Pay attention, Sonnen: Gilbert Durinho teaches how to fend off Jon Jones’ elbows. Photo: GRACIEMAG.

If you were Chael Sonnen, what would you do to keep Jon Jones’s elbows at bay?

The best thing to do, of course, would be to not end up underneath him. That’s no easy task. Another would be to avoid irritating the light heavyweight champion during shooting of season 17 of The Ultimate Fighter reality show, the final of which will take place April 27, probably in New Jersey, USA. But we doubt Sonnen will take that route.

So the solution is to tune in to the advice of Gilbert “Durinho” Burns, who helped train Vitor Belfort for his own encounter with Jones. To Durinho the trick is to meld Jiu-Jitsu with boxing.

That’s right, the leg guard of Jiu-Jitsu and the hand behind the head of boxing.

“Fighters these days insist on grabbing the wrist of the opponent on top doing ground and pound. That’s just what he wants, since all he has to do is twist and the elbow goes in crisp,” says Durinho.

“I’d rather climb my guard up and try clinching him behind the head. If he escapes, I protect myself with the hand behind the neck, like in boxing, until I can get a knee in and distance him or try an armbar…” he teaches, with the help of training partner Jhon Menezes in a training session filmed at Vitor Belfort’s Rio de Janeiro gym.

Did you find the 2011 lightweight world champion’s tip helpful? Let us know in the comments field below.

Felipe “Preguiça” celebrates thrilling win at 2011 World Championship. Photo: Felipe Pena’s personal archives.

Nobody is 100% unbeatable. No guard is 100% insurmountable, however dangerous it may be.

That’s what Felipe “Preguiça” Pena proved at the 2011 Worlds, in a riveting duel with Miyao’s rubbery legs in the purple belt absolute division.

Check out the achievement of the medium heavyweight Preguiça, who would ultimately go on to win his weight and the open weight divisions, at 1:23 minutes of the video. While you’re at it, marvel at Miyao’s trademark elasticity.

Preguiça, now a brown belt, is one of the aces on tap for the next stage of Copa Pódio, coming up January 13, 2013. He takes on Leandro Lo in one of the card’s supermatches.

Rodolfo Vieira seeks tapout from back control at 2011 Pan. Photo: GRACIEMAG.com.

Following a marathon of seminars around the United States, GFTeam ace Rodolfo Vieira will be defending his academy’s honor this Saturday in the heavyweight brown/black belt division at the Brazilian Team Nationals.

A number of brown and black belt stars are confirmed to be there.

Click here to find out who.

And the CBJJ has already released the tournament brackets.

Click here to find out who faces who.

One extra added attraction is the promising young purple belts set to lock horns on the mats at the Tijuca Tennis Club, like talented upstarts Marcio André, Patrick Gaudio and Max Gimenes, for instance.

Nova União is the current title-holding team, having won the tournament the last two years in a row.

Now what do you say, gentle reader, which team do you have winning it?

Rodolfo Vieira getting back control at Pan 2011 / Photo: GRACIEMAG.com

The 2012 World Championship is going off in Long Beach, California. Last year, the aces below made it atop the podium. While we wait to see if they can pull it off again this time around, learn some of the tricks from the best in the gentle-art business.

Bruno Malfacine doing physical conditioning

Pass guard with Guilherme Mendes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tq9MfIfvfA

Rafa Mendes’s armbar on Cobrinha at Pan 2012

Durinho’s finish in MMA

Words and pointers from Marcelinho Garcia

The day Sérgio Moraes put the brakes on Kron Gracie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0X_Hw6A0K0

X-guard sweeps with Rodolfo Vieira

Half-guard pass with Léo Nogueira

Gabi will be defending a long unbeaten streak in the gi. GRACIEMAG archive photo.

All of the mat wizards below made it to the top of the World Championship winners podium in 2011. This Saturday, some of them stepped onto the mats at the pyramid-shaped gymnasium in Long Beach. While we await the results of this year’s contest, take the chance to learn some from these golden girls.

