In the south of Brazil, you have an academy and a social project focused on Jiu-Jitsu, both highly praised, works of excellence. What can we expect now with your move to the United States?

MARCOS CUNHA: My move to the U.S. seeks to expand my team, to build a base to support my athletes, who aspire to compete in major events and this was a difficulty for all of us. Today we have been able to build this base and we have two more branches here in the USA. This way I can generate opportunities for my athletes and my teachers. For next year I aim to open more branches and strengthen my competitive process here.

Regarding your career as a competitor, what were your main achievements and what did you learn from them?

I’ve competed a lot in these 32 years of Jiu-Jitsu, competition is in my blood, I’ve learned over the years that the biggest competition is internal and that this is our biggest opponent. I’ve won Brazilian Nationals, several Opens, I was on the podium at the European Championships and I still have the dream of winning the World Master. Today my main focus is not to compete, but to train my students and help them achieve great results. As we always train together, at one time or another I sign up for a big event to kill the nostalgia (laughs).

What’s the secret to turning an average athlete into a great champion?

I’ve trained many athletes and today I’m with a new crop that are the athletes Bruno Sena, Patrick Possamai, Duda Tozoni, Mila Reis, Carol Fernandes, Jonatas Mogli, among others… The secret to building these good results is to try to understand what the athlete really wants, to have a vision of whether or not he has the conditions and explore what he has best, to create a relationship so that an athlete has confidence in the other athletes in the team. And so be able to extract from them things that even they don’t believe they can do. And lastly is to be passionate about what you do, and I’m passionate about the competitive process and my work.

You’re always training with a great performance against the kids on your team. What are the tricks for the athletes of the Master division to do well against the adult athletes?

Understand that old age is in our head and train without laziness, full of will and willingness. It motivates me and keeps the kids motivated as well.

What’s the motivational phrase you like to repeat to yourself when you’re going through a difficult career situation?

No obstacle came to stop me, but to make me stronger for the new challenges. Nothing is by chance, don’t ever give up!

What is the philosophy behind your school?

Quality in teaching, because we really care about knowing if the student is learning, so that he gets the positive life change and learns all the benefits that sport can give him, on and off the mat.

Kaio Cesar is a black belt from Gracie Barra

Kaio Cesar, from Gracie Barra Encinitas, is one of the most consistent athletes in Master 1. As well as being an athlete, Kaio is a Jiu-Jitsu enthusiast and understands the benefits that the sport’s culture provides to practitioners.

The black belt is a scholar of the art and knows in depth the values that the martial art propagates. Kaio Cesar listed some of the benefits of training Jiu-Jitsu.

“Jiu-Jitsu is a sport that challenges you a lot. You need to be patient to learn the moves and know the right time to use each technique. So it’s one of the best ways to release stress and forget about everyday problems. And although Jiu-Jitsu is an individual sport, people who have never stepped on the mat are missing out on the opportunity to build new friendships,” said the Gracie Barra professor.

Competition is an important part of Jiu-Jitsu, but the sport isn’t just about that. Kaio pointed out that challenges and adversities arise daily in training.

“In addition to competitions, the sport helps improve quality of life and physical and mental health. The benefits that Jiu-Jitsu gives us are incredible, we feel a sense of well-being with every workout we finish. You challenge yourself every day even if you don’t compete. Each person will have their own limitations and goals, whether it’s practicing a new technique or achieving a submission during training. In addition, Jiu-Jitsu teaches you self-defense. You never know when you’re going to need to defend yourself. So it’s always good to practice,” said the current American Nationals Nogi champion.

Kaio has a busy routine and juggles the roles of professor and competitor. What’s more, he manages to maintain high performance in both sectors without damaging his mental health. He explained how he manages to balance these aspects in the face of such a busy and dynamic routine.

“Nowadays, due to the huge demands of work, social media and family, our lives are very busy. Sport is an escape route. I’d say it’s the best medicine to combat stress. Jiu-Jitsu is a sport that involves various physical skills, such as strength, concentration, endurance, flexibility and patience. So you realize how complete the sport is and how many benefits it can promote.  After each session, you feel calmer. There’s also the interaction with other people. We often say that our Jiu-Jitsu team is our second family,” reiterated the Gracie Barra athlete.

Kaio Cesar added that Jiu-Jitsu has changed the way he faces his own responsibilities and stressed that the sport has made his lifestyle healthier.

