2015 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championships (Preview)

2015 IBJJF Worlds here we come!  This year features a new method of determining WHO can participate at the black belt level.  Competitors were required to compete throughout the year in IBJJF event in order to accumulate enough points in order to qualify for the Worlds Championship tournament.  This has prevented the typical monster-sized divisions at black belt and should ensure that those competing deserve to be there.  Prior to this pretty much anyone could enter the tournament at black belt so I think it's a good thing for this particular event.

So you want to watch this live?  Well you are in luck because it's being streamed here:
http://www.ibjjftv.com/

I will warn people that I personally have had problems watching some streaming events (2015 Pan & EBI III specifically).  Upon the checkout process I would receive an error stating "invalid country specified."  Unfortunately I could never get an answer from Budovideos or the IBJJF.  I was able to determine that the company that is handling transactions for these events are based in Europe.  My bank was basically kicking back the charges unbeknownst to me.  So that being said if you have any problems ordering the event you may need to contact your bank or credit card company to inform them that it is not a fraudulent charge.

With that out of the way let's get on to the good stuff!

As usual I will list some of the brown belt divisions that I have a vested interest in for the 2015 World Championships preview.  I think it's silly to ignore the non-black belt divisions as were are looking (or should be) at the future crop of talented black belts for years to come.

Brown / Adult Male / Light Feather (34 Competitors)
2014 Champ: Ram Ananda (Alliance) / 2nd place: Windson Ramos Silva (CheckMat)

There are a handful names that stand out for me: Michael Musumeci Jr (ATT), Michael Woolf Barnato (Ralph Gracie), Darson Hemmings (Ribeiro JJ), Jacob Sandoval (Alliance).  Do not sleep on Gustavo Fonseca (Atos) either but the first three are my favorites to make it to the podium.

My pick: Michael Musumeci Jr (ATT)...and I predict a black belt promotion in short order.


Brown / Adult Male / Feather (49 Competitors)
2014 Champ: Marcio Andre (Nova Uniao) / 2nd place: Isaac Doederlein (Alliance)

Cobrinha talent Isaac Doederlein (Alliance) is my immediate favorite in this division.  Rick Slomba of Atos is a personal favorite that I think will do some damage but for me this one is easy. Doederlein is ready for the next level.

My pick: Isaac Doederlein (Alliance)

(Link for mobile users: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WbdLLO43qc)

Brown / Adult Male / Light (60 Competitors)
2014 Champ: Michael Liera Jr. (Atos)

Romulo Barral protege Edwin Najmi (Gracie Barra) will likely be everyone's favorite in this division. Don't sleep on Brandon Russell (Lovato) is a solid competitor to keep an eye on.


Brown / Adult Male / Super Heavy (17 Competitors)
2014 Champ: Erberth Santos (TLI)

My pick: Jared Lynn Dopp (Lovato JJ)


Black / Adult Male / Rooster (9 Competitors)
2014 Champ: Bruno Malfacine (Alliance) / 2nd place: J. Miyao (PSLPB)

This year reigning champ Malfacine return to defend his title but for the second year in a row we won't be treated to Caio Terra in competition.  The usual names are present though: Fabbio Passos (Alliance), Rafael Freitas (Gracie Barra), Joao Miyao (PSLPB Cicero Costha), Koji Shibamoto (Tri-Force).  I would expect to see a rematch of Malfacine x Miyao in the final.  Last year's battle was very close and I'd expect no less.  Miyao has been much more active over the last year so I have to give him the edge.

My pick: Joao Miyao (PSLPB Cicero Costha)


Black / Adult Male / Light Feather (16 Competitors)
2014 Champ: Gui Mendes (Atos) / 2nd place: P. Miyao (PSLPB)

In case you haven't heard in recent news, Gui Mendes has announced that he is retiring from competition so we will not see him in the tournament.  The big names that jump out this year are as follows: Samir Chantre (Brasa CTA), Carlos Vieira Holanda (CheckMat), Paulo Miyao (PSLPB), Daniel Beleza (SAS Team USA), and Vitor Paschoal (Brasa CTA).  Depending on how the brackets are set up I would favor seeing Samir Chantre x P. Miyao (PSLPB) in the final.

