#167 Art of War and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in China
May 31, 2009
The great wall of China.
Last week the cohost of The FightWorks Podcast cohost Dan made the looong trip from Northern Virginia to Beijing, China. The FightWorks Podcast was invited by China’s mixed martial arts promotion Art of War, which held a major MMA event on May 23, attended by such Brazilian jiu-jitsu stars as Rickson Gracie, Renzo Gracie, and many others.
In this episode Dan will relay his experience at the Art of War show and will bring back interviews from representatives of the Brazilian jiu-jitsu scene in China. Pedro Schmall, a black belt under Royler Gracie and Thomas Fan, a brown belt under Ze
Marcello (head coach of BTT Europe) have planted the seeds of Brazilian jiu-jitsu in China and have been working hard to cultivate the jiu-jitsu students in a culture which has a long tradition of and appreciation for martial arts.
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Breaking News: Absolute Champion Xande Ribeiro Not Competing at Worlds
May 30, 2009
Xande Ribeiro training against Big Leo Santos in preparation for the 2009 Mundials two weeks ago.
GracieMag broke the news this morning that Xande Ribeiro, the gold medalist in the 2008 black belt heavyweight and absolute divisions, will not be competing at the 2009 Mundials in Los Angeles this coming weekend.
According to the article, Xande has sustained a knee injury preventing him from participating. We will follow up on this story and bring you whatever details we can as soon as possible.
BJJ Poll: Does Your Jiu-Jitsu School Use a Set Curriculum?
May 30, 2009
We received this interesting question from Andrew, who trains at Nova Uniao. Andrew called our toll free number 877-247-4662 and said:
Hi Caleb. This is Andrew. I train at Nova Uniao and I just have a suggestion for a poll question. This comes from my experience – a big difference that I noticed in two BJJ schools. The question would go something like this: Does your BJJ program have a set curriculum in place? Now at the school I trained at previously, the instructor chose off the top of his head the techniques he was going to teach on any given day. At the school I am at now, there is a set curriculum for every belt level and stripe. In my opinion, the latter works for me because I can track my progress and I know what techniques I’m going to be working on in the near future. But anyhow, I just wanted to see what percentage of schools out there have such a curriculum.
Your wish is our command Andrew. This week’s poll
Kinda True Jiu-Jitsu News: Man Takes Advantage of His Honeymoon to Train a Lot of Jiu-Jitsu
May 29, 2009
The finishing touches of soon-to-be newlywed Brett Drummond’s honeymoon in Hawaii are falling in to place nicely, according to the Brazilian jiu-jitsu blue belt. Drummond has arranged to attend multiple classes and even a private with the island’s elite BJJ instructors during the couple’s first vacation under matrimony. As his fiancee quietly packs the luggage with multiple gis with a resignation normally reserved for couples who have been together for decades, the self-described “jiu-jitsu freak” reports, “Sharon is just going to love Maui. I know I can’t wait.” No news yet on whether Drummond was ever able to book that beachfront sunset luau his fiancee has dreamed of all her life.
#166 UNIJJ Prepares for the Mundials: Saulo & Xande Ribeiro, Leo Santos
May 24, 2009
2008 BJJ Mundials Black Belt Absolute Division Champion Xande Ribeiro trains against Big Leo Santos in preparation for the 2009 Mundials.
June 4-7 brings us another Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Championship and few places anywhere take the competition as seriously as the University of Jiu-Jitsu. The UNIJJ, started by Saulo Ribeiro and his brother Xande Ribeiro, attract some of jiu-jitsu’s toughest athletes across all weight, rank, and gender divisions. The UNIJJ’s record of successes brings an obligation to continue producing some of the best competitors in jiu-jitsu.
In today’s episode of The FightWorks Podcast, we speak with both Saulo Ribeiro and his brother Xande, as well as newly minted black belt Leo Santos. Saulo discusses the responsibility UNIJJ has to represent the highest levels of jiu-jitsu, how they go about preparing, as well as some of the individuals who choose UNIJJ as their training camp like Kron Gracie.
