Vieira’s guard passing drive

7 – Braulio Estima used all his focus at the Worlds, when he was after his forth title

8 – Leandro Lo and Keenan Cornelius waged one of the most epic guard battles in the history of the Worlds

9 – The open class quaterfinals between Felipe Pena and Luiz Panza was so close that at the end both fighters had eyes wide open on the scoreboard

10 – The hug between Rodolfo Vieira and Julio Cesar Pereira after the Worlds black belt open class semifinal had the intensity of the work done to get there

11 – One of the most curious moments of the Worlds was when Buchecha looked into the crowd in the middle of the fight with Keenan Cornelius to find who called him a staller

12 – Bernardo Faria had his best moment ever in his long history of fighting Rodolfo Vieira at the Worlds superheavy final

13 – Paulo Miyao did all he could to defeat Gui Mendes in the light-featherweight division

14 – Gui Mendes survived to impose his experience in the end

15 – The desire to win turned into tears when defeat came

16 – The podium picture made clear the difference of sensation between first and second

17 – Rafael Mendes had a disappointing 2013 Worlds and came back this year with his war face on to win his fourth title 

18 – After the win, the level of celebration gave a measure of how much the victory meant

19 – The smile on Murilo Santana’s face is only one of those split seconds captured by the camera that when frozen for eternity assumed a completely new meaning

20 – Alex Trans passed Buchecha’s guard and for 30s thought he could actually win the ultra-heavyweight final

22 – Dan Rod’s picture of the crowd reacting to Tammi Musumeci’s injury became a instantaneous classic

23 – Otavio Sousa and Leandro Lo withheld nothing in their middleweight final and Ivan Trindade’s picture was the perfect translation of that 

24 – GRACIEMAG’s photographers are primarily reporters and that’s why Ivan Trindade captured with exclusivity the personal moment between Professor Cavaca and pupil Buchecha minutes prior to the open class final

25 – Buchecha’s wrestling takedown became the most important two points scored in the entire season for his third open class title, something never done before

26 – The three-time absolute world champion is literally a force of nature in BJJ today. Who can stop Buchecha today?

27 – The celebration with the Checkmat crowd even had the traditional champions’ champagne shower

28 – After the win, Buchecha took some time to revere the trophy that only he and Roger Gracie have – three-time open class world champion

29 -In the American Nationals,  Andris Brunovskis had the perfect face for someone being disqualified

30 – Keenan Cornelius’ repeated attempts to capture Eduardo Telles’ lapel caused not anger, but laughter in the Brazilian veteran

GRACIEMAG, in its mission of covering all things Jiu-Jitsu, was at every corner and for that was able to register those moments through its talented photographers. The first part of this gallery goes from the European Open to the IBJJF Hall of Fame dinner, one day before the Worlds. Enjoy and tell us what kind of emotions this amazing pictures made you feel then and now.

1 – A crowd favorite, Fernando Tererê was once again where he belonged at the European championship, the top of the podium

2 – Paolo Amodeo made to the podium of his division at the 2014 European and deserved a standing ovation from the crowd

3 – Alex Trans wrote his name in history when he became the first European to win the Euro Open black belt open class division

4 – At the Pan, Photographer Carol Gracie captured the exact moment when Milton Bastos celebrated what he thought was a win, the protest of Ivaniel Oliveira saying he did not lose conscience and referee André Glodzinski realizing his mistake. Later on, Milton had to finish Ivaniel again to really win the rooster semifinal

5 – Alliance’s Nicholas Meregali did a great job at the Pan, winning the purple belt open class with this teeth-clenching choke from the back

6 – Leandro Lo proved the efficiency of his passing guard game against Alex Trans in the Pan open class semifinal

7 – André Galvão had a dream-like Pan, winning two gold medals and helping Atos to snatch the teams title from Alliance hands by two points

8 – The Galvão family also shone in the female division with André’s wife Angélica

9 – The power of Inacio Neto’s celebration at the Pan was captured by photographer Erin Herle 

10 – Once again, Abu Dhabi became the BJJ capital of the world in April with the 6th edition of the WPJJC

11 – In Abu Dhabi, two days of kids competition showed that the future of the gentle art in the country is guaranteed

12 – The FGB arena was built primarily for Jiu-Jitsu competitions, the first of its kind in the world

13 – The upset of the year happened in Abu Dhabi, when Thiago Barreto defeated Paulo Miyao in the 64kg division first match

14 – Later on, João Miyao defeated Barreto in the semifinal and secured the gold medal against Tiago Bravo

15 – Gabi Garcia made only one appearance in big events this year to win double gold in Abu Dhabi

16 – Roberto Satoshi reached his third gold medal in the WPJJC and celebrated like a true Japanese superhero

17 – Photographer Ivan Trindade was fortunate enough to catch Braulio Estima’s glance at Keenan Cornelius just before they clashed at the WPJJC

18 – The two most dominant athletes in BJJ today met at the weigh-in in Abu Dhabi and acted nothing like the bullies you see in MMA

19 – Leandro Lo did what he could in the open class in Abu Dhabi, but could not avoid tapping to Rodolfo Vieira