“Jiu-Jitsu has brought many benefits to my life. One of them was becoming a calmer person and having more concentration. I began to notice this over time, in situations that would normally take away my peace of mind. I was always able to stay calm and take control of the situation. Then, thanks to Jiu-Jitsu, I also have a healthier diet. I always try to be in good shape for training and, consequently, this helps my overall health,” concluded the black belt.

ADGS Miami is scheduled for September 16th and 17th. Photo by AJP

As a luxury warm-up for the awaited Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship, a big challenge draws closer in the AJP calendar. Scheduled for September 16th and 17th, the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour Miami bears the promise of a great Jiu-Jitsu show with renowned athletes already set to compete in it. On the first day of the competition, the experienced Masters heat up the mats with their knowledge of the gentle art. Then, on the second and last day, the Professional category takes the stage to put on a spectacle of its own for the fans at the arena, and those who will follow the event live on AJPTour.tv.

The location is a big part of the tournament’s allure. While the competition itself will take place in the spacious Watsco Center, providing all its comfort to athletes and fans alike, the warm weather of the Floridian summer and the pristine Miami beaches add to the overall experience, making this one of the most tantalizing AJP tournaments this year. That’s not to mention the many other attractions that the city offers to its visitors, such as natural parks and exciting nightlife.

Another key aspect of the ADGS Miami is the points. Athletes looking to rise through their respective rankings should not miss this opportunity, as the event offers its headliners 2000 points. This means that, apart from the experience to be gained by facing some of the toughest fighters in the sport, each champion will receive a considerable boost in their journey toward the top of the AJP leaderboards.

Among the heavy hitters registered to compete in Miami, we have names like Ronaldo Junior, Roosevelt Sousa, Julia Alves, Marcos Carrozinno, Ingridd Alves, Ricardo Evangelista, Isadora Silva, Pedro Pimenta “Bombom”, Jhonathan Pessanha “Moicano”, and other elite athletes.

So don’t waste any more time and start planning your trip to Miami. Enjoy the local climate, test your skills among the best in the world, and shoot for the stars on the AJP ranking. Click here and register now for the ADGS Miami!

Photo: Milena Maldonado

As a brown-belt, in 2019, Jéssica Caroline had her best moment when she topped off a strong phase with titles in the IBJJF’s Pan and World Championship in Long Beach, California.

The two medals resulted in Jéssica, 27, being promoted black-belt atop the podium of the last Worlds, prior to the pandemic. Since then, the Alessandro Nunes-trained athlete won the South American and the Rio Open, and placed second in the Brazilian Nationals—all three events held by IBJJF/CBJJ in Brazil.

“In 2019 it was an incredible experience; I was really well prepared, I felt really good in all the fights I had, thus winning the title of champion,” she said. “This year I’m feeling great too, focused and training a lot… I’m going to give it my maximum to bring this title home again, now in the black belt.”

Asked about the state of the roosterweight division, the PAX Academy athlete added: “My category is quite interesting! There are some girls I’ve never fought, all at a high level. I’m anxious and excited! I want it to come soon, because it’s going to be a war.

“I’m prepared and confident; my training sessions have been difficult, and that makes me confident. Nothing can be harder than my training.”

A black-belt since September 2019, Jéssica also spoke of what she thinks it takes to win the World Championship, which is set to start on December 9 in Anaheim, California.

“It’s impossible for you to have success at the Worlds without having the discipline to train right and eat well,” she said. “That’s the work I’ve been doing in the course of all these years. I have a training routine, and discipline to do what’s right and say no to the distractions. When it’s fight time, I also like to see each fight as final, and, in my mind, the person who dictates the pace of the fight is me. That’s the path I’ll follow to become world champion!”

Check out below one of Jéssica’s fights from the 2019 Worlds in California.

Photo: Personal Archive

Women’s jiu-jitsu has been growing fast, and one effect of this is noticeable in IBJJF events. From the blue belt up to the brown – where Thamires Monteiro competes – women are more professional and standing out more.

A few weeks ago, Thamires shone at the 2021 Pan, held in Orlando, Florida. The young Checkmat star defeated three opponents to bag the gold medal in the lightweight division. In the final, she scored ten points on Joanna Christine (Tac Team BJJ).

