For the past decade, EDJ Academy has been a foundation of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu excellence, cultivating champions on and off the mats. Founded on the principles of discipline, perseverance and community, the academy has grown into a hub for individuals of all backgrounds to learn, grow, and connect through the art of Jiu-Jitsu, fostering a strong sense of community and personal development.

EDJ Academy was born from a passion for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and a vision to create a training environment that balanced high-level instruction with a welcoming community. Its founder, Juan Pablo Garcia, a seasoned competitor and instructor with nearly 30 years of experience in the sport, took on the mission of not only producing athletes but also building a culture that nurtures personal growth and development.

“Feeling beyond blessed and grateful as we celebrate 10 incredible years of our academy”, says JP Garcia. “What started as a dream has grown into a strong community, a family, and a place where we lift each other up, push past our limits, and grow together on and off the mats. This journey wouldn’t be possible without our students, instructors, families, and supporters— each of you plays a huge role in making this academy what it is today. THANK YOU for trusting in our vision, showing up, and making this place feel like home”.

From its humble beginnings, the academy quickly became recognized as a trusted center for learning and development. With an emphasis on fundamentals, structured curriculums, and mentorship, students of all levels found a home at EDJ Academy, whether their goal was to compete at the highest level or to build strength, improve fitness, and self-confidence through Jiu-Jitsu.

Building champions, on and off the mats

One of EDJ Academy’s proudest achievements has been its impact on the competition scene. Over the years, the academy has produced IBJJF World Champions, Pan American Champions, and European Champions, proving that its methodology and training structure are among the best. However, beyond the accolades, the academy takes the most pride in the character development of its students.

With a focus on discipline, teamwork, and leadership, the academy has helped shape individuals into successful athletes, instructors, and even school owners. The journey of many students who began as white belts and evolved into black belts and mentors within the academy is something we take great pride in, built on a strong foundation.

Beyond competition, EDJ Academy has cultivated a strong affiliation network, spreading its philosophy and teaching methods to multiple locations. The academy now has affiliates and has grown significantly in Ecuador, Colombia, Nicaragua, Chile, Germany, Turkey and USA, expanding its reach and impact across the globe. With more than 30 black belts developed under its banner, EDJ Academy continues to build upon its lasting impact in the Jiu-Jitsu community.

Additionally, the academy has remained committed to innovation, incorporating online learning resources for affiliates, instructor development programs, and specialized curriculums for kids and adults. EDJ Academy continues to evolve while preserving the essence of the sport, with strong support for the IBJJF and its mission to uphold the highest standards in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competition and education.

The academy also hosts annual training camps, bringing together students and affiliates from around the world to train, learn, and grow together. Professor JP maintains a close relationship with school owners and all students, providing guidance in various areas, including competition, coaching, and business development. His mentorship has been instrumental in shaping not only high-level competitors but also successful instructors and academy owners.

“We also celebrate some incredible promotions, such as our new two black belts Wilbert Vasquez and Evelyn Song. Huge congrats to years of dedication, hard work, and passion. To everyone who has been part of this journey — past and present — THANK YOU. This is just the beginning, and we’re excited for what’s ahead. Here’s to another decade of growth, success and unforgettable moments on the mats!”

The next 10 years

As EDJ Academy celebrates its 10-year anniversary, the journey is far from over. With new generations of students and instructors rising through the ranks, the academy is set for even greater achievements. Plans for future expansion, enhanced training programs, and continued community outreach signal that the next decade will be just as impactful as the last.

As the team reflects on its first decade, one thing is certain—this is just the beginning.

If you would like to get in touch or learn more about Professor Juan Pablo and the team, visit www.edjassociation.com.

Kaio wants to be the best. Photo: IBJJF/Facebook

Kaio Cesar does a notorious job as a competitor in the US. The athlete, that represents the big Gracie Barra team, already held five medals in the IBJJF circuit in the beginning of this season. Two gold medals, two silver medals and one bronze at Santa Cruz Open No Gi, Denver Open No Gi, Dallas Open No Gi, Houston Open No Gi, respectively.