20 – The open class final in Abu Dhabi was the closest Rodolfo got to defeating Buchecha since 2011

21 – Despite all of Rodolfo’s pressure, Buchecha managed a last-second sweep to win his second gold medal in the absolute

22 – The two points indicated by the referee turned Rodolfo’s dream into a nightmare

23 – In Las Vegas, Gerson Aitogue had the perfect face for what it means to fight Rafael Mendes

24 – After six years away, Ana Laura Cordeiro made her return to competition at the Las Vegas Spring Open

25 – Marcelo Mafra had a great win in Las Vegas and celebrated accordingly

26 – In San Jose, during the American Cup, Eliot Kelly choked Bernardo Filho in a way hard enough to be understood, let alone to defend

27 – The kids rooting for the kids in San Jose, during the American Cup

28 – Three generations of passion for Jiu-Jitsu

29 – In a historic picture, the members of the first class of the IBJJF Hall of Fame met on the day before the Worlds

30 – The IBJJF Hall of Fame dinner was the stage for the first ever Jiu-Jitsu world champions selfie

End of Part 1

Venue in Long Beach, California / GRACIEMAG file photo

The IBJJF has officially released the dates for the World Championship. You can now make your plans to earn the top title between May 28 and June 1 at the famed Long Beach Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, CA.

The only possible change to the schedule will be whether or not Wednesday, May 28 is needed to hold the capacity of athletes. As soon as registration begins to fill closer to the event dates, the IBJJF will release a more concrete schedule. As of now, the pre-schedule is as follows:

Wednesday – May 28:
White Adult Male (Weight divisions)
White Adult Female (Weight divisions)
White Masters (Weight divisions)

Thursday – May 29:
White Adult Male (Weight divisions)
White Adult Female (Weight divisions)
White Masters (Weight divisions)
Blue Adult Male (Weight divisions and Open Class)
Purple Adult Male (Weight divisions)

Friday – May 30:
Blue Adult Male (Weight divisions and Open Class)
Blue Adult Female (Weight divisions and Open Class)
Purple Adult Male (Weight divisions and Open Class)
Purple Adult Female (Weight divisions and Open Class)
Brown Adult Male (Weight divisions  and Open Class)

Saturday – May 31:
White Juvenile Male (Weight divisions)
White Juvenile Female (Weight divisions)
Blue Juvenile Male (Weight divisions and Open Class)
Blue Juvenile Female (Weight divisions and Open Class)
Purple Adult Male (Open Class)
Purple Adult Female (Open Class)
Brown Adult Male (Weight divisions and Open Class)
Brown Adult Female (Weight divisions and Open Class)
Black Adult Male (Weight divisions and Open Class)
Black Adult Female (Weight divisions and Open Class)

Sunday – June 1:
Black Adult Male
Black Adult Female

Full information as it comes will be available at www.ibjjf.org

To see more tournaments scheduled for the year, visit the calendar: http://ibjjf.org/championships/calendar/

Mark Hunt (left) will face Junior dos Santos at UFC 160 on May 25. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

Mark Hunt is finally on his way to Sin City.

After facing issues in securing the necessary documents to travel from New Zealand to the United States for his UFC 160 co-main event with Junior dos Santos, Mark Hunt wrote Sunday that his visa is in hand.

“Thank u for my visa father,” Hunt posted on Twitter.

By obtaining the visa, Hunt can travel to Las Vegas for his heavyweight bout at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, saving UFC staff from having to shuffle for a last-minute replacement in their co-main event.

Hunt had his visa withheld from him due to a 2002 arrest stemming from a brawl involving friends of his, according to a report by MMAFighting.com. The matter was cleared up Sunday, less than one week from his fight on Pay-Per-View.

“This is wat happens wen u have friends that are (expletive),” Hunt wrote on Twitter on May 9, also saying that he was “getting real tired of this (expletive).”

UFC 160 takes place on Saturday, May 25, and is headlined by a heavyweight title fight with champion Cain Velasquez defending his belt in a rematch with Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva.

Mark Hunt (left) is frustrated with the issues preventing him from making his way to the U.S. for his UFC 160 fight with Junior dos Santos. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

UFC 160 heavyweight Mark Hunt is facing some hurdles in trying to get to the United States from New Zealand for his fight with Junior dos Santos.

Hunt revealed on Twitter early Thursday morning that he was denied boarding a flight to the U.S., and the reason stems from helping some “mates” that he has some not-so-nice opinions of.

“This is wat happens wen u have friends that are d—heads,” Hunt wrote. “Denied again at airport.”

Hunt wrote Monday on Twitter that he might miss his flight due to visa issues, which ultimately ended up being the case, as he subsequently wrote that he would spend another night in New Zealand.

The fighter later revealed to MMAjunkie.com that an event in 2002 was behind the recent delays in flying to the U.S. He added that UFC officials are attempting to assist with his travel problem, and he expects to fly out some time tonight, Thursday (U.S. time).

“Getting real tired of this (expletive),” a frustrated Hunt posted on Twitter.