Xande will talk about his preparation to defend his title as the 2008 BJJ Mundials mens absolute division champion, an achievement viewed by many as the pinnacle of Brazilian jiu-jitsu competition. Only a few weeks prior to the upcoming Mundials, Xande successfully fought in his second mixed martial arts fight and has had to change gears to prepare for jiu-jitsu again, much the same way Roger Gracie did, who was his opponent in the finals of the absolute division last year.
For his part, Leo Santos won the brown belt ultra-heavyweight division in the 2008 BJJ Mundials. Santos was recently promoted to black, so we will hear his thoughts on his going from the world of elite brown belt competition into the shark tank with the black belts.
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BJJ Poll: Will Roger and Xande Fight in the Mens Absolute Black Belt Finals in 2009?
May 23, 2009
At the 2008 BJJ World Championships, Xande Ribeiro defeated Roger Gracie in the finals of the mens black belt absolute division, viewed by many as the sport’s highest achievement. The anticipation to find out the winner was amplified as the match embodied the historical rivalry between Gracie Humaita and Gracie Barra. After ten minutes of cheering from the bleachers – packed with warring sections of fans who made the stadium rumble and tremble – the victor that day was Humaita’s Xande Ribeiro, who fended off a last minute armbar from Roger Gracie’s feared guard and won 4-2 on points.
Will we see the two titans in the Finals of the absolute division again this year? Vote in our poll, and don’t be afraid to share your thoughts in the comments section for this post. Feel free to also leave us a quick voicemail about your experience by calling 877-247-4662 and we may include it in an upcoming episode of The FightWorks Podcast.
Oh – and by the way – in Episode 166 of our BJJ radio show, you’ll hear Xande’s opinion on this question!
Kinda True Jiu-Jitsu News: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Purple Belt Does Not Inform Girlfriend of Ringworm Infection
May 22, 2009
Yousef “Joe” Wahid, a purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu from San Francisco, has decided to not mention the suspicious circular rash on the back of his calf to his longtime girlfriend, with whom he shares an apartment. The two inch diameter skin infection was first noticed approximately a week ago after a no-gi jiu-jitsu seminar and has generated occasional mild curiosity and significant denial in Wahid. According to the grappler, “I suppose it could be something she should know about. I’ll give it another few days and see what happens, you know?” Wahid, who plans to put his newfound takedown skills and fungal infection to use in the upcoming local grappling tournament this weekend, then received a big hug from his smiling and unknowing girlfriend.
UNIJJ Prepares for the 2009 BJJ Mundials
May 21, 2009
Click to enlarge
Just a sneak peak for you – this coming Sunday’s episode of The FightWorks Podcast will feature Saulo Ribeiro and Xande Ribeiro‘s University of Jiu-Jitsu. San Diego’s UNIJJ will be preparing some of Brazilian jiu-jitsu’s toughest competitors for the upcoming 2009 BJJ Mundials, which take place June 4-7 in Long Beach, California. In Sunday’s show we will hear from Saulo, Xande, and Leo Santos, who after winning the brown belt ultra-heavyweight division in the 2008 BJJ Mundials, was promoted to black belt a few weeks ago.
The FightWorks Podcast Heads to China
May 20, 2009
I received a phone call from FightWorks Podcast cohost Dan yesterday morning from the airport in Northern Virginia as he waited to board the plane for a 14 hour ride to Beijing. Why in the world is Dan heading to Beijing?
The Chinese mixed martial arts promoter Art of War contacted The FightWorks Podcast headquarters recently and offered to bring one of us to cover their MMA event this weekend, which is being generously funded by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed al Nahyan, who also recently funded the World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Cup in Abu Dhabi.
I have obligations and am not able to attend, but Dan said he was up for it and realized that in addition to covering the event (which is flying in some serious star power from MMA to attend), we could also take the opportunity to document how Brazilian jiu-jitsu is progressing in China. As an added bonus Rickson Gracie, Royce Gracie, and Renzo Gracie will be in attendance. Dan mentioned Royler Gracie going as well but I haven’t confirmed that. So there will be no shortage of Brazilian jiu-jitsu content waiting to be captured too.
