The fifth graders at Lincoln Elementary. Photo: Personal Archive

The fifth graders at Lincoln Elementary have been lucky enough to gain access to Jiu-Jitsu in their school. The team at GMA Gracie Morumbi brought a bully prevention program into a fifth grade class to help them gain confidence, learn self-defense and have fun in the process.

Brandon with Professor Erik at Woodranch Elementary School. Photo: Personal Archive

In Simi Valley, CA another school was granted the presence of a five year-old student, Brandon, who came along with Professor Erik to teach students the importance of staying safe. They learned the “No, Go, Yell, Tell” system to help them deal with bullies with Brandon as the teacher’s assistant.

If the students choose to pursue training Jiu-Jitsu further, they’ve already taken the first step and getting on the mats at Gracie Morumbi is an easy transition.

Learn more about the bully prevention program from Fabio Leopoldo and Gracie Morumbi here: http://bullypreventionforkids.com/gracie-morumbi-helps-kids-in-the-community/

Have you ever wanted to learn from the great Rickson Gracie? Son of the late Helio Gracie and father of current black belt world-class competitor Kron Gracie, Rickson will be making his way back to the California coast for a seminar at Gracie Morumbi Ventura.

GMA member Fabio Leopoldo is hosting the Jiu-Jitsu seminar set for Saturday, April 27 at his Ventura, CA headquarters. This is a chance of a lifetime as Rickson no longer teaches in the states and the legend is giving you the opportunity to learn from his lifetime of Jiu-Jitsu knowledge and experiences.

The seminar will be located at 2160 Thompson Blvd., Ventura, CA 93001. It starts at 11 a.m. and runs until 2 p.m. so make sure you show up before 10:45 a.m. if you plan to participate. The cost is $150 cash only.

For more information you can call (805) 643-7717  or email: info@graciemorumbi.com

Milton happily teaching at a Paragon affiliate / Photo by Erin Herle

More often than not, a black belt competitor has two roles: competing and teaching. The two roles are very commonly associated with one another as the ability to train full-time is a luxury that few can afford. In order to financially support themselves and extend their own training they teach at either their own or an affiliate’s academy. If you are teaching Jiu-Jitsu, it not only gives you opportunities to train but also to learn– a common notion supported by athletes like Rubens “Cobrinha” Charles Maciel and Ryron Gracie.

“I like teaching more than competing,” says Milton Bastos, a black belt competitor who grew his name when he won his adult division at the 2009 No-Gi World Championships as a brown belt. The championship was not just a major win for him at the time but it also ended his 8-year break from Jiu-Jitsu. After Milton received his brown belt, he quit training Jiu-Jitsu in 2001 to seek out grappling in another realm– wrestling. He remained in that sport, competing and teaching some of the top guys in Jiu-Jitsu like Fabbio Passos who cross-trained with Milton. In 2009, Fabbio urged Milton to return to BJJ competition and tag along with him to the No-Gi Worlds in Long Beach, CA baiting him with a trip to the states as well as a chance to use his wrestling for Jiu-Jitsu gold. Milton agreed and won every match to the top of the podium; he pulled guard in every match.

After the tournament he made connections with GMA member Ricardo “Franjinha” Miller, head of the Paragon team and began teaching at the Ventura academy shortly thereafter when Fabbio visited Brazil. He has stayed ever since, becoming one of the busiest professors around. Although, don’t tell him I called him that due to his insistence that you just call him by his first name.

Milton training with a student / Photo by Erin Herle

Today, Milton can be found up and down the west coast at any of Paragon’s affiliate academies given that he acts as a substitute teacher. Normally a main instructor at the academy in Ventura, he willingly drives as far north as Santa Maria or as far south as Hollywood to fill in as a teacher should one be needed. It was at the Hollywood affiliation where I was able to sit down with Milton and talk about his love, style and advice for teaching.

“I’ve been teaching since I was fourteen years old. I was a green belt teaching kids classes,” says the now 30-year-old. Milton is a playful guy that makes sure his classes are fun and he is seen more as a friend than a dictator. His main influence was Leo “Leozinho” Vieira whom Milton trained under for some time.

As a way to further his teaching ability, he tries to learn every style out there. In order to do so, he willingly trains at other academies like GMA members Caio Terra’s Institute of Martial Arts in San Jose, CA and Romulo Barral’s Gracie Barra Northridge in Northridge, CA. “Franjinha encourages me to seek out training in other gyms so that I can better teach the students about different styles,” he claims. Beyond that, Milton makes coaching a large priority and enjoys seeing his students win more than he enjoys winning himself!