A bit of Letícia Ribeiro

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xegMrR6lNe8

Michelle Nicolini’s triangle

Pumping up with Luanna Alzuguir

Hannette Staack teaches a clock choke

Talita Treta vs Tammy Griego

Gabi Garcia doing physical conditioning

Sergio clamps a stranglehold on Pé de Chumbo in a highly technical affair: the best Jiu-Jitsu match shown on Globo channel yet? Publicity photo.

For the first time ever, Brazil’s television powerhouse Globo broadcast a Jiu-Jitsu world champion performing a submission. During the final leg of the TUF Brazil middleweight quarterfinals, Sergio Moraes of team Alliance sunk a rear-naked choke on another former world champion, Delson “Pé de Chumbo” of Gracie Pitbull 4:27 minutes into their tilt.

This news alone, bringing Vitor Belfort’s Green Team to a 7-1 lead, would be cause enough to celebrate TUF Brazil being on the air. However, there are other ways of assessing the reality show’s success. By numbers, for example. And we’re not talking about TV ratings.

After all, studies shown that masses of television spectators automatically tune in to Globo channel, especially on Sundays. So how’s about taking Twitter as an alternative barometer for gauging how the show is doing?

At the outset of TUF Brazil, now two months into the season, Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva had a combined total of a little over 500,000 followers on Twitter—Vitor at around 280,00 and Wanderlei at 250,000.

Today, Wand’s count is approaching 26,000, while Vitor, with more wins on the program, leapt to 387,000—more than the reigning UFC light heavyweight champion, Jon Jones, whose tally is at 382,000. Is there any doubt that TUF had something to do with this spike in numbers?

SERGIO MORAES ON A ROLL

But the trainers aren’t the only ones gaining fame. Serginho Moraes, without a single post to his name but already at 1,200 followers, put in a stellar performance yesterday with his display of modern Jiu-Jitsu.

Having defended a leg kick and put Pé de Chumbo on the ground, the two-time world champ set about passing guard but the two returned to their feet. On the second opportunity, however, Moraes was unforgiving.

Holder of 2008 and 2011 world titles, a silver after closing out with Marcelo Garcia in 2009 and a bronze from 2010, the native of the São Paulo town of Itaquera responded to a Pé de Chumbo takedown by flipping him and landing on top in half-guard. From there he worked at a guillotine while taking mount before taking his opponent’s back and finishing by rear-naked choke at the tail end of round one.

“The biggest credit to Sérgio there was his fighting to use his Jiu-Jitsu the whole time,” remarked his coach Fabio Gurgel. “The most valuable lesson to learn from this is to believe in the basics. In Jiu-Jitsu, after so many years of training, the ABCs can be the breakthrough.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFidfxtPzBk

Moraes now joins Cezar Mutante, Daniel Sarafian and Thiago Bodão in the middleweight divisional semifinals. The four through to the next stage in the featherweight division are Hugo Wolverine, Rony Jason, Godofredo Pepey and Rodrigo Damm.

So far the semifinal matchups have not been announced; however, the 7-1 drubbing Vitor Belfort’s team has dealt Wanderlei Silva’s obliged the powers behind TUF to reshuffle the athletes, drawing tears from Belfort and sarcasm from Wanderlei, the two of whom will face off on June 23 at Mineirinho Stadium in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais.

In the face of the routing, UFC president Dana White decided to step in. Via a video-conferencing call, he determined that Vitor should send three of his athletes to Blue Team. If the coach were not inclined to do so, White said he would pick who gets transferred himself. Put off and emotional, Belfort designated Sergio Moraes, Thiago Bodão and Godofredo Pepey as the athletes to be transferred to the team of Wanderlei Silva, who in turn sent Vina, Reneé Forte and Pé de Chumbo the other way.

“Did you see him crying? He should win an Oscar,” posted Wand on Twitter, stoking the fire of the eternal battle waging between the two—one not limited only to followers on the microblog. So who wins come June? Let us know your picks in the comments field below.

Ben between the Broadnax brothers at a Jiu-Jitsu championship in Arizona / Photo: Many Weapons

A complete fighter is one who likes testing himself in different situations. That’s one of the main reason is a worthy challenger to Frankie Edgar’s lightweight throne at UFC 144 this Sunday (Saturday in the West) at the Saitama Super Arena.