So I want to be candid in stating that Dan’s travel and hotel room were paid for by the promoters. We are very conscious of the conflict of interest that is present whenever a promoter makes it possible to cover their event when financial constraints prevent us from doing so on our own. Rest assured we will do what we can to prevent coverage from being affected. I know there may be some in the Mighty 600,000 saying, “Who cares if Dan’s trip was paid for by them? It’s not like this is international affairs! It’s an MMA event!” I understand that sentiment but when it comes to our journalistic integrity here on the show I play things pretty conservatively.
In any case the plan is for Dan to bring back some audio and photos of the Art of War event this weekend that will likely be covered in Episode 157 of The FightWorks Podcast. [This coming Sunday's show (#156) is already finished! More on that tomorrow!]
Tournament Results Tuesday: 9th Annual Copa de España
May 19, 2009
As part of our ongoing effort to bring you the details of Brazilian jiu-jitsu and submission grappling news from all parts, here are the results of the 9th Annual Copa de España, which took place May 9 & 10 in Barcelona, Spain.
If you are a tourney organizer, we encourage you to send us the results of your Brazilian jiu-jitsu and submission grappling events too. If you are a competitor, feel free to send us a write up of your competition experience as well. Details are here.
WOMENS RESULTS
Womens Lightweight White and Blue Belts
1 – Ana Caria (Gracie Barcelona/Lisboa)
2 – Kaitlin Carlucci (Marcelo Monteiro)
3 – Maria Franch (Gracie Barcelona)
Womens Middleweight White and Blue Belts
1 – Morena Cuba (Aranha)
2 – Ana Caria (Gracie Barcelona/Lisboa)
3 – Katia Rosado (Power Team)
4 – Julia Klammsteiner (Gracie Barcelona/Bolzano)
MENS RESULTS
Mens White Belt Super Lightweight
1 – Luis Adrian Raich (Aranha)
2 – Fernando Roca (Anaconda)
3 – Nacho Valverde (GB Sevilla)
4 – Adrian Rodriguez (Progreso Vigo)
Mens White Belt Lightweight
1 – Cesar Puget (Fabricio Werdum)
2 – Toni Mendoza (Aranha)
3 – Joan Pau Soto (Gracie Barcelona/Mataro)
4 – Diogo Silva (Kito-Ryu BJJ)
Mens White Belt Middleweight
1 – Damian Raich (Aranha)
2 – Manuel Hesse (Fabricio Werdum)
3 – Sixto Fernandez (Fabricio Werdum)
4 – Alex Martinez (Gracie Barcelona)
Mens White Belt Middle Heavyweight
1 – Alfonso Valencia (Aranha)
2 – Pere Fabrega (Kito-Ryu BJJ)
3 – Jose Carlos Alves (Barcelo)
4 – Xavier Sierra (Cronos Gym)
Mens White Belt Heavyweight
1 – Luis Carlos Esquivel (Cronos Gym)
2 – Alexander Perez (GB Pitbull)
3 – Francisco Arroyo (New Team)
4 – Jaime Villaverde (Gracie Barcelona)
Mens White Belt Absolute
1 – Guillaume Tuffon (Aranha)
2 – Jozsef Szuc (Check Mat)
3 – Sixto Fernandez (Fabricio Werdum)
4 – Gil Falgueras (Anaconda)
Mens Blue Belt Super Lightweight
