BJJ Poll: What Do You Drink After Training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?
October 31, 2009
Cohost Dan suggested this poll after noticing that after training, certain guys at the academy just tended to always grab the same drink, which were not his drink of choice. What about you? What do you reach for when you just finished a hard session of Brazilian jiu-jitsu training?
Vote and let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Catching Up with Nino Schembri
October 27, 2009

FightWorks Podcast contributor Bruce Hoyer brings you this quick interview with Antonio “Nino” Schembri, the ultra flexible black belt known for his creative attacks. At the 2006 Mundials, Schembri took third place just behind Marcelo Garcia (first place) and Andre Galvao (second).
Bruce: What have you been up to lately?
Nino Schembri: I’ve recently opened up my first academy here in the United States with my partner and friend, Alexandre Novaes. Jiu-jitsu is growing at a tremendous pace but there is definitely a large gap forming in the quality of teaching and technique in BJJ. I’ve arrived to help fill that gap.
Bruce: Where are you teaching now?
Nino Schembri: My academy is located on 1005 N. Aviation Boulevard, in Manhattan Beach. My students will learn the techniques I was taught since the age of thirteen along with the moves I have developed during the past twenty years. You can find more information on my website www.ninoschembribjj.com.
Bruce: Do you plan to compete soon?
Nino Schembri: Definitely! I plan to compete in both Brazilian jiu-jitsu as well as MMA. But right now my focus is on growing and operating my academy.
Bruce: You are known for crazy moves. Where do they come from?
Nino Schembri: Growing up in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, all I ever did was live the jiu-jitsu lifestyle. I would train three times a day, surf, eat a very healthy diet and get a lot of sleep. Brazilian jiu-jitsu allows for a temendous amount of creativity. Training hard every day, along with my flexibility and competitive spirit, helped me develop many positions and variations during my years of experience with BJJ.
Bruce: You also have crazy flexibility. Is this natural or something that you have to work on? If you have to work at it what do you do?
Nino Schembri: I was born very flexible, but it is something I work on every single day in order to maintain. Stretching and yoga are a big part of my training regimen.
Bruce: You have had many great BJJ matches. Which one was your favorite?
Nino Schembri: Wow, this is a difficult question. I’ve literally competed in hundreds of competitions and super fights. One jiu-jitsu match that really sticks out in my mind was when I first submitted my opponent with the gogoplata. It is a choke applied with the foot that is set up off of the omoplata. It is a move that I developed myself.
Bruce: Who are you helping out these days?
Nino Schembri: At this moment mostly myself and my partner Alexandre Novaes. I am really putting a lot of effort in making our academy stand out as a top-quality Brazilian jiu-jitsu school.
Bruce: Anyone you would like to thank?
Nino Schembri: First I would like to thank God, my mother, my brother, all of my fans, and last but not least, my partner Alexandre Novaes.
Bruce: Thanks again for the answers. Hope to hear from you soon!
Nino Schembri: Thank you, Bruce, for this opportunity!
#185 2009 No Gi World Championships to be Streamed Online Free
October 25, 2009

Bill “The Grill” Cooper and Jeff Monson at the 2007 No Gi World Championships, just a couple of weeks after Cooper received his black belt.
So the big news this week is that Budo Videos is setting it up so that you can watch the 2009 No Gi BJJ World Championships online free! The event takes place on November 8th at the Long Beach Pyramid here in California and will be viewable on nogi.com. To be specific, Budo expects to broadcast the black belt finals at a minimum and hopes to also show various matches in the few hours that precede the finals. They have hired a production crew with experience in online sports broadcasts and expect that the commentators will be “The Two Seans”, who often are the commentary crew in Budo Videos’ Mundials DVDs. It is also expected that if this online streaming of the 2009 No Gi Worlds goes well, it may be offered at future IBJJF events like the World Championships or the Pan-Ams.
For the historians out there, here are links to some coverage of earlier incarnations of this IBJJF event:
Also in this show, cohost Dan and I speak about our most recent BJJ Poll, as well as answer a couple voicemails and an email from The Mighty 600,000!
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (recommended)
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BJJ Poll: How Many Students Train at Your Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu School?