The black belt set Master Worlds, No Gi Pans and No Gi Worlds as main goals, also going for his second champion title at American Nationals, one of the most traditional events on the season.

” Kaio from 2023 comes more focused, hunger than ever. This year my mind is armored and as always, I’m fighting forward, to seek submissions and I’m not gonna relax.
Even being in the light-feather weight, I’m also challenging myself in the Open Class, which has given me a lot of experience as a competitor “, reflects Kaio, who holds the position of third place in the IBJJF ranking in the light-feather division.

More experienced, Kaio gives us details about his training schedule in order to have a better performance at each tournament he competes at, gi or no gi.

” I’ve been focusing a lot on my training, mostly in the gi. I am always working my agility, positiion timing, also looking for a surprise to try to finish the matches. At the academy I’m always studying techniques, my favorite ones and my opponent’s ones. I also do Strength and Conditioning, ar least 4 times a week, to keep the muscles active and the body prepared for the intensity of Jiu-Jitsu training sessions”, tells us Kaio.

Assiduous competitor since young age, Kaio also took the opportunity and defined what the competitions means in his life as an athlete, and which lessons he can take for his life outside the mats.

” I try to always stay active in the competitions. Today I try at least two tournaments per month. I think that the athlete needs to be always testing himself and getting out of the comfort zone. Fighting, for me, is a physical work, of preparation in the training sessions and at the gym, besides the mental part, of not knowing who I’m gonna fight against, what’s gonna happen e trying to be always ready. Fighting motivates me even more in the training and I can also motivate my teammates to evolve with me”, finishes the champion.

Photo: Personal Archive

At just seven months among the sport’s elite, Jack Douglas is starting to capture his first important titles. The 26-year-old athlete was the best super-heavy and ultra-heavy fighter in gi and no-gi at this year’s American Nationals, one of the toughest tournaments of the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) circuit.

Owner of a submission-heavy style, which prioritizes attacks from the waist down, Jack became no-gi American Nationals champion by applying a heel hook on John Leslie (Axios) in the final. He spoke about how he practices his finishes.

“I was already practicing leg attacks a lot, and the heel attacks are more of a complement,” said Jack, who also won the Nationals’ gi super-heavy division by beating Lucas Norat (Gracie Barra). “I can’t deny that it’s a bit complicated to practice them without some kind of hesitation, but it’s that old story that all that is new is scary. But the heel hook will become just as normal as an armbar. The secret is to train, study and practice. In the past, people would only talk about heel hooks when they had a superfight, and now you practice that position all week to fight on the weekend.”

Having lived for four years in the United States, where he leads his career as a professional athlete, Jackson is closely following the increasing popularity of no-gi events — a niche in which Americans are, for now, investing more.

“I believe gi jiu-jitsu isn’t going to lose its space, because many people don’t like to train or compete without the gi,” he said. “No-gi jiu-jitsu can, indeed, gain more space in superfights, because the vast majority of events are looking for a more dynamic kind of match. The public these days that buys tickets wants to see fights with movement, spinning and euphoria. The events are also looking for athletes that display this type of style — it’s all in service of the show. I always train to win with lots of movement, via submission. The audience that gets to see me fighting will enjoy it!”

Jackson trains at Checkmat La Habra in California, under Lucas Leite, his teacher.

Marcelo’s joy with the success of his son and the participants in his project. Photo: Reproduction

Seeking to expand the frontiers of Jiu-Jitsu and open doors to a new generation within the competitive scenario, black belt Marcelo Ribeiro, leader of RMA Jiu-Jitsu, conceived his exchange project, Xchange, with the support of our partner Braus Fight.

