Xande derrotou Andre Galvão na final do aberto. Foto: Kid Peligro

Bicampeão mundial absoluto, Xande Ribeiro foi o destaque da Seletiva Para o World Professional Championship (WPJJ), em San Diego, neste domingo, dia das disputas do absoluto e finais de todas as categorias. Aos 31 anos de idade, Xande prova que ainda tem muito a mostrar na arte suave, adversário para bater de frente contra nomes como Rodolfo Vieira e Roger Gracie. No ginásio da escola Point Loma, Xande faturou peso e absoluto e promete vir com força no evento principal, em Abu Dhabi. Todas as informações foram postadas em tempo real através dos twitters da Graciemag (@graciemag e @graciemag_br), com informações da repórter Deb Blyth.

Na categoria 92kg, Ribeiro bateu Rômulo Barral na final ao fazer dois pontos numa luta que levantou a torcida. Na decisão do absoluto, Xande teve André Galvão pela frente. Ribeiro pegou as costas, mas Galvão empatou o placar em 4 a 4. Três vantagens deram o título a Xande, que se emocionou com a galera das arquibancadas, que aplaudiu de pé a garra do campeão.

Xande no pódio do absoluto. Foto: arquivo pessoal.

Galvão também fez bonito na categoria 83kg numa final contra Clark Gracie. No ano passado, o professor da Atos vencera Clar em uma luta duríssima, no mesmo evento, em decisão dos juízes. Desta vez, uma passagem de guarda garantiu o triunfo.

No +92kg, Marcel Fortuna carimbou o passaporte para Abu Dhabi ao derrotar Gustavo Elias por 6 a 0. Já no 74kg, Zak Maxwell surpreendeu Kron Gracie num ataque pelas costas e conseguiu a vantagem e o ouro na categoria. Guilherme Mendes teve a dura guardinha de Laércio Fernandes pela frente na final do 65kg. Numa luta bem movimentada, Gui levou a melhor por 4 a 2.

No feminino absoluto leve, a faixa-roxa Angélica Galvão, esposa de André Galvão, ficou em primeiro, com Tracey Goodell em segundo. Já no absoluto pesado, Emily Wetzel anotou 6 a 2 no placar contra Maia Matalon.

Guto Campos sinks a triangle at 2010 Europeans. Photo: Ivan Trindade.

On the week of the 2012 European Jiu-Jitsu Championship, GRACIEMAG.com caught up with Guto Campos while he was overseeing the makeover his school in the Brazilian city of Porto Alegre is undergoing. The Southern Brazilian was mulling over ideas regarding the female dressing room with the architect, but at the same time he was laying out his plans for the season.

“I didn’t get to be at the Euros [he won the absolute division there in 2010] because of this refurbishment. But next week I’ll head to São Paulo to train with my teammates at Atos, focusing on the Abu Dhabi tryouts in Gramado. I want to secure my spot in the Middle East so I can go into the IBJJF Pan with my mind at ease. And I’ll keep up with the Europeans over the internet; I want to see who’s at the head of the pack at the start of the season.”

EYES ON OPPONENTS ON THE MATS ABROAD

Another Southern Brazilian who is sitting out the European Open, due to injury, but will be keenly watching the results as they surface is Vinicius Corrales, otherwise known as “Pulga”, from Sul Jiu-Jitsu academy: “I got back to training this week; I want to be solid for the Gramado tryouts. The results from the Europeans will help me analyze my likely opponents.” Last year Pulga won the No-Gi championship and took runner-up in the Gi Jiu-Jitsu championship in Abu Dhabi, losing in the final of the under-83kg division to Cláudio Calasans, Guto’s training partner at Atos.

Now Rio de Janeiro native Igor Silva is in Portugal and planning to take the first half of the competition-year by storm, making a stab at the Europeans, Gramado tryouts, and the Pan. Sport Jiu-Jitsu superstars Marcus Bochecha, Moacir Mendes, Mário Reis, Giovane Guedes and Bruno Frazatto and others are all tipped to be at the Abu Dhabi tryouts in Brazil’s south as well.

So the first half of the Jiu-Jitsu year is indeed promising. The Abu Dhabi tryouts in Gramado by themselves will serve up top-caliber competition. And on March 10 and 11 the WPJJC tryouts in San Diego will bring even more excitement.

What do you think, who will be the big names to arise early this season, from the Euros to the Pan and on to Abu Dhabi?

Willcox going for omoplata / Photo: Carlos Ozório

At the Rio de Janeiro leg of tryouts for the World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship this past weekend, Gabriel Willcox captured a berth for himself at the main show in Abu Dhabi. The black belt beat five opponents in qualifying, so one could say the training he’s been doing under submissions aces like Ricardo de la Riva and Felipe Costa its effect.

FORMULA FOR YOUTHFUL TRAINING

Always at the top of the heap at the International Masters—a tournament where the featherweight has even won the absolute—, the 35-year-old Willcox is still giving the young bucks more than their fair share to chew on. By the time he compete’s at the main event in Abu Dhabi he’ll be 36. Now to put on a show for the Sheikh, Gabriel will carry on with the formula for youth that’s got him thus far. In fact, he plans to stick with it for a while yet, to keep him going strong into his 40s. Here’s his secret to prolonged youth, as he explains in Portuguese in the video below:

“To keep fighting into your later years you have to do good physical conditioning. The secret is to lead a healthy life, eat well, rest well, train hard. These days I train a lot more correctly than I used to. I feel experience counts for a lot. I used to do a lot of wild stuff. These days I train properly; I feel a lot better at 36 than I did at 16.

I’ll keep at it for as long as I can keep it up in the adult division; I’ll be in there till I’m 40.”

Willcox busca a chave omoplata. Foto: Carlos Ozório

Na categoria 65kg, Gabriel Willcox é o classificado na seletiva do Rio para o World Professional Championship, em Abu Dhabi. No último domingo, o faixa-preta bateu cinco oponentes. Ou seja, os treinamentos ao lado de feras como Ricardo De La Riva e Felipe Costa estão surtindo efeito.

Fórmula da juventude nos treinos

Sempre bem badalado no Internacional de Masters – torneio em que já faturou até o absoluto -, aos 35 anos, Willcox segue dando dura nos mais jovens da categoria. Quando lutar o evento principal, nos Emirados Árabes, já terá 36. Para fazer bonito na frente do xeque, Gabriel segue com a sua fórmula da juventude. Aliás, que vai mantê-lo entre os adultos até os 40.

Não entendeu muito bem? Ele explica no vídeo:

Gabi segue invencível Foto: Carlos Ozório

Gabi Garcia está dentro do World Professional Championship para tentar manter o título de campeã do peso e do absoluto. No vídeo abaixo, num bate-papo com o GRACIEMAG.com, a faixa-preta da Alliance comenta a campanha na seletiva do Rio e não deixa de desabafar.

Confira:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tI-5_MclnBY&feature=youtu.be