“I did three fights in the division; no points or advantages were scored against me in the course of the competition,” Thamires said in a recent interview. “I was able to put my whole game into action. I was one step ahead of the other girls.”

She trains at Checkmat La Habra, in California, alongside her husband, the black-belt Jackson Douglas. The 23-year-old Thamires dreams of becoming a strong black-belt. She trains under Lucas Leite, who is charged with shaping her way of fighting. At the Pan, for example, her way of conducting matches was quite clear – always scoring as much as possible until reaching a submission.

“The training is fully focused on competition: specific training and brawling,” she said with a laugh. “I love guard-passing; it’s my favorite game! But it’s been a while since I started challenging myself on the bottom, and it’s going well… I confess I even like it!”

Thamires then shared some thoughts on the growth of women’s BJJ: “I believe we’re on the right path to gaining our due recognition, but changes take time. Each passing year, the quantity of girls in competitions goes up, which really helps bring visibility to women’s BJJ. Big events like Fight to Win, BJJ Stars, BJJ Bet are including girls in their events. Of course it’s still one or two women’s fights to a card with five men’s fights, but it’s getting better. The more women we have in the competitive jiu-jitsu scene, the more visibility we’ll have and, consequently, the more opportunities. I hope.”

In the course of her career, Thamires has won gold medals in the American Nationals (weight and absolute), Brazilians Nationals and Pan.

Photo: Personal archive

In search of new challenges, after having won a world title in 2019, Matheus Gabriel went up two weight divisions and started competing amongst the middleweights. At the No-Gi Pan, held in May in Texas, the black-belt from Checkmat won his first big no-gi title and, to boot, made his name stand out in a division featuring Hugo Marques (Ares BJJ), Felipinho Cesar (Unity) and Leonardo Silva (GFTeam) — three of the opponents he had to beat on his path to the gold medal.

In the final, he was faced with the extremely tough Hugo Marques and came out victorious by two points from a penalty, because as Matheus was trying to sweep, Hugo escaped to try to defend his position. It’s worth noting that this was among the matches most talked about online, and in a recent interview, the champion explained why.

“The final was a real battle; it was attack against attack,” Matheus said. “He tried to pass my guard, but fortunately I managed to sweep. I climbed the leg and he went outside, which ended up giving me points due to a penalty against him. He got angry, because he thought the ref shouldn’t have given me the points — but it’s the rule! They had posted and talked about this rule days before the event. Anyway, I won! But he didn’t show up at the podium; I thought there was a lack of professionalism from his part. I wouldn’t do that; it was ugly and it’s bad for the sport.”

Photo: Personal archive

Before the final, Matheus finished Michael Trasso via triangle and beat Leo Silva and Felipinho on points. Matheus proved, in practice, that the mass he had gained didn’t slow him down.

“I felt very good fighting at middleweight,” he said. “It was fun and at the same time challenging. Because of the fact that I moved up in weight, the BJJ media talked about it. I felt very good, I felt stronger, and I kept my speed. Fighting new opponents was challenging too, since I had been fighting as a featherweight for a long time. My differentiator in no-gi is to fight moving forward. My guard also helps me a lot. I have a good guard and know that without the gi, it’s very hard to get past the difficulty offered by the fight. I’m excited for my next challenges.”

This being only his second competition in no-gi, Matheus added: “I’m writing my story in the sport. I’m excited about the new possibilities and the visibility that fighting no-gi offers. I want to do superfights, compete in tourneys and show all my potential. Really excited!”

Matheus will be fighting again in June, when new competitions start getting announced.

Gustavo is a Jiu-Jitsu black belt. Photo: Personal archive

Until he was able to stabilize his life financially through BJJ, Gustavo Andrade had no easy times. Born in Duque de Caxias, a municipality in Rio de Janeiro state, this black-belt traveled a long road of sacrifice, pain and, of course, success. In 2013, unaware of what would happen four years later, the Mountain View, Calif. resident was running raffles on social media to be able to continue training and competing at a high level.

The effort paid off later in one of the most popular BJJ hubs. Now also a teacher and legal resident of the U.S., Gustavo has begun enjoying the benefits the sport can offer to those who refuse to give up. If he had accepted the opinion held by some people close to him that “jiu-jitsu is not a job,” things would have turned out differently. At 29 and full of goals to reach, this student under Fábio Andrade gave an interview where he went over his trajectory.