My pick: P. Miyao (PSLPB)


Black / Adult Male / Feather (16 Competitors)
2014 Champ: Rafael Medes (Atos) / 2nd place: Cobrinha (Alliance)

Well I will say that Cobrinha was kind of a last minute competitor to show up into the division so I'm really excited to see a very stacked division this year at Feather.  Gianni Grippo (Alliance) has shown that he has the chops to compete at the highest of levels coming off gold at Abu Dhabi among other titles over the last 9 months at black belt.  He has had some wars with P. Miyao and Osvaldo Moizinho aka Queixinho who is also competing at Feather.  Mario Reis (Alliance) will most certainly be a favorite to medal.  The seemingly never againg Megaton Dias (Gracie Humaita) will be present to show these young guys he still has what it takes to compete at 47.  It's very difficult to say who will make it to the final and I'm excited to see how the brackets are set up for this one.

My pick: Rafa Mendes (Atos)


Black / Adult Male / Light (20 Competitors)
2014 Champ: Lucas Lepri (Alliance) / 2nd place: Jonathan Torres (Atos)

I am very interested in the Light division this year.  We are usually treated to a Michael Langhi & Lucas Lepri (Alliance) close out in the finals.  Just a few weeks ago Nova Uniao black belt Luan Carvalho Alves edged out Michael Langhi at the Brasiliero's in the semi-finals and went on to take gold in that tournament.  That said I expect Luan to be a contender at this years Worlds in the Light division.  *EDIT: Apparently Luan will not be competing as it appears he may be having visa issues to travel for the competition.* Enter newer black belts Michael Liera Jr. (Atos) and Andris Brunovskis (Atos); don't sleep on Rodrigo Caporal (Atos) or last year's silver medalist Jonathan Torres (Atos).  Atos has a very strong presence in the division and will make some noise.  I'm excited to see how Liera will do being a newer black belt.

My pick: Lucas Lepri (Alliance)


Black / Adult Male / Middle (22 Competitors)
2014 Champ: Leandro Lo (PSLPB) / 2nd place: Otavio Sousa (Gracie Barra)

I feel very certain the returning middle weights are pleased to see that Lo has moved up to Medium Heavy for this year's tournament.  This is an incredibly stacked division.  2014 silver medalist Otavio Sousa (GB) returns and is likely the immediate favorite.  Sinistro (Alliance), new Marcelo Garcia black belts Jonathan Satava & Marcos Tinoco (Alliance) will have their hands full but should be exciting to watch.  Tanner Rice (Amazonas), Atos standout Claudio Calasans, Murilo Santana (Barbosa JJ), Marcel Mafra (CheckMat), Victor Estima (Gracie Barra), Magid Hage (Gracie Barra), and last but not least Victor Oliveira (GF Team) round out an impressive line-up.

My pick: Victor Estima (Gracie Barra)


Black / Adult Male / Medium Heavy (20 Competitors)
2014 Champ: Braulio Estima (Gracie Barra) / 2nd place: Romulo Barral (Gracie Barra)

Well neither 2014 finalists will be competing this year.  Braulio is out due to suspension for failing PED testing last year and Barral is focused primarily on ADCC this year.  That's okay though because we will be treated to Leandro Lo (PSLPB) stepping up a weight class which I doubt will be a problem for him.  He is usually in the finals of the Open Weight class every tournament so barring injury he has to be a heavy favorite.  Marcelo Garcia black belt Matheus Diniz is going to be someone to keep a close eye on.  Gustavo Campos and Pedro Mello both of Atos will be likely forces.   Depending on how the brackets are set up I expect to see Lo x Campos in the final.