October 24, 2009
Yes, I know you probably don’t have access to your jiu-jitsu academy’s official books, but what is your best guess about how many people train at the same location you do? Don’t answer with how many people train within your association, just how many take BJJ classes at the same spot you do.
Roger Gracie: Victory Movie Coming Soon
October 22, 2009

Roger Gracie in victory at the 2009 BJJ World Championships.
Big news for the Brazilian jiu-jitsu community: a feature-length film about Roger Gracie is going to be released in Spring of next year, according to the movie’s director Daren Bartlett. Roger Gracie is the winner of seven Brazilian jiu-jitsu world championship titles as a black belt and runs an academy in London.
Here is an official release received here at FightWorks Podcast headquarters:
Daren Bartlett’s documentary film VICTORY (working title), was shot on four continents over an eight year period. It is the story of Roger Gracie and his ascent in the world of competition Ju-Jitsu. He is currently considered by some to be the premier ground fighter of his era.
Roger’s mother is Reila Gracie, outspoken author and curator of a vast family archive. She is the daughter of Carlos Gracie, mentor and pioneer. She gives a passionate discourse throughout the film. The narrative is driven by the unfolding dramas of Roger Gracie’s pursuit of the World Championships absolute title in Rio de Janeiro’s Tijuca tennis club: a cauldron of emotions.
The film gives an understanding of Roger’s mixed fortunes, over several campaigns (Worlds and ADCC) to conquer all before him. It is an intimate portrait of the events and fighters, with testimonies from the source – family members and those close to them. All this is set within the context of the Gracie families Ju-Jitsu achievements past and present; of the spirit of preservation and promotion of the families honour and the mystique surrounding this invincible fighting system.
Shot on various formats, the cinematography captures the beauty and mindfulness of The Great Art and to this end, perhaps, explores new chapters and pivotal moments that are ultimately the victory of Brazilian Ju-Jitsu.
Film Maker/ Director : VICTORY is Daren Bartlett’s second feature-length documentary. His first O ZELADOR (The Caretaker) premiered at The Sao Paulo International Film Festival in 2007 (http://www.o-zelador.com). Daren has made short films for Nike and 14 Bike Company. Daren is a Ju-Jitsu practitioner and is a brown belt under Mestre Mauricio Gomes.
Directors Note: As a film maker it was just natural to begin filming when first making contact with the sport in 2000, and I was lucky enough to encounter Mauricio Gomes, father of Roger Gracie. Aged just seventeen Roger showed some early promise, and as he gained success within the Brazilian Ju-Jitsu arena, I realized that I had maybe been very fortunate in identifying the right young fighter as a subject.
Production : Company : Bantam Films
Language : English/Portuguese (subtitled)
Format : Various
Running : Time : 90 minutes (approx)
Release : Spring 2010
With the upcoming release of The Gracies and the Birth of Vale Tudo, as well as last year’s Renzo Gracie: Legacy, this movie about Roger Gracie will be the third jiu-jitsu-themed film we have been treated to. Having that much cinematic energy in a community the size of ours is something to be very proud of. I hereby declare this the Golden Age of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu films!
The Gracies Movie Update
October 20, 2009

A photo of the Gracies circa 1962 from the family archive, donated by Angela Gracie to the film.
Last week a member of the Mighty 600,000 emailed me, eager to know if there was any news about the documentary about the Gracies, the royal family of Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Curious myself, I called director Victor Cesar Bota, who we interviewed in mid September, and asked for an update.
Bota confirmed that the movie about the Gracie family was indeed shown at the Rio International Film Festival earlier this month. As the film was being shown in the geographic heart of BJJ, the screening of the film drew many curious jiu-jitsu practitioners and several members of the Gracie family in addition to the normal festival attendees and was well received.
Unfortunately, outright false information appeared in the Brazilian newspaper O Globo the following day in its coverage of the screening:
The premiere of “The Gracies and the Birth of Vale Tudo,” by Victor Cesar Bota, on Monday night at the Rio Festival, almost ended in a fight. After viewing the documentary, Rolker Gracie complained to his cousin Robson Gracie that he did not like the statements about his father Helio Gracie in the documentary. Both are black belts in jiu-jitsu.