In a chat with GRACIEMAG, the black belt revealed details about the method used to select athletes, the challenges of opening his gym, and how GFTeam helped to carry out the initiative, generating fruit that reflected in the Jiu-Jitsu of prodigy son João Marcelo, who is still at purple belt, has been appearing in the biggest tournaments in the USA. Check the lines below!

GRACIEMAG: At what point did you and your family migrate to the US? Was it your intention to teach Jiu-Jitsu lessons?

MARCELO RIBEIRO: We came to the United States in 2006. I always wanted to migrate here, intending to provide my family with a more peaceful life. Jiu-Jitsu was also part of that dream, I always wanted to bring Jiu-Jitsu to my city and neighborhood, to further increase Jiu-Jitsu’s contact with me and my family.

What were the main challenges of founding your academy?

We opened our first academy in 2011. We focused on creating our teaching methodology, marketing, sales, and, most importantly, understanding our audience. There is a big difference between the Brazilian public that practices Jiu-Jitsu and the American public. My wife, Renata, who has a degree in psychology here in the United States, helped me with the behavioral part, which aims to understand people’s perceptions about consumption decisions. Our goal was to get a sense of how our customers feel, what they think, and how they act concerning our brand, our service, and our products. From this study, we created every detail of our brand, curriculum and established a connection with our customers. We created a company that provides customized Jiu-Jitsu classes, separated by age. Today with more than 400 students in Nashville county, we have our RMA Headquarters.

RMA Jiu-Jitsu’s junior team. Photo: Reproduction

How is your relationship with GFTeam?

We started our partnership with GFTeam in 2019. In addition to having been the IBJJF arbitration coordinator for many years, I am a friend and a great admirer of master Júlio César, who leads the team and with whom I had the honor of establishing a friendship while still in Brazil. After the great success that RMA had, we dreamt of sponsoring Brazilian athletes to participate in the biggest competitions here in the United States. After many conversations and spreadsheet analyses, we decided to start the Xchange project, an initiative that aims to help young athletes manage their careers and learn the English language. Through this project, we brought GFTeam athletes and thus started our partnership and connection with the team.

Where did the idea of ​​taking young athletes from Brazil to train at your academy come from?

Initially, it would be a small, unnamed project, open to all teams, but with only one athlete per year. Our oldest son was aiming to go to college in Southern California, so we had a limited budget at the beginning of the project. However, he was offered a scholarship to an excellent college here in Nashville, the same college my wife graduated from here, and he decided to stay close to home. Thus, we decided to increase the project and, in 2019, we received master Júlio at our home to share ideas and set goals for our teams. After sharing experiences and other conversations about business, we decided that the Xchange project would be exclusive to GFTeam.

And how does the selection process work for the athletes who will participate?

Some apply to participate in the project on our Instagram or email, while others come to us by referral. The process is arduous and time-consuming as we hear and read all the applications. It’s difficult because there are so many moving stories and unfortunately we can’t help them all. After the final selection is completed, Master Júlio gets in touch with the athlete’s teacher or even with the athlete himself, to extend the invitation. It is important to emphasize that, despite being integrated into the project, the athlete continues to represent his school and teacher. The goal of Xchange is to bring a different experience to this athlete and allow him to experience the management part here in the United States, while still training and competing. Athletes receive an experience of living abroad, with our family and being involved in their chosen sport. We have English classes, physical preparation, and specific training for competitions. We also include leisure trips so that they can experience the whole experience.

João Marcelo on the American Nationals podium. Photo: Reproduction

Who are the current members of the Xchange project?

Xchange 2021 currently has three athletes. We have Ismael Santos, a brown belt from GFTeam Ceará and a student of Professor Elinor Batista. We also received Luis Fernando Carvalho, a purple belt from GFTeam Merck, and a student of Professor Serginho Miranda. And finally, we have João Pedro Rodrigues, also a student of Professor Serginho at GFTeam Merck.

This exchange of knowledge ends up favoring not only the young people who are going but also your young and avid athlete João Marcelo, current champion of the American Nationals. What changed in his game and Jiu-Jitsu vision after the project?