1 – Cristian Espejel (GB Reus)
2 – Mani Gilavandan (Fabricio Werdum)
3 – Pedro Moreno (Gracie Barcelona)
4 – Raul Perez (Haubert Team)
Mens Blue Belt Lightweight
1 – Sergio Cabrera (Barquilla)
2 – David Aranda (Aranha)
3 – Hector Antequera (Check Mat)
4 – David Palay (Gracie Barcelona)
Mens Blue Belt Middleweight
1 – Abner Lloveras (Haubert Team)
2 – Jose Espejo (Gracie Barcelona/Mataro)
3 – Vidal Herrero (Check Mat)
4 – Toni Bavcevic (Gracie Barcelona)
Mens Blue Belt Middle Heavyweight
1 – Cesar Dubon (Check Mat)
2 – Alexander Moldolvan (Check Mat)
3 – Miguel Angel Ruiz (Gracie Barcelona/Mataro)
4 – Abel Rocha (Haubert Team)
Mens Blue Belt Heavyweight
1 – Aleksa Sopalovic (Condor JJ)
2 – Oscar Marrero (Gil Catarino)
Mens Blue Belt Absolute
1 – Aleksa Sopalovic (Condor JJ)
2 – Leandro Frois (GB Maceio)
3 – Cesar Dubon (Check Mat)
4 – Miguel Angel Ruiz (Gracie Barcelona/Mataro)
Mens Purple Belt Lightweight
1 – Rafael Fuentes (Gil Catarino)
2 – Joao Futscher (Gracie Barcelona/Lisboa)
3 – Roman Navarro (Haubert Team)
4 – George Birkadze (Gracie Barcelona)
Mens Purple Belt Middleweight
1 – Diego Cabrera (Barquilla)
2 – Jose Miguel Madueno (Anaconda)
3 – Mikel Cortes (Condor JJ)
4 – Guillermo Arbe (Haubert Team)
Mens Purple Belt Heavyweight
1 – Victor Martinez (GB Reus)
2 – David Perez (Gracie Barcelona/Terrassa)
3 – Leandro Horacio Galati (GB Marbella)
4 – Nacho Cantera (GB Sevilla)
Mens Purple Belt Absolute
1 – Mikel Cortes (Condor JJ)
2 – Victor Hernandez (GB Reus)
3 – Leandro Horacio Galati (GB Marbella)
4 – Joao Futscher (Gracie Barcelona/Lisboa)
Mens Brown Belt Middleweight
1 – Helio Perdigao (Gracie Barcelona)
2 – Joao Santos (Gracie Barcelona/Lisboa)
3 – Gabriel Jarauta (Haubert Team)
4 – Alessandro Federico (Gracie Barcelona/Bolzano)
Mens Brown Belt Heavy
1 – Javier Martinez (Gracie Barcelona)
2 – Wellington Araujo (Haubert Team)
3 – Luis Felipe (Fabricio Werdum)
4 – Jose Miguel Tamayo (Condor JJ)
Mens Brown Belt Absolute
1 – Vladimiro Afonso (Power Team)
2 – Gustavo da Fonseca (Check Mat)
3 – Helio Perdigao (Gracie Barcelona)
4 – Javier Martinez (Gracie Barcelona)
Men’s Black Belt Absolute
1 – Matias Ribeiro (Fabricio Werdum)
2 – Ricardo Alvarenga (Kito-Ryu BJJ)
3 – Leonardo Pelucio (GB Reus)
4 – Isaac Almeida (Check Mat)
Team Results:
1 – GRACIE BARCELONA = 85 ₧.
2 – ARANHA = 62
3 – FABRICIO WERDUM = 41
4 – CHECK MAT = 38
5 – CONDOR JJ = 34
6 – GB REUS = 29
7 – HAUBERT TEAM = 25
8 – BARQUILLA = 20
9 – GIL CATARINO = 16
10 – ANACONDA = 13
– POWER TEAM = 13
– KITO-RYU BJJ = 13
13 – CRONOS GYM = 11
14 – GB MARBELLA = 6
– GB PITBULL = 6
– GB MACEIO = 6
– MARCELO MONTEIRO = 6
18 – GB SEVILLA = 4
19 – NEW TEAM = 3
– BARCELO = 3
21 – PROGRESO VIGO = 1
Scoring
First place = 10 points
Second place = 6
Third place = 3
Fourth place = 1
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