Bota flatly denied that anything like the above took place, a claim that was vehemently supported by a contact of The FightWorks Podcast in Rio who was also present for the duration of the screening. Rolker and Robson Gracie did have a conversation after the movie but according to both of our sources it was nothing but congenial.
While sad that the press in Rio feels it necessary to print false and inflammatory information, the important thing for the jiu-jitsu community interested in the movie is the answer to just one question: When can we see the movie? Bota clarified that what was displayed in Rio was a “pre-premiere”, as the film itself is not quite finished. (In fact, he was working on the film at the very moment I rang him on the phone!) Despite the varied ways I asked Bota when the movie would be ready, he patiently responded with the message, “It will be finished when it is finished.”
So in the meantime we will have to remain satisfied with Kid Peligro’s The Gracie Way and Renzo Gracie: Legacy. Family, stay tuned here on The FightWorks Podcast.com and as soon as we hear more information you will be the first to know!
Tournament Results Tuesday: NAGA DC
October 20, 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 partial results of NAGA D.C. which took place October 10th.
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.
Mens NO-GI Absolute
1st Place Ozzy Dugulubgar K-Dojo
2nd Place D.J. Jackson Lloyd Irvin
3rd Place Courtney Rollins Balance Baltimore BJJ
SuperFight Welterweight Advanced
1st Place Seph Smith 50/50 BJJ
2nd Place Mike Easton Lloyd Irvin
Mens NO-GI Novice Fly Weight
1st Place Cory Beamer Frederick Fight Club
2nd Place John Telford
3rd Place Jason Deutsch Vanguard Gym
Mens NO-GI Beginner Fly Weight
1st Place Dan Newberry Navy JJ
2nd Place Douglas Wasson Jonny Gomes Center for Kids
3rd Place Trevor Epperson Pedro Sauer
Mens NO-GI Intermediate Fly Weight
1st Place Danny Mahoney Lloyd Irvin
2nd Place CJ Melton L.I./Crazy 88
3rd Place Tad Broomall Delaware
Mens NO-GI Novice Feather Weight
1st Place Tony Vaeth Ground Control
2nd Place Payton Kilcarr Hoya MMA
3rd Place Bryce Enderli New World Academy
Mens NO-GI Beginner Feather Weight
1st Place Patrick Hu Team ROC
2nd Place Lucas Burwell Pedergrass/Machado
3rd Place Rudy Telles Lloyd Irvin
Mens NO-GI Intermediate Feather Weight
1st Place Sergey Golosinskiy Lloyd Irvin
2nd Place Joe Pappafotis Ground Control
3rd Place Travis Outten Lloyd Irvin
Mens NO-GI Advanced Feather Weight
1st Place Justin Hickey Lloyd Irvin
2nd Place Paulo Benyson Pedro Sauer
Mens NO-GI Novice Lightweight
1st Place Melvin Johnson Global Academy
2nd Place James Kelley, Jr. His Basement
3rd Place Ravon Dixon Fight Craftsman
Mens NO-GI Beginner Light Weight
1st Place Andrew Gibson World Class MA
2nd Place Bryce Link Baltimore MA Academy
3rd Place Sean Diehl
Mens NO-GI Intermediate Light Weight
1st Place Scott Munsey Lloyd Irvin
2nd Place Bryson Morgan Navy JJ
3rd Place Michael Wheat Lloyd Irvin
Mens NO-GI Advanced Light Weight
1st Place Leo Maggio Lloyd Irvin
2nd Place Mike Otwell Shin Gi Tai
3rd Place Bremer Acosta Garfield BJJ
Mens NO-GI Novice Welter Weight
1st Place Bryan Robertson Crossface
2nd Place Charlie Johnson Elite Unit MMA
3rd Place Corey Banaszak Ft. Meade BJJ
Mens NO-GI Beginner Welter Weight
1st Place Daniel Chacon Lloyd Irvin
2nd Place Mike Harper