To you, gentle reader, what might Ben Henderson pull off with his ground game at UFC Japan? As you can see here, in one of his matches from the 2011 World Championship, the challenger’s got skills.

UFC 144 Japan

Saitama Super Arena, Saitama

Sunday, February 26, 2012 

Frankie Edgar vs Ben Henderson
Quinton Jackson vs Ryan Bader
Mark Hunt vs Cheick Kongo
Yoshihiro Akiyama vs Jake Shields
Yushin Okami vs Tim Boetsch
Hatsu Hioki vs Bart Palaszewski
Anthony Pettis vs Joe Lauzon

Evento Preliminar (FX)

Takanori Gomi vs Eiji Mitsuoka
Norifumi Yamamoto vs Vaughan Lee
Riki Fukuda vs Steve Cantwell
Takeya Mizugaki vs Chris Cariaso

Evento Preliminar (Facebook)

Zhang Tiequan vs Issei Tamura

Jiu-Jitsu champion Ary Farias plays with a friend between training sessions. Personal archive photo.

A many-time Brazilian national champion and runner-up at this year’s Jiu-Jitsu World Championship, having closed out with Guilherme Mendes, Ary Farias is one of the most respected little guys in the current gentle art scene.

In the minidocumentary below, Ary talks of his preparation for championships, addresses his start in Jiu-Jitsu after watching Rickson and Royce Gracie fighting, and teaches you how to literally flatten your opponent out on the mat.

“I got into Jiu-Jitsu when a friend of mine showed me Rickson and Royce’s fights. They were a lot smaller than their opponents, and even so they were dominant in their fights. Size isn’t a determining factor. That’s where I got my passion from,” said the Atos Jiu-Jitsu black belt.

MAKE YOUR OPPONENT UNCOMFORTABLE THE WHOLE TIME IN JIU-JITSU

Ary took the opportunity to teach creative finishes from side-control. The key is to keep chest to chest and make them as uncomfortable as possible with your shoulder, to get them to look the other way and be at your mercy.

Marcelo Garcia sets up sub on Léo Vieira at ADCC 2011. Photo: John Lamonica.

Let the five-time Jiu-Jitsu world champion and four-time ADCC winner show you how to use the butterfly guard to control the distance by using your feet on the hip, before yanking the opponent’s arm for the attack.

From there, as Marcelo Garcia demonstrates, you choose whether to go for the omoplata or to sweep and land in the mount.

Augusto "Tanquinho" Mendes maneuvers on his way to winning the absolute division of the 2010 South American Championship. Photo de Hugo Valente.

Jiu-Jitsu champions and stars of the  UFC are human just like you and me, and evidence of how that is true is the fact that they get hurt too.

Take a look at what UFC champion GSP posted this week on Facebook: “A month has gone by since the operation [on his knee] and I’m pleased with the results. It really is unbelievable what the human body is capable of. Now on to physiotherapy, manual therapy for scarring, ice, ultrasound, compression, ligament exercises, pedaling… I’d love to hear more tips from you guys to help me.”

The topic has been off the hook, with over a thousand comments. In the gi competition world, another slick martial artist has been working hard with his physiotherapists to recover from a troubling injury, to his spine. Augusto “Tanquinho” Mendes  Augusto “Tanquinho” Mendes (Soul Fighters) went under the knife on November 23. Proof that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, the black belt returned to training for some drills and spins, doing light repetitions with his girlfriend, Mackenzie Dern.

(CHECK OUT TANQUINHO AGAINST SANDRO BATATA AT 2011 WORLDS)

“It’s been a month and a half since surgery and I’m feeling better with every day. I’m making great progress but don’t have a return date yet. I hope to be back in training within three months and maybe even compete at the Worlds by year end,” the 2011 world runner-up told GRACIEMAG.com from the United States.

“I feel everything happens for a reason; God is always in control. If He picked me to go through what I’ve been going through, it’s because I needed it; I believe He has something good in store for me in the future. I know I’ll be a better man after getting through this latest injury,” he reflected.