My pick: Leandro Lo (PSLPB)


Black / Adult Male / Heavy (19 Competitors)
2014 Champ: Felipe Pena (Gracie Barra) / 2nd place: Andre Galvao (Atos)

Again we won't be treated to defending champ "Preguinca", Galvao, OR Rafael Lovato (2014 bronze medalist).  Don't fret because Keenan Cornelius (Atos) has moved up a weight class!  Additionally we have Jackson Sousa (CheckMat), Lucas Leite (CheckMat), Manny Diaz (Soul Fighters), and Timothy Spriggs (TLI).  Oh...and don't sleep on Xande Ribeiro (Ribeiro JJ).  Keenan had a really disappointing 2014 Worlds when he lost to Diego Gamonal (BTT) over a (in my opinion) controversial knee reap.  Keenan will for sure be looking to redeem himself and collect his first World's title at black belt.

My pick: Keenan Cornelius (Atos)


Black / Adult Male / Super Heavy (9 Competitors)
2014 Champ: Rodolfo Vieira (GF Team) / 2nd place: Bernardo Faria (Alliance)

Rodolfo won't be competing this year as he's been focused on MMA so make way for a new champ this year at Super Heavy.  Bernardo Faria (Alliance) has to be the favorite as he is usually coming up short against the monster Rodolfo.  Yri Simoes (Brasa CTA) will certainly look to improve from last year's bronze, Roberto "Tussa" Alencar (Gracie Barra) will likely find his way onto the podium.  Joao Gabriel Rocha (Soul Fighters), James Puopolo (Ribeiro JJ), and Erberth Santos (Guigo BJJ) will all be factors in a traditionally small division.

My pick: Bernardo Faria (Alliance)


Black / Adult Male / Ultra Heavy (13 Competitors)
2014 Champ: Marcus "Buchecha" Almedia (CheckMat) / 2nd place: Alexander Trans (UAE JJ)

As luck, or bad luck would have it depending on who you are...Buchecha is BACK!  Rodrigo Cavaca (Zenith BJJ), Alexander Trans (UAE), and 2014 bronze medalist Ricardo Evangelista (GF Team) are my favorites to watch in this division.

My pick: Buchecha (CheckMat)


Black / Adult Male / Open Weight Prediction
2014 Champ: Marcus "Buchecha" Almeida (CheckMat) / 2nd place: Rodolfo Vieira (GT Team)

Of course we can only imagine who will be participating in the open.  2014 runners up include Keenan & Faria.  We can obviously eliminate Rodolfo this year.  If Buchecha is able to enter the absolute then without a doubt he will be the favorite to repeat as I don't see many people being able to dethrone him.

My pick: Marcus "Buchecha" Almedia (CheckMat)

(Link for mobile users: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmV17RsCUiU)

Black / Adult Female / Light Feather (4 Competitors)
2014 Champ: Gezary Bandeira (ATT)

In a tiny division we have the 2014 champ returning.  I'm not going to lie...I don't know the other competitors so my choice is easy here.

My pick: Gezary Bandeira (ATT)


Black / Adult Female / Feather (8 Competitors)
2014 Champ: Michelle Nicolini (CheckMat) / 2nd place: Tammi Musumeci (ATT)

Who can forget this match from 2014?  The final saw Nicolini with a come from behind victory and destroying Tammi's arm.  This was easily the most exciting final of last year's tournament.  Both competitors are back for 2015 but so is red-hot Mackenzie Dern (Gracie Humaita) who just seems unbeatable.  Dern is coming off gold at her weight in Abu Dhabi and not only a close win over Gabi Garcia (Alliance) but gold in the open class at Abu Dhabi.  Dern even beat Nicolini on points earlier in the same tournament.

My pick: Mackenzie Dern (Gracie Humaita)

(Link for mobile users: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChWzHzvpBs4)

Black / Adult Female / Light (10 Competitors)
2014 Champ: Beatriz Mesquita (Gracie Humaita) / 2nd place: Luiza Monteiro (PSLPB)

All of the medalists from 2014 outside of Luiza (moved up to Middle) are back this year and will be challenged by Angelica Galvao (Atos), and Nyjah Easton (TLI).