3rd Place J. Michael Whitlock Ground Control
Mens NO-GI Intermediate Welter Weight
1st Place Sean Frazier Coastal Combatives
2nd Place Virgil Brown 50/50
3rd Place Matthew Van Valkenburgh Pedro Sauer
Mens NO-GI Advanced Welter Weight
1st Place Seph Smith 50/50 BJJ
2nd Place Courtney Rollins Balance-Maryland BJJ
3rd Place Vincent Cerda Lloyd Irvin
Mens NO-GI Novice Middle Weight
1st Place Anthony Vitulli OKGF
2nd Place Jonathan Vinyard Capital JJ
3rd Place Naji Mitchell Scorpions JJ
Mens NO-GI Beginner Middle Weight
1st Place Nadim Hamdas Maguilla BJJ
2nd Place Greg Sirico BBJJ
3rd Place Cullen Fox Dragon’s Lair
Mens NO-GI Intermediate Middle Weight
1st Place Michael McDonald New Bern BJJ
2nd Place Ryan Butler 50/50
3rd Place Duwayne Jamieson Lloyd Irvin
Mens NO-GI Advanced Middle Weight
1st Place D.J. Jackson Lloyd Irvin
2nd Place Ozzy Dugulubgar K-Dojo
3rd Place Taylor Dixon CJJ
Mens NO-GI Novice Light Heavy Weight
1st Place Geoffrey Merker Frederick Fight Club
2nd Place Charlie Johnson Ground Control
3rd Place Austin Free Magvilla
Mens NO-GI Beginner Light Heavy Weight
1st Place Reese Ashe Ground Control
2nd Place James Abbington Lloyd Irvin
3rd Place Joshua Maraugha Ground Control
Mens NO-GI Intermediate Light Heavy Weight
1st Place Harry Paul Lehigh University
2nd Place Ray Schlisser Baltimore MA Academy
3rd Place Mike Morgan Frederick Fight Club
Mens NO-GI Novice Cruiser Weight
1st Place Jermane Mathis Lloyd Irvin
2nd Place Alfredo Deschamps Ground Control
3rd Place Jan Gaetjens Georgetown Submission Grappling
Mens NO-GI Beginner Cruiser Weight
1st Place Justin Kavanaugh Capital JJ
2nd Place Kenneth Wright Bushido BJJ
3rd Place Glen S. Woods Naval Academy JJ
Mens NO-GI Intermediate Cruiser Weight
1st Place Elder Ramos Gold Medal
2nd Place Joshua Dawson Balance
3rd Place EJ Mecklenburg Yamasaki
Mens NO-GI Advanced Cruiser Weight
1st Place D’Angelo Kinard Lloyd Irvin
2nd Place Ernie Skaggs Lloyd Irvin
3rd Place Victor Bogia Dragon’s Lair
Mens NO-GI Novice Heavy Weight
1st Place Dreu Marshall
2nd Place Peter Shiflett Magvilla
3rd Place Adam Dystra Ground Control
Mens NO-GI Beginner Heavy Weight
1st Place Ben Heffner Garfield BJJ
2nd Place Jack Dawson Ivey League
3rd Place Ryan Hobble Garfield BJJ
Mens NO-GI Intermediate Heavy Weight
1st Place Marco Hall Lloyd Irvin
2nd Place Kakim Andrews Lloyd Irvin
Mens NO-GI Novice Super Heavy Weight
1st Place Stephen Dodson Sanctum MMA
2nd Place Oscar Puza, Jr. Rolling Road MMA
Mens NO-GI Beginner Super Heavy Weight
1st Place Nicholas Cachero Maguilla BJJ
2nd Place Christos Ponerys Lloyd Irvin
3rd Place Zach Clark Crazy 88
Mens NO-GI Intermediate Super Heavy Weight
1st Place Joseph Marchie New Bern BJJ
2nd Place Jeffery Manalansan Sanctum MMA
3rd Place Raymond Ways-Ayala
Mens NO-GI Advanced Super Heavy Weight
1st Place Wes Minyard Shin Gi Tai
2nd Place Kenneth Brown Lloyd Irvin
3rd Place Jerry Jones Renzo Gracie
Mens NO-GI Advanced 180 to 189 lbs
1st Place Jamelle Jones Garfield BJJ
2nd Place Harry Paul Lehigh University
3rd Place Monroe Hall Maguilla BJJ
Mens NO-GI Directors Novice
1st Place Tom Richards Victory BJJ
2nd Place Daniel Ventura Joseki Judo
Mens NO-GI Directors Beginner
1st Place Dan lathrop New Bern BJJ
2nd Place Tom Gaylor Baltimore MA Academy
3rd Place Tom Richards Victory BJJ
Mens NO-GI Directors Intermediate
1st Place Marco A. (Malo) Rodriguez Lloyd Irvin