Hunt and dos Santos are expected to be the co-main event for UFC 160 in Las Vegas. The event is headlined by a heavyweight championship match between titleholder Cain Velasquez and Brazilian Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva.

If dos Santos defeats Hunt in their co-main event, the former heavyweight champ will likely face the winner of Velasquez and Silva. The same hasn’t been confirmed with a win by Hunt, however, as UFC President Dana White has flip flopped on whether or not he’ll get the shot with a win over “Cigano.”

UFC 160 takes place on May 25 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Oliver sight-seeing while in Chicago, IL for 2012 IBJJF Chicago Open / Photo: Oliver Geddes

For those who are embarking on journeys to visit distant academies during the winter break, make sure you follow all of these tips from Roger Gracie black belt and traveling connoisseur, Oliver Geddes. No stranger to traveling for Jiu-Jitsu related endeavors, Oliver rounded out a 60 day trip during the summer where he went from his hometown of London, England to Toronto, Las Vegas, Chicago, Boston, Montreal, Los Angeles, Atlanta and finally, New York. He trained at academies, competed at competitions and garnered good ole’ Jiu-Jitsu hospitality allowing him to better budget his adventure.

Whether you are competing, visiting many academies or just managing a get-away from the family to train once during your vacation, you can learn from these tips and perhaps they will inspire you to plan a thorough training tour of your own:

Ecuador, a land of landscapes, simple and interesting people, and Jiu-Jitsu / Publicity photo

Find inspiration in the lessons and eyeful images from the Jiu-Jitsu trip championship-winning duo from team Alliance Gabi Garcia and Luanna Alzuguir took to Ecuador, and try to remember: what was the last place you and your Jiu-Jitsu partners visited to compete, teach or learn?

Let us know about your own travel and exchange of experience in the comments field below. That too is what Jiu-Jitsu is about.

Many even feel quite at home in California, the setting for a number of IBJJF events over the years.

Anyhow, the Blog isn’t missing the chance to put together a basic guide for anyone wishing to get to know the region a bit better.

There are some tips for shopping, tours, eating, what to do at night when you’ve got some down time, and a quick look at services for travelers (useful telephone numbers, basic services, legislation, etc.).

Whether you are an experienced or beginning traveler, this guide will help make your trip all the more interesting.

Head over to the Pan Blog to return from Cali not just with a sparking medal around your neck, but great memories in your head.

We are all one.” Genki Sudo

It’s been almost a year of preparations, and now my calendar says thirty-eight days till departure. It is difficult to believe that in just over a month I will venture out on the adventure of my life, as I launch my experiment to travel all the way around the world just by the help of the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu community.

A quick note about myself. My name is Christian, I am twenty-eight years old, and I currently hold a brown belt in our beautiful art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. I teach and train in my own gym in Copenhagen, Denmark, which I built up from scratch with a friend starting back in 2003.

Where I come from, we have never had easy access to quality instruction. Basically, we had to figure out everything by ourselves, so VHS tapes, DVDs the internet, and traveling has been a big part of our journey into learning the sport. Since we started, I have traveled a lot to find good training and instruction. These trips have taken me to many places in the world, and I have met so many good friends for life out there. Wherever I’ve gone to train, I have always been able to just walk through the door in any gym and people there have been really cool and welcoming. I have often thought about just how amazing a community we have. I don’t think there are many other sports where practitioners are so closely connected all over the world, always eager to share information, get better, meet new training partners, and enjoy the sport together.

About a year ago, I had played around with the thought of doing another training trip, but had not decided where to go. I hadn’t been to Brazil yet and I had also researched a bit about many exciting places to train in Asia, the U.S., and Latin America. And then it struck me… Why not take advantage of this extremely strong network and hospitality in our community and prepare a trip all the way around the world instead of just to one place?

So here I am, a year later and with only a month to go, before I head around the world in four and a half months. The entire trip, I will train and stay with people I have met through the worldwide Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu community. Some people I know already, but most of those I will visit are people who have seen my blog for the trip and invited me to come and stay with them. I have so many invitations it is overwhelming, and I wish I had time to visit them all. I am traveling on a serious budget and can’t afford to pay for accommodations, so the hospitality of people in the gyms around the world is what makes this trip possible.

February 21, I will go to France and from there head east around the globe, training in all sorts of different places, from a small village in Moldova, an exotic island in Indonesia and a training group in Cyprus, to the big gyms in Tokyo, Los Angeles, and Rio de Janeiro. On the way, I will try to do some competitions as well, especially the Worlds in California this summer.

On the gi I am bringing for the trip, I am carrying the logo saying ”We Are All One”, popularized in MMA by the amazing athlete Genki Sudo. With the BJJ community on my back, making this trip a reality, I think this is more true than ever. There is something special holding us together, and with this project, I want to make that obvious to the rest of the world and put on display how strong it is.

If you want to follow my trip, log on to my blog at www.BJJglobetrotter.com. Maybe I will drop by your city and we can do some training together. If you see me in the gyms out there one day, make sure to come over and say hi. I am traveling all by myself, so I don’t mind making new friends