My pick: Beatriz Mesquita (Gracie Humaita)


Black / Adult Female / Middle (8 Competitors)
2014 Champ: Janni Larson (CheckMat)

Reigning champ Janni Larson (CheckMat) isn't returning this year to defend her title but the division gets an instant new challenge in Luiza Monteiro Costa (PSLPB).  Look for Ida Hansson (CheckMat) and Sijara Eubanks (TLI) to be making it to the podium.

My pick: Luiza Monteiro (PSLPB)


Black / Adult Female / Medium Heavy (5 Competitors)
2014 Champ: Ana Cordeiro (Gracie Barra) / 2nd place: Hannette Staack (Soul Fighters)

Hannette Staack (Soul Fighters) won't be competing this year.  Something notable is that 2014 Heavy champ Andresa Correa (Alliance) has dropped down a weight class. Outside of that my knowledge of the competitors is pretty limited.

My pick: Andresa Correa (Alliance)


Black / Adult Female / Heavy (4 Competitors)
2014 Champ: Andresa Correa (Alliance)

2014 Champ Correa has dropped down a weight class which should make way for the Marcelo Garcia talent Dominyka Obelenyte (Alliance).  Tammy Greigo (Gracie Barra) is the only big challenge I see for her this year.

My pick: Dominyka Obelenyte (Alliance)


Black / Adult Female / Super Heavy (5 Competitors)
2014 Champ: Venla Luukkonen (Hilti BJJ)

With the reigning champ returning to a small division I'm not going to make any bold predictions here.  No Gabi Garcia this year.

My pick: Venla Luukkonen (Hilti BJJ)


Black / Adult Female / Open Weight Prediction
2014 Champ: Beatriz Mesquita (Gracie Humaita) / 2nd place: Michelle Nicolini (CheckMat)

Since Gabi Garcia is not competing this year (again) we are likely to see a more competitive field.  I feel like this will be a great tournament for Dominyka Obelenyte (Alliance).

My pick: Dominyka Obelenyte (Alliance)


Links:
IBJJF Site: http://ibjjf.org/championship/world-jiu-jitsu-championship/
Schedule: http://ibjjf.org/championships/world-jiu-jitsu-championship-2015-pre-schedule-update/
Brackets: http://events.ibjjf.com/sportos/application/sheet/index.php?idevent=319&dayofevent=1
Divisions: http://static.ibjjfdb.com/Campeonato/000415/en-US/RegistrationsByCategoryAndAcademy.pdf
How to watch live: http://www.ibjjftv.com/

Gui Mendes retirement announcement:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpQ68uHZK1E&feature=share

Art of Jiu-Jitsu Traveling Guide

I’ve been following the Mendes Brothers pretty closely the last couple years;  more specifically once they launched their online training site.  Being a lighter weight grappler (Feather) their style has been very appealing to my current game.  One of my training partners also has been using their training site the same amount of time and had mentioned interest in visiting their gym to train some time ago.  Fast forward to March 2014 and I was lucky enough to receive a planned and paid for trip to visit Costa Mesa and the Art of Jiu-Jitsu from my wife.  On top of this she was thoughtful enough to coordinate the trip with my training partner Martin. 

Just a few weeks later we flew out to Costa Mesa.  The gym had recommended we stay at the Ramada Inn in Costa Mesa which is less than a mile from the gym and reasonably priced.  You’re not staying at a high priced resort but it’s not a dump either.  It is more than adequate for those looking for something comfortable yet affordable.  The hotel has a heated pool and Jacuzzi which came in very handy during our stay.  There is a small bar and restaurant in the hotel which is nice for catching breakfast (no free meals).  You can eat there for about $12 for breakfast.   Before I go any further let me emphasize that the cost of living in California is higher than where we are from (Texas).   Unless you are living on fast food expect to spend $12-20 on most meals out.  That being said the hotel room does have a small fridge and there is a Sprouts grocery store nearby on the way to the gym.  If you want to save some money you could easily pick up some deli meats and make sandwiches to avoid eating out all the time. 