Not only is it excellent training, but also an immense exchange of experiences, culture, and language. João Marcelo has only studied English all his life and his daily life with the boys helps him a lot with Portuguese. Our academy also made a difference in his career. Even before the project, he prepared for all of this year’s events, including the American Nationals in which he was champion at weight and open weight, with our RMA students. I would say that the experiences helped not only João Marcelo but the whole family.

What did you, teacher and experienced black belt, learn from these exchanges of experience?

I learned that the human connection is the most powerful thing in the world. Even though they’re much younger, around my son’s age, I learn daily from them. The life stories, the difficult moments they went through and the incredible strength that each one has developed to pursue their dreams help us to grow. Today I take on the role of “master”, which is what they call me, but I also function as a father figure, using this period of closeness to guide them towards success. Sometimes I am a little tougher, taking on the role of instructor and father, but my wife, like a mother, is more flexible. We talked a lot and developed a lot of affection for everyone. This exchange ends up being as special for us as it is for them and we know that, although our time with students is limited, the friendship and admiration will be forever.

And what are the next plans for Professor Marcelo Ribeiro and RMA?

In addition to continuing our partnership with GFTeam, which helped us in the development and execution process of the project, we intend to hold an Xchange camp in Brazil, but we are still defining the details of this new adventure.

João Marcelo (right) and Xchange participants. photo: Reproduction

Photo: Personal Archive

Esdras Jr is in the midst of a great phase on the competitive circuit of the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF). The black-belt from Ares has been going strong for four consecutive tournaments – he became champion at the IBJJF’s Dallas Open, Houston Open, New Orleans Atlanta Open and, most recently, at the No-Gi Pan, one of the most important competitions on the 2021 calendar.

His latest triumph, along with the points won in previous tourneys, caused Esdras to grab the top spot in the master 1 feather division with 135 points – nine more than the UFC fighter Rani Yahya.

In a recent interview, Esdras Jr spoke of what makes him a champion in 2021. “It’s hard to talk about just on aspect, but I think consistency is the key to reaching any goal. Maybe I’m not even training more in terms of volume, but without a doubt, I’m trying to train in a more intelligent way. Knowing how to understand your body and respect your limits is very important to comprehending when you have to do that training session where you’re fighting for real – most days! – or train by trying to understand and control the situations more. I’ve been going hard in my physical preparation since late last year, focusing a lot on injury prevention work. I’m feeling very well physically and mentally.”

To earn the gold medal at the No-Gi Pan, Esdras Jr had to defeat three tough opponents, including Silvio Duran (Nova União) in the semifinal round and Ermilio Lima (Fight Sports) in the final.

According to Esdras, he felt well and prepared for each match. “I was happy with my performance,” he said. “But I can say the toughest fight this time was cutting weight. The last time I weighed less than 67kg, I was in middle school! This Pan was the first time I hit feather in no-gi, which is well below feather in the gi. On the day of the competition, I woke up weighing 66kg – there I woke up feeling well and ready to fight. It was an incredible journey.”

Photo: Personal Archive

He went on to offer advice on winning any BJJ competition: “First, one should not worry about the result! Perhaps it seems like madness to say that, but when we think about results too much, the tendency is to demand a lot of ourselves, and I believe this demand brings about unnecessary tension. Step on the mat alert, but with tranquility. It’s about doing what you trained to do, match by match, trusting yourself and your jiu-jitsu. That’s all you should think about. Have patience to play – jiu-jitsu is like chess.”

And finally, on the subject of mindset, he said: “When you do what must be done, it works out! It’s a matter of training hard, dieting, physical preparation, technical and tactical training, knowing your strong points and developing a game plan. It’s impossible not to feel well and prepared. Step on the mat and believe that your plan is going to work. Work on your mind to be positive when things don’t come out as planned, because knowing how to control your mind is important. Believe until the end! I couldn’t go without mentioning also Fellipe Barros, my mental coach, who is always there when I need him.”