In this list of advice, Milton offers tips to better your teaching abilities:

• Make class fun. Incorporate games, music, jokes. Be playful with your students and be less formal. You can still gain respect from your students without being serious all of the time.
• Have an open mind. Try to learn everything to be able to teach your students all the different styles out there. Visit other academies and/or train with other people. Don’t think that you own Jiu-Jitsu. Don’t be afraid to branch out to other styles of grappling, either, such as judo and wrestling.
• You don’t own your students. Be on their level and be friends with them. Should a student leave your academy, respect their decision.

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Professor:

Black Belt Fabio Leopoldo

Address: 2610 E Thompson Blvd, Ventura, CA 93001

Phone: 805 643 7717

Website: graciejiujitsufabioleopoldo.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/graciemorumbifabioleopoldo

About:

Gracie Morumbi Fabio Leopoldo offers world-class Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instruction for individuals, families, and Law Enforcement Officials of Ventura County and Los Angeles county areas. We offer various types of Martial Arts and fitness programs including Kickboxing, Kettlebells, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Self Defense. Professor Fabio Leopoldo is our head instructor and is a member of the Gracie Team adhering to the strict curriculum of Gracie Jiu Jitsu and philosophy. Our Ventura and Thousand Oaks locations are both being developed to become a reference for physical education, character development, self-defense, and the highest level of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training in the communities of Ventura, Oxnard, Camarillo, Carpentaria, Ojai, Thousand Oaks, Agoura Hills, Westlake Village, Simi Valley, Moorpark and Calabasas.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a healthy and safe way to get into shape and learn effective self defense skills. Our classes are designed to meet specific learning needs from people with different ages, gender and levels. Whether an adult or child our Brazilian Jiu Jitsu academies provide a clean, friendly, safe and progress oriented environment which allows the students to have a challenging, inspirational and warm learning and training experience that always makes them feel like coming back.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is for anyone who values discipline, wellness, and respect. Our Jiu Jitsu classes for designed for adults and children looking for a life-style that embraces and constantly improves all of these aspects. It doesn’t matter if you are a person with no Martial Arts training background. If you’re someone that wants to loose weight or learn self-defense, a busy business person looking for a stress relieving activity, a parent searching for something to complement the education of your kids, or a experienced martial artist aiming for further development of your fighting skills, come to one of our schools. We are sure you will find an exciting and challenging place that will allow you to achieve your goals.

Video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1gAWOxhBDo#t=33

Greater evidence of the long road he has taken are the Pan-American gold medal, in the black belt absolute of the remote year of 2002, and the fact he still talks about training sessions at “Barra Gracie”, inverting the order like folks used to do.

So Fabio is one of the stars signed up in the master division of the Pan 2010, which boasts more than 50 fighters this year, promising to be an entertaining sideshow.

Fabio Leopoldo faces Fabio Gurgel at Worlds in Rio. Photo: Gustavo Aragão.

“I’m in good shape, getting squashed up by the world champions of Barra Gracie, at the training sessions headed by Marcio Feitosa at GB America. After training with Braulio Estima, Romulo Barral, Otavio Sousa and Kayron Gracie (debuting at black belt), I feel I’m ready to face anyone at the Pan. More names are cropping up; I heard a rumor that Saulo Ribeiro will be in it, so it will be really cool. It’s never easy, but I feel a lot better than last year, when I returned to competitions after four years in MMA, and busy with the academies,” the former IFL fighter and Jiu-Jitsu teacher living in California says with a serene voice. Fabio now has 360 students in two academies, one in Ventura and the other in Thousand Oaks. Happy and fulfilled, he has had time and training partners to get in championship shape.

“My students have gotten tougher and my training has improved. These days here I have the lifestyle I always dreamed of. We have our students, I’m in practice, and I just returned from a wicked surf trip with my big wave rider friend Mancuzzi,” he says with a laugh. “I can feel the guys on my team are really happy in training, and very motivated to conquer a second team title. Alongside the work of structuring Gracie Barra in the USA, an ever-stronger competition team is cropping up.

Besides training at GB, Fabio will also count on another reinforcement starting this Monday: “Gabriel Vella called me and will show up to do his final training sessions here in Ventura,” he says in closing, referring to his childhood friend and current ultraheavyweight world champion, one of the favorites in the adult absolute, in Irvine.