We opted to rent a car and I feel this is a must unless you have some other plans for transportation.  We didn’t notice cabs so unless you plan to rent a bicycle or something you are going to probably want a car.  Fortunately with the gym being close by you shouldn’t have to do a ton of driving unless you plan on sight-seeing a lot.  While we were there for four days we drove less than 40 miles and definitely got out to see the town.

 

Something you need to know about visiting the Art of Jiu-Jitsu is that you will more than likely have to attend the competition or advance classes unless you are a white belt.  I think the only other exceptions are for students visiting from affiliated academies. 

We arrived on Monday and used the first part of the day to get our car, hotel room, and a little shopping to pick up water, along with whatever we needed to be comfortable during our stay.  We made it to the evening advance class for our first training session.   Most people I know that have seen the gym from pictures and videos have described the look as “Jiu-Jitsu Heaven.”  I can honestly say that the pictures don’t do it justice.  It’s really well designed and laid out making it functional and aesthetically pleasing to the eyes.  The gym has two separate mat spaces which allows for two classes to be run simultaneously.  They are separated by the front desk and locker areas giving enough space to not make noise from either side a distraction. 

The students and staff at the gym was very friendly upon our arrival.  I imagine they are accustomed to visitors on a regular basis.  Class started very promptly and little time was wasted jumping straight into De La Riva drills as a warm-up.  We did 4-5 two minute rounds of pulling DLR guard and hitting a sweep of our choice.  After a complete round with a training partner we would find a new one until completing all the rounds.  For the technique portion we focused on removing the DLR hook (from a standing position) and using a knee slice to pass the guard on the non-DLR hook side.  From here the training partner (guard player on bottom) would catch half guard with a knee shield into the hip.  We then worked a couple submissions from here:  baseball bat choke and brabo choke option.  The other option was a leg drag pass.   The remaining portion of class consisted of 4 four minute rounds of grappling. 

My initial impressions were about what I expected.  The blue belts were like purple belts and the purple belts were like brown belts.  It was a really good class and we were pretty exhausted from the travel and time change.  It was much later for us with the two hour time difference by the time class was over.    

Tuesday we woke up, ate breakfast, and found a laundry mat between our hotel and the gym.  We opted to use the laundry mat rather than the gym’s gi washing facilities.  For $10 the gym will launder your gi which is a really convenient option.  The only problem is that they will run it through the dryer which is a problem for me as my gi’s can’t afford to shrink anymore since they are mostly competition fit and normally air dried.   It cost $3.75 to use their front loaded washer or $1.75 for a top loader.  They have dryers as well that are $0.25 for three minutes and you can add as much time as needed.  This was a cheaper and overall better option for us.  We had plenty of time to do it during the day. 

During our visit we ate at a few different places specific to the area.  We found a great taco dive called Sancho’s Tacos.  This was by far my favorite meal during the stay.  My buddy Martin had read all about Banzai Bowls and was dying to try it.  We had it twice during our stay and it was excellent and better than I expected.  We also tried Green Leaf which is a sandwich/soup/salad restaurant close to the gym and it was good.  Healthy food options and reasonably priced. 

Tuesday we attended the afternoon competition class.  Let me preface this by saying we expected it to be very tough.  This gym is loaded with guys that do nothing but compete and train for a living.  How they get by on a daily basis I have no idea but I can tell you that class is not for the weak of heart.  We showed up and were by far the oldest guys there; 37 and 45 respectively.  The format for that day was warm-up drills of take-downs for two minutes alternating, then a couple two minute rounds of pulling DLR guard and hitting a sweep of choice.  The bulk of the class consisted of 10 six minute rounds of rolling taking a 1 minute break in between rounds and one water break after five rounds.  After this we did 4 three minute rounds of situational DLR attempting to sweep or submit.  This was by far the most difficult class I’ve done since I started training Jiu-Jitsu.  Unless you are accustomed to training like that and in phenomenal shape it’s going to be pretty rough.   We had initially hoped to hit the nogi class later that evening but there was no way that was going to happen after the tough competition class.  We both took the remainder of the day off and relaxed. 