2nd Place Richard Crafton RAC
Mens NO-GI Directors Advanced
1st Place Neil Keegstra Royce Gracie
2nd Place Kevin Leavitt Pentagon Combatives
Masters NO-GI Novice Fly Weight
1st Place Jason Deutsch Vanguard Gym
2nd Place Seth Hoffman Capital Combat Sports
3rd Place Wayne Battersby Ground Control
Masters NO-GI Beginner Fly Weight
1st Place Jamie Lytle Old School Combat Sports
2nd Place Corey Morgan
Masters NO-GI Intermediate Fly Weight
1st Place Jason Smith Lloyd Irvin
2nd Place Michael Cho Maguilla BJJ
Masters NO-GI Beginner Light Weight
1st Place Jason Adkins Garfield BJJ
2nd Place Blaine Schrader Dauntless
Masters NO-GI Intermediate Light Weight
1st Place Steve Smiddy Lloyd Irvin
2nd Place Tobe Lunsford Maguilla BJJ
3rd Place Tim Mohr Balance Baltimore BJJ
Masters NO-GI Advanced Light Weight
1st Place Philip Whitelock Garfield BJJ
2nd Place Lawrence Kim Capital JJ
Masters NO-GI Beginner Welter Weight
1st Place J. Michael Whitlock Ground Control
2nd Place Mike Stringfellow Garfield BJJ
Masters NO-GI Intermediate Middle Weight
1st Place Aaron Frazier
2nd Place Moustafa Faragallah BBJJ
3rd Place Scott Subel Shin Gi Tai
Masters NO-GI Intermediate Middle Weight
1st Place Virgil Ocampo Lloyd Irvin
2nd Place Aaron J. McLaughlin
Masters NO-GI Novice Light Heavy Weight
1st Place A. G. Mendaz
2nd Place Charlie L. Johnson Ground Control
Masters NO-GI Beginner Light Heavy Weight
1st Place Joseph Desmarais Lloyd Irvin
2nd Place Aaron J. McLaughlin
Masters NO-GI Intermediate Light Heavy Weight
1st Place Jason Hart Lloyd Irvin
2nd Place Reese Ashe Ground Control
Master’s NO-GI Novice Cruiser Weight
1st Place Mark Ryan Old School Combat Sports
2nd Place Phil Sampson Iron Lion JJ
3rd Place Clay (Wesley) Wood Garfield BJJ
Masters NO-GI Advanced Cruiser Weight
1st Place Anthony Carlson Team Vaghi
2nd Place Heath Macaluso Team Budo
3rd Place D’Angelo Kinard Lloyd Irvin
Masters NO-GI Beginner Heavy Weight
1st Place Chuck Saunders Balitmore BBJ
2nd Place William Hetterick Ground Control
3rd Place Tedd Shelton FTA
Masters NO-GI Intermediate Super Heavy Weight
1st Place Laurence Gensler Garfield BJJ
2nd Place Jason Massey Naugle BJJ
3rd Place Richard Crafton RAC
WOMENS
Womens Masters NO-GI Advanced
1st Place Melissa Lopes Capital JJ
2nd Place Brigitte Narcise K-Dojo
Womens NO-GI Novice Flyweight
1st Place Anene Wynn Lloyd Irvin
2nd Place Erika Dailey Lloyd Irvin
3rd Place Jessica Steward JBM
Womens NO-GI Beginner Flyweight
1st Place Keiko Akamire Lehigh University
2nd Place Tasha Walters Maguilla BJJ
Womens NO-GI Novice Light Weight
1st Place Amanda Jenkins UMA
2nd Place Jessica Chandler Lloyd Irvin
Womens NO-GI Beginner Light Weight
1st Place Barbara Sipe World Class MA
2nd Place Toni Vermillo Ramrod
3rd Place Cindy Hildebrand Garfield BJJ
Womens NO-GI Advanced Light Weight
1st Place Aarae Alexander Lloyd Irvin
2nd Place Nyjah Easton Lloyd Irvin
3rd Place Brigitte Narcise K-Dojo
Womens NO-GI Beginner Middle Weight
1st Place Katy McCabe Lloyd Irvin
2nd Place Megan Engelbach Garfield BJJ
Womens NO-GI Intermediate Middle Weight
1st Place Nikki Claudio Lloyd Irvin
2nd Place Pari Kooshesh CPMMA
3rd Place Krystal Sanchez Yamasaki
Womens NO-GI Novice Light Heavy Weight
1st Place Nicole Hazel Lloyd Irvin
2nd Place Yvete Butler RAC
#184 FILA and USA Wrestling's Gi and No-Gi Competitions
October 18, 2009

Competitors at the 2008 USA Grappling world team trials.