In the United States, Esdras trains beside Osvaldo Queixinho at Ares BJJ in Phoenix, Arizona.

Gracie Barra tops NAGA standings. Photo by John Cooper / GRACIEMAG archives.

The Gracie Barra school network has reason to celebrate this week, upon release of the North American Grappling Association (NAGA) rankings for 2012.

Team GB took top spot, with ATT coming in second and Lloyd Irvin in third.

Check out the current rankings.

Now what about your school? Is it one of the 250 affiliates of our GMA? Has it been finding success in your region?

Send us an email at gma@graciemag.com and participate!

JT uses his guard to overcome heavyweight Salazar at Houston Open. Photo by Mike Calimbas.

This past weekend was replete with Jiu-Jitsu of the highest quality in Texas, at the IBJJF Houston Open that took place at the Jerabeck Activity and Athletic Center, with the likes of the Mendes brothers, André Galvão, Marcello Salazar, Stephen Hall, Diego Gamonal, James Harbison, Pablo Santos, Ryan Hall, and a lightweight who ended up with two gold medals and the status of big standout of the event.

(Watch the medium heavyweight final, between Galvão and Gamonal, below.)

That lightweight is none other than Lloyd Irvin academy’s Jonathan Torres, Houston Open champion of the lightweight and absolute divisions. To win at weight. he overcame Bruno Amorim in the division final, while to take top spot in the absolute, he had to face his training partner James Harbison in the absolute final.

EARLY-SEASON TOURNEY, IN-FORM JIU-JITSU

At featherweight, Gui Mendes placed first, with his brother, Rafael, in second. At medium heavyweight, André Galvão defeated Diego Gamonal in winning the gold. And Marcello Salazar won in the heavyweight division.

Another little guy to outdo the big guys was Gracie Elite’s Gianni Grippo, who won the brown belt absolute. As well as the featherweight division. In the team contest, Gracie Barra was rampant in the overall team competition, winning both the trophies: the kids, as well as the adult/masters categories.

Check out the full results at the IBJJF website.

Watch JT in action against Harbison and comment below: who was the big standout of the Houston Open to you, if you happened to be there?

In the wake of the European Open's success, the IBJJF returns to holding Jiu-Jitsu championships in the USA. Photo: Kuba Sawicki/MANTO.

Parents, professors and practitioners, it’s almost time to test your Jiu-Jitsu and have some safe, clean fun at the next IBJJF tournaments on the calendar. This weekend, things will be going off in Texas at the Houston Open, where the likes of ADCC double champ André Galvão and others will be putting in appearances.

After that, the invite is open for competitors to head west for the February 19 Pan Kids, to let the little ones have their fun at a one-of-a-kind Jiu-Jitsu party. A rare and instructive celebration, or as Professor Léo Vieira puts it, “There’s plenty to learn in watching the kids rolling, because their moves come so naturally.”

For anyone wanting to participate or get a glimpse of Jiu-Jitsu’s future, the Pan Kids will go down at University of California, Dominguez Hills campus, and the sign-up deadline is already upon us—today is the last day.  Sign up here.

JIU-JITSU TO WARM UP CHICAGO WINTER

The newest championship to grace California is the San Francisco Open, although it will be held in Oakland, on the 26th. Among those signed up thus far, there’s young black belt James Puopolo (Lovato), as well as two masters you should be familiar with from GRACIEMAG.com: Professors Kurt Osiander and João Cunha, who will be competing in the senior division.

Click here now to sign up and still get the discount rate.

Another tourney that’s still open for registration is the Chicago Winter Open, coming March 3. Make haste and sign up now to help put your school at the top of the podium and make it onto the cover of GRACIEMAG. Click here to register.