Fortunately for us the beach is nearby and there are a lot of things to get into.  The temperatures were in the 60’s during the early part of the day and warmed up to the mid 70’s.  The water temperature seemed too cold for us so we spent some time walking up and down the Newport Beach area which is only 10 minutes from our hotel. 

Wednesday we skipped the competition class so we’d be able to do the evening advanced class.  This gave us time to visit Huntington Beach which seemed a lot busier than Newport the previous two days and offered a lot more in the way of shopping.   I wasn’t about to go home empty handed.  There are a lot of nice shops fully stocked with RVCA, Volcom, and Hurley gear. 

That evening we had a great training session.  The warm-up consisted of two minute rounds of DLR sweeps and two minute rounds of DLR sweeps taking the back.  Rafa showed some examples of what he was looking for then turned us loose.  He emphasized being creative and using different methods for sweeping and taking the back.  The bulk of class was spent doing situational sparring for three minute rounds:  closed guard, half guard, side mount, and full mount.  After each round was completed we would switch to a new partner.  The end of class was spent doing 4 two minute rounds of attacking the back.  Two sets without hooks and two sets with one hook.  The focus was escaping the position or submitting from that particular position instead of transitioning to mount, side mount, or knee on belly. 

This was a great Jiu-Jitsu vacation.  I would have loved to do more classes but would have to be in much better shape to keep up.  I’m not sure that the competition classes are something I’d be in that kind of shape to do and manage to get in for an evening class.  I’m glad we did that class but in the future if we visit I’d probably stick to the evening classes.   My impressions after rolling with the students of this gym is that they are not only really good but they have a huge influence from the Mendes style game.  Very good DLR game and excellent knee slice through the half and RDLR guard.  I really appreciated the structure of the gym.  It was clear from the beginning that they have a strict curriculum that focuses on using the DLR guard to sweep and take the back…or defeat the DLR guard.  The warm-up drills were run as if everyone knew them already because in the advanced class everyone does.  The fundamental classes we saw focused heavily on the DLR guard and would be an intermediate to advanced class in most gyms.  The other thing I liked was they didn’t waste any time during training.  Class started promptly and there wasn’t an excessive amount of time spent explaining the techniques.  There was plenty of time dedicated towards drilling and rolling.

After talking to some of the students we came to find out that a good bunch of them have moved out to southern California just to train at with the Mendes Brothers.  Some commute up to 1.5 hours each way to train here.   There is no doubt that Rafa and Gui have had a huge impact on the skill of the students here but it’s also apparent that these students are constantly making each other better with their ridiculous work ethic.  I hope to visit this gym in the future and highly recommend it for anyone ranging from the serious, hobbyist Jiu-Jitsu student to the high level competitor.   

Mendes Bros Travel Guide

I’ve been following the Mendes Brothers pretty closely the last couple years; more specifically once they launched their online training site.  Being a lighter weight grappler (Feather) their style has been very appealing to me.  One of my training partners also has been using their training site the same amount of time and had mentioned interest in visiting their gym to train some time ago.  Fast forward to March 2014 and I was lucky enough to receive a planned and paid for trip to visit Costa Mesa and the Art of Jiu-Jitsu from my wife.  On top of this she was thoughtful enough to coordinate the trip with my training partner Martin. 