Tanquinho wrapped up by conveying five recipes for you to recover from injury shipshape—and return to training even better still.

1. KEEP CALM

One of Jiu-Jitsu’s most useful lessons, in no matter what fight situation, also applies to those suffering from injury. Don’t panic or despair. An injury, even a herniated disc like the one afflicting Augusto Tanquinho, doesn’t mean the end of one’s career or Jiu-Jitsu training.

2. SEEK EXPERT ASSISTANCE

Health isn’t something to take lightly. Jiu-Jitsu teaches you to always seek the best way out. Where injury is concerned, the most efficient solution is to consult a medical specialist, the best one you can find.

3. DON’T GO OFF HALF-COCKED

Trust the “master” you’ve picked to help you get well. Follow the doctor’s orders rigorously, especially during the post-operative stage.

4. PATIENCE, A TRAIT OF JIU-JITSU

Take it slow, be patient! Recovery takes time, and you won’t leave the operating table and be ready to put your gi back on in just a week or a month.

5. PHYSIOTHERAPY IS DISCIPLINE

If you seek to be a better martial artist, nothing puts you to the test more than physiotherapy. Dedicate yourself to the max; it’s time to bolster your body for future battles.

Gui Mendes teaching attacks from side-control with younger brother Rafael / Photo: personal archives

You won the world light featherweight title upon shutting out the final with Ary Farias, and Rafa had a stellar season both with and without the gi himself. What brought the Mendes brothers the most joy in 2011?

The year 2011 was excellent! More than being just a victorious year of competition, it was a year of personal conquests: together we won won the European Championship and the Pan with our friends; and then there was the Worlds, where we managed to win in two different weight classes, something no brothers had ever done before at black belt on the same year. A few months later, without taking any rest, Rafael started an intense marathon of training and won the ADCC for the second time, becoming the youngest athlete ever to win the title twice, at the event in England.

What’s your assessment of it all, having achieved such conquests?

Little by little we achieved our objectives, and that makes us happy. Bringing pride to our family and being role models to our fans has been marvelous. We also noted how more and more people are adhering to our style of fighting, with “berimbolos” and “leg-drags,” at competitions. We’re still young but the incoming generations are already using our positions; kids are competing and winning the same way we do. And at our seminars they show respect and admiration; we got a sense we’re contributing to the sport, helping it to evolve, and that, to us, is a lot more grandiose than simply winning championships. So we wrapped up 2011 fulfilled, happy and grateful to God and the marvelous people we have around us, as well as for making the cover of GRACIEMAG at the end of the year!

It’s a new year. Is your training any different at this time?

No. Rafael was picked by GRACIEMAG as the most consistent athlete of last year, and in 2009 he was voted the revelation of the year. That shows how solid a job we’ve been doing. We never take time off training; we’re training hard with the crew to kick off 2012 at full steam, and we’ll see action shortly!

But you won’t be at the European Open in Lisbon, will you?

Unfortunately I think we’ll have to sit out the Europeans to bring some of our plans to conclusion. But we’re anxious to get in there; the seminars around the planet have refined our Jiu-Jitsu. In recent years we’re made contact with people in a variety of different countries, from different schools, and that makes the questions always different. With every seminar we get more experienced and more open minded about each position, since we seek to train with the students so they will get the chance to train with us and see how we really do teach the moves we use when we compete, and also so we can train with different people with diverse styles, which helps us to evolve.

To wrap up, have you had a look at the new Jiu-Jitsu rule book on the IBJJF website?

Of course, and I don’t feel there were any major changes, just some improvements. The rule book is a lot better now, with images, which makes it a lot easier to understand. But regardless of the rules, we’re always adapting our style of fighting to our greater objective, which is to win. And to win we have to train hard, that’s our main strategy. We wish everyone great training this year and that they follow us on Twitter, where we’ll be posting all our news in 2012!

To honor the best Jiu-Jitsu competitor of 2011, as he was deemed by GRACIEMAG, we wrap up the year with an enthralling video, where the locomotive from Campo Grande spills his heart and recounts the course of his career, from his earliest training sessions with Master Júlio Cesar to his crowning achievements.