FILA, the International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles, is the governing body of international amateur wrestling. You may have heard in the past couple of years that FILA has begun holding submission grappling competitions in addition to organizing the world’s major amateur wrestling events. Noteworthy Brazilian jiu-jitsu competitors like Ricky Lundell and Felicia Oh have competed at these events in recent years, traveling internationally to represent the United States on the world stage.
Now FILA, and by extension USA Wrestling, has begun holding competitions that are for the most part Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournaments with a few rule tweaks that reflect their organizations’ origin in wrestling. This week on The FightWorks Podcast we speak with Gary Abbott, a spokesman for USA Wrestling who will explain his organization’s entry into such events as well as what it means for our favorite combat sport. (If you are interested in representing the United States at FILA’s next world championship in either gi or no-gi, the trials are this coming weekend in Arizona!)
In this episode co-host Dan will also give his long-awaited(?) recipe for his muscle-building smoothie for those cutting weight prior to tournaments, in addition to our normal review of the most recent BJJ Poll here on thefightworkspodcast.com.
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (recommended)
[mp3] Download the show
BJJ Poll: Assuming Jiu-Jitsu Has Had a Positive Impact on Your Fitness, If You Weren't Training BJJ, Would You Be Training Another Sport and Just as Healthy?
October 17, 2009
A lot of us who train Brazilian jiu-jitsu are in pretty good shape. I think that is a conservative statement. Back in July 2008 we covered weight loss in BJJ, relaying the stories of several guys who can attribute their great health now to simply training jiu-jitsu. It is a fact: training BJJ is a terrific way to keep fit.
But what I am wondering this time in our weekly BJJ poll is whether people in our community would be in the same great shape they are in if there was no jiu-jitsu. Heck, maybe they would be hooked on something else like hiking, soccer, or some other physical activity. But maybe there’s something special about BJJ that attracts some people who would not be involved in anything at all. Maybe if there were no jiu-jitsu, the folks who train BJJ now would be avid couch potatoes!
So let us know what you think by voting in this week’s BJJ Poll, and leave a comment below! What would you be doing if you did not have BJJ in your life?
New Location for the IBJJF Pan-Ams in 2010
October 14, 2009

Inside the Bren Center in Irvine. Click the photo for a larger view. Image courtesy of the Bren Center.
Can you believe we are already talking about the 2010 BJJ Pan-Ams? I know, it is not until April 8-10, and in between now and then we do have some international competitions on the way like the 2010 Europeans and the ones that will be held in the Middle East. But the Pan-Ams are a big deal and provide a window to see what jiu-jitsu stars to keep an eye on for the World Championship which take place a few months later.
In any case the news to report here is that for the first time in many years, the Pan-Ams will not take place at the Cal State Dominguez Hills campus. (See here for a photo of some matches underway at good ol’ Cal State, and yes, that is a photo used in the BJJ Google Theme!) In 2010, the event will be held at the Bren Center at the University of California, Irvine.
Why? If you thought about it you wouldn’t have to guess: size. Remember that the 2009 Pan-Ams broke all previous attendance records to date, even that of the World Championships. According to a representative from CSU Dominguez Hills, their gymnasium holds 4,000 spectators. The website for the Bren Center states that their facility holds 4,952 spectators for sporting events.