Just a few weeks later we flew out to Costa Mesa.  The gym had recommended we stay at the Ramada Inn in which is less than a mile from the gym and reasonably priced.  You’re not staying at a high priced resort but it’s not a dump either.  It is more than adequate for those looking for something comfortable, yet affordable.  The hotel has a heated pool and Jacuzzi which came in very handy during our stay.  There is a small bar and restaurant in the hotel which is nice for catching breakfast (no Continental breakfast here).  You can eat there for about $12 or less at breakfast.   Before I go any further let me emphasize that the cost of living in California is higher than where we are from (Texas).   Unless you are living on fast food expect to spend $12-20 on most meals out.  That being said the hotel room does have a small fridge and there is a Sprouts grocery store nearby on the way to the gym.  If you want to save some money you could easily pick up some deli meats, bread, etc. and make sandwiches to avoid eating out all the time.

Birthday gift (itinerary)

Flight into California

We opted to rent a car and I feel this is a must for transportation.  We didn’t notice cabs so unless you plan to rent a bicycle or something you are going to probably want a car.  Fortunately with the gym being close by you shouldn’t have to do a ton of driving unless you plan on sight-seeing a lot.  While we were there for four days we drove less than 40 miles and definitely got out to see the town. Something you need to know about visiting the Art of Jiu-Jitsu is that you will more than likely have to attend the competition or advance classes unless you are a white belt.  I think the only other exceptions are for students visiting from affiliated academies. 

We arrived on Monday and used the first part of the day to get our car, hotel room, and a little shopping to pick up water, along with whatever we needed to be comfortable during our stay.  We made it to the evening advance class for our first training session.   Most people I know that have seen the gym from pictures and videos have described the look as “Jiu-Jitsu Heaven.”  I can honestly say that the pictures don’t do it justice.  It’s really well designed and laid out making it functional and aesthetically pleasing to the eyes.  The gym has two separate mat areas which allows for two classes to be run simultaneously.  They are separated by the front desk and locker areas giving enough space to not make noise from either side a distraction. 

The students and staff at the gym were very friendly upon our arrival.  I imagine they are accustomed to visitors on a regular basis.  Class started promptly and little time was wasted jumping straight into De La Riva drills as a warm-up.  We did 4-5 two minute rounds of pulling DLR guard and hitting a sweep of our choice.  After a complete round with a training partner we would find a new one until completing all the rounds.  For the technique portion we focused on removing the DLR hook (from a standing position) and using a knee slice to pass the guard on the non-DLR hook side.  From here the training partner (guard player on bottom) would catch half guard with a knee shield into the hip (Z guard).  We then worked a couple submissions from here:  baseball bat choke and then a brabo choke option when they defended the previous choke.  The other option was a leg drag pass.   The remaining portion of class consisted of 4 four minute rounds of grappling. 

Me & Martin beat after first class (long day)

My initial impressions were about what I expected.  The blue belts were like purple belts and the purple belts were like brown belts.  It was a really good class and we were pretty exhausted from the travel and time change.  It was much later for us with the two hour time difference by the time class was over.   

Tuesday we woke up, ate breakfast, and found a laundry mat between our hotel and the gym.  We opted to use the laundry mat rather than the gym’s gi washing facilities.  For $10 the gym will launder your gi which is a really convenient option and is made available in 24 hours.  The only problem is that they will run it through the dryer which is a problem for me as my gi’s can’t afford to shrink anymore since they are mostly competition fit and normally air dried.   It cost $3.75 to use their front load washer or $1.75 for a top loader.  They have dryers as well that are $0.25 for three minutes and you can add as much time as needed.  This was a cheaper and overall better option for us.  We had plenty of time to do it during the day. 

Walter White & Jesse Pinkman also doing laundry

Alpine Cleaners
253 E 17th St
Costa Mesa, CA 92627

During our visit we ate at a few different places specific to the area.  We found a great taco dive called Sancho’s Tacos.  This was by far my favorite meal during the stay.

Sanchos Tacos #2
3014 W Balboa Blvd
Newport Beach, CA 92663
(949) 723-8226

Sanchos Tacos #1
602 Pacific Coast Hwy
Huntington Beach, CA 92648
(714) 536-9226

My buddy Martin had read all about Banzai Bowls and was dying to try it.  We had it twice during our stay and it was excellent and better than I expected.  You're likely to run into other Jiu-Jitsu people there.