The thug was taken away on a stretcher, so potent was the blow. In an article published in GRACIEMAG 177, Carlos Gracie Jr. recounted a story about a robbery he suffered, and stated that he would never react to an armed assailant.

“Losing money in a situation like that is one thing. You can make the money back. Other things you can’t.”

Photo: John Cooper

Anyone looking to test their technique and – who knows? – make it onto the pages of GRACIEMAG had better act quick. The deadlines to sign up for the upcoming IBJJF championships are almost upon us.

The Las Vegas Open, set for Saturday August 13, is in its last week of sign-ups, which end on the coming 5th. The tournament will go down at Sport Center of Las Vegas, on 121 East Sunset Road. Secure your spot, here.

Next up is the Chicago summer tournament, on August 21, and anyone to register by July 30, this Saturday, pays a reduced rate.  Get in on the action, here.

At the end of August, on the 27th, Jiu-Jitsu enthusiasts will get a chance to see the best Jiu-Jitsu players in the region in action at the Boston Open, at the UMASS Athletics venue, for which sign-ups  are open here.

Now the Canadian season is serving up the  Montreal Open, on September 4, and you can find all the information on there here. There’s Jiu-Jitsu all around, so don’t miss out.

Rafael and Guilherme in Panama. Photo: Personal archives

Together or apart, Rafael and Guilherme Mendes have been around the world, whether in Panama, Morocco or the United States. On their trip, besides teaching the techniques that brought them to the status of world champions, they found time to visit child cancer patients, Sheikh Tanhoon, and do a bit of tourism. Now the duo is already onto its next commitment, but in competition. Rafa en Guilherme are getting ready for the November 20 Rickson Cup in Kawasaki, Japan.

“We’re already in Brazil training hard because we’re pretty much sure to compete at the end of the month in Japan. We spent a week outside Brazil and now we’re back and will continue our physical conditioning word, which is geared towards this competition. We trained a lot this week with Claudio Calasans, Bruno Frazatto, Eduardo Ramos, Gigante and some of the Atos black belts. We’re confident as always and we’re going out there to win!” warns Guilherme.

“Our trip was great! We went to Panama, where we had a great seminar. The gang loved it and, thank God, we’re coming up with great results with our seminars. I feel we’ve put together a class curriculum for teaching position that’s different from the rest and has been a success,” remarks Rafael.

But that’s not all that went on during the trip.

“After Panama, Guilherme went on to Florida to teach at some of the academies there and visit Disney World, and I went on to Morocco to train with Sheikh Tahnoon. That was great too! Guilherme enjoyed the training he did at some of Renato Tavares’s ATT branches. He was able to teach our positions and even visit Disney. And I had the honor of training with the Sheikh again. I’m really happy about having his recognition. It’s great. Tahnoon is someone really interested in our sport and is very intelligent; he’s always up to date and knows new positions. It was a great pleasure once again!”

In Panama, the Mendes’s didn’t just limit themselves to seminars and training. They took the chance to visit and provide support for child cancer patients.

It was a great experience. We visited Amigos, a foundation for child cancer patients and we were able to learn a lot from them. We learned about determination, will power and faith. They are great examples of overcoming adversity, since even with the illness, they don’t seem to be overwhelmed by it, they seem happy, smiling and playing, showing just how superficial our problems are! And we’re already setting up a return trip there in the summer, when they will camp out and have a bunch of activities we plan to participate in!” says Guilherme.

After Rickson Cup, the brothers will continue on their trip. Jiu-Jitsu can’t stop!

“We created a teaching method whereby our seminars are productive from white belt to black belt, not just with positions, but also in terms of concepts and variations. Folks are liking it and, just this year, we visited countries like Ireland, USA, Switzerland, Portugal, Spain, Canada, Panama, and Turkey… In December we’ll return to Canada, to Pura BJJ academy. We’ll also go to Hawaii, to Gracie Kailua. When we return, we’ll continue training and we’ll concentrate entirely on the European Championship, says Rafael in closing.