“Many times, I thought of quitting,” he said. “People close to me thought that BJJ is not a job but, in reality, they had this view because they were not inside BJJ like me. My mom, before she died, also thought that BJJ was dangerous to me, but the sport ended up being the best decision of my life, and wherever she is, she will see that everything I have today is because of the sport.”

Gustavo added: “I used to life in Duque de Caxias. I used to run raffles to be able to fight. It was a ton of hardship — and now it has all changed! Today I’m living a stable life here, in the United States. Teaching BJJ has become my main source of income; I’m able to live and eat well, and I even save some money. But given that I’ve been a hard worker since I was little, I also work on some food delivery apps in my spare time. I’m always working.”

Unlike most Brazilian teachers, Gustavo arrived in the U.S. knowing how to speak the language, which helped. “I got here right away communicating really well with everybody; it’s really nice understanding and talking jiu-jitsu with the Americans,” he said. “The teachings from my physical education college helps me manage my classes in such a way that I can cater both to the competitive public and to the public that trains as a hobby, in a professional way that’s very different from the jiu-jitsu that was taught in the past.”

Having now lived in the U.S. for four years, Gustavo went on to compare the states of the sport in Brazil and in his adoptive home. “I believe in the U.S. jiu-jitsu is being more valued as a profession, and consequently your recognition ends up being greater,” he said. “But in regard to training, I believe jiu-jitsu in Brazil is tougher due to the fact that it’s in our nature, especially those who came from the bottom like me, to fight to survive. It’s easy to channel that aggressiveness necessary to win a fight, whereas in the U.S. jiu-jitsu is more commercial. There are good competitive teams, but it’s still different from Brazil.”

The owner of a ferocious guard and a swift wrist fold, Gustavo said he is ready for a superfight. With a record of two wins in Fight to Win, a promotion specialized in jiu-jitsu superfights in the U.S., he has some guys in his crosshairs. “I would really like to fight Otávio Souza, especially after he won the Pan as a medium heavyweight in 2020 and against Lo, which has always been a reference in the sport. Nothing better than facing your idols, which is the case with Lo.” Gustavo added, “If I had to mention someone from the new generation, it would be Gabriel Almeida. But, as always, I’m ready to answer any call. I continue to train hard!”

Arena de Jiu-Jitsu em Abu Dhabi. Foto: Ivan Trindade/GRACIEMAG

A organização da federação de Jiu-Jitsu de Abu Dhabi (UAEJJF) anunciou mudanças no sistema de qualificação para sua copa profissional, o WPJJC de 2015. Os atletas terão de participar de um dos campeonatos nacionais estabelecidos, a ser realizado ao redor do mundo.

Cada torneio vai apontar dez campeões no masculino e seis no feminino, para disputar o evento principal na capital dos Emirados Árabes. Cerca de mil atletas são esperados para disputar o charmoso torneio em 2015.

A organização do evento, que paga premiação em dólares, vai realizar 35 campeonatos nacionais no período de agosto de 2014 a março de 2015. Uma das curiosidades é uma seletiva em países com pouca tradição no esporte, como o Cazaquistão, prova de que a arte suave não para de se espalhar pelo globo. Para saber mais, clique aqui.

Eis a lista de países que vão receber os campeonatos nacionais:

América do Norte: USA, Canadá, México

América do Sul: Brasil

Europa: Grécia, Espanha, Suécia, Suíça, UK, Irlanda, Polônia, Portugal

África: Angola, África do Sul

Oceania: Austrália

Ásia: Kuwait, Índia, Cazaquistão, Coreia, Japão, China, Uzbequistão

Ronda Rousey finally had something to comment about the controversy involving her statement saying she could beat any women in BJJ today.

After the heated response from BJJ champions at GRACIEMAG.com, the UFC batamweight champion was asked a question about the theme recently in a event in Macau, China.

Ronda not only stood behind her words, but also said that it is a question of how much for her to show up at a grappling match.

Here’s what she said: “No, I haven’t seen their responses, and I’m not going to look for it. If people want to pay me as much as what I get paid in the UFC to go roll with them, I’d go do that too! But I’ve got movies, I’ve got fights, and I just don’t have the time to put in a grappling training camp. They’re only upset because they think they can beat me, so why shouldn’t I be just as upset at their opinion thinking they could beat me? Why are they so much more entitled to their opinion than mine?”

What do you think, dear reader? Should someone step up and pay Ronda to fight one of BJJ’s champions?

Chris Weidman is still the UFC middleweight champion.

In five rounds , he defeated challenger Lyoto Machida by unanimous decision (49-45, 48-47, 49-46).

The champion started out better and after a close first round, grew his control over Machida in the next two rounds.

Round three was Weidman’s best and many felt the fight could have ended there.

Machida held on and proved on round 4 that nothing was written in stone.

A cross punch to Weidman’s chin made the champion’s legs woobly and the Brazilian saw his opportunity to snatch the belt.

For the next minute and a half, Lyoto worked his punches, but wasn’t able to finish the matter.

Fighting five rounds for the first time in his career, Weidman put his gameplan in action on round 5 and was able to control the action once again.

With less than two minutes to go, Weidman got the takedown to make things more safe for him.

Machida had no more strength to do anything else.

The bell rang and the crowd cheered like crazy, recognizing the great action they had witnessed.

Weidman kept his belt and talked about the opponent: “He was tough as I thought. Fast, unpredictable I don’t remember if I got hurt. Have to watch the tape”.

Machida, as classy as always, gave all the credit to his opponent: “He deserves the title. He is the true champion. I’ll be back.”

On the co-main event of the evening, Ronda Rousey once again showed her fans (and haters) that she is one step (maybe two) ahead of her opponents.

In only 16s, Rousey clocked Alexis Davis and got her trademark judo throw to land in side control and puch from there until the ref said enough.

“It just seems that whatever I’m working on in training camp I have implemented effectively in the fight,” commented Ronda on her win.

Fearless, when asked if she would fight less than one month from now, on August 2, she said: “I have to talk with my team, but it’s likely.”

On a sadder note, the UFC pulled the fight between Stefan Struve vs. Matt Mitrione due to a non-life-threatening, near-fainting spell backstage.

Later on, during the press conference, Dana White said that Struve is ok and the doctors have cleared him.

Even so, the UFC boss added, commenting on Struve’s heart condition: “It’s one of those things. He has to think about his life and make a decision.”

Here are the other results of the evening.

UFC 175: Weidman vs. Machida

July 5, 2014

Mandalay Bay Arena, Las Vegas

Main Card (on Pay-Per-View)

Chris Weidman defeated Lyoto Machida by unanimous decision (49-45, 48-47, 49-46)

Ronda Rousey defeated Alexis Davis by KO (punches on the ground) at 0:16 of R1

Stefan Struve (251.5) vs. Matt Mitrione (254) was cancelled due to a heatlh issue with Stefan Struve

Uriah Hall defeated  Thiago Marreta by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

Russell Doane defeated Marcus Brimage by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)

Preliminary Card (on Fox Sports 1)

Urijah Faber defeated Alex Caceres by submission (RNC) at 1:09 of R3

Kenny Robertson defeated Ildemar Alcantara by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)

Bruno Santos defeated Chris Camozzi by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Rob Font defeated George Roop by KO at 2:19 of R1

Preliminary Card (on UFC Fight Pass)

Luke Zachrich defeated Guilherme Vasconcelos by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Kevin Casey (185) defeated Bubba Bush by TKO (elbows) at 1:01 of R1

Here’s a photo gallery of the post-fight press conference:

Main Card (on Pay-Per-View)

Chris Weidman defeated Lyoto Machida by unanimous decision (49-45, 48-47, 49-46)

Ronda Rousey defeated Alexis Davis by KO (punches on the ground) at 0:16 of R1

Stefan Struve (251.5) vs. Matt Mitrione (254) was cancelled due to a heatlh issue with Stefan Struve

Uriah Hall defeated  Thiago Marreta by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

Russell Doane defeated Marcus Brimage by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)

Preliminary Card (on Fox Sports 1)

Urijah Faber defeated Alex Caceres by submission (RNC) at 1:09 of R3

Kenny Robertson defeated Ildemar Alcantara by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)

Bruno Santos defeated Chris Camozzi by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Rob Font defeated George Roop by KO at 2:19 of R1

Preliminary Card (on UFC Fight Pass)

Luke Zachrich defeated Guilherme Vasconcelos by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Kevin Casey (185) defeated Bubba Bush by TKO (elbows) at 1:01 of R1

The official weigh in took place on the afternoon of this Friday.

GRACIEMAG was there and brings you some interesting images of the event.