Banzai Bowls
488 E 17th St
Costa Mesa, CA 92627
(949) 722-8329

We also tried Green Leaf which is a sandwich/soup/salad restaurant close to the gym and it was good.  Healthy food options and reasonably priced.   

Green Leaf Gourmet Chop Shop
234 E 17th St
Costa Mesa, CA
(949) 200-3950

After the Monday class we hit up Pitfire Artisan Pizza before they closed at 10pm.  Lots of local drafts on tap and tasty single serving sized pizzas around 10” with plenty of options to choose from.   They also have a lot of beer if you are into that. 

Pitfire Pizza

353 E. 17th St

Costa Mesa, CA 92627 

Tuesday we attended the afternoon competition class.  Let me preface this by saying we expected it to be very tough.  This gym is loaded with guys that do nothing but compete and train for a living.  How they get by on a daily basis I have no idea but I can tell you that class is not for the weak of heart.  We showed up and were by far the oldest guys there; 37 and 45 respectively.  The format for that day was warm-up drills of take-downs for two minutes alternating, then a couple two minute rounds of pulling DLR guard and hitting a sweep of choice.  The bulk of the class consisted of 10 six minute rounds of rolling taking a 1 minute break in between rounds and one water break after five rounds.  After this we did 4 three minute rounds of situational DLR attempting to sweep or submit.  This was by far the most difficult class I’ve done since I started training Jiu-Jitsu.  Unless you are accustomed to training like that and in phenomenal shape it’s going to be pretty rough.   What made it so tough was the students were in such good cardio shape and never stop attacking.  Also they are very good so you don’t get to take a lot of rounds off if you know what I mean.  We had initially hoped to hit the nogi class later that evening but there was no way that was going to happen after the tough competition class.  We both took the remainder of the day off and relaxed. 

Fortunately for us the beach was very close to the hotel and there are a lot of things to do.  The temperatures were in the 60’s during the early part of the day and warmed up to the mid 70’s.  The water temperature seemed too cold for us so we spent some time walking up and down the Newport Beach area which is only 10 minutes from our hotel. 

Wednesday we skipped the competition class so we'd be able to participate in the evening, advanced class.  This gave us time to visit Huntington Beach which seemed a lot busier than Newport the previous two days and offered a lot more in the way of shopping.  I wasn't about to go home empty handed.  There are a lot of nice shops fully stocked with brands like RVCA, Volcom, and Hurley gear.

Sushi for lunch

That evening we had a great training session.  The warm-up consisted of two minute rounds of DLR sweeps and two minute rounds of DLR sweeps taking the back.  Rafa showed some examples of what he was looking for then turned us loose.  He emphasized being creative and using different methods for sweeping and taking the back.  The bulk of class was spent doing situational sparring for three minute rounds:  closed guard, half guard, side mount, and full mount.  After each round was completed we would switch to a new partner.  The end of class was spent doing 4 two minute rounds of attacking the back with a seat belt grip.  Two sets without hooks and two sets with one hook.  The focus was escaping the position or submitting from that particular position instead of transitioning to mount, side mount, or knee on belly. 

This was a great Jiu-Jitsu vacation.  I would have loved to do more classes but would have to be in much better shape to keep up with the younger competitors there.  I’m not sure that the competition classes are something I’d be in that kind of shape to do and manage to get in for an evening class all in the same day.  I’m glad we did that class but in the future if we visit I’d probably stick to the evening classes.   My impressions after rolling with the students of this gym are that they are not only really good but they tend to play the Mendes style game.  Very good DLR game and excellent knee slice through the half and RDLR guard.  I really appreciated the structure of the gym.  It was clear from the beginning that they have a strict curriculum that focuses on using the DLR guard to sweep and take the back…or defeat the DLR guard.  

The warm-up drills were run as if everyone knew them already because in the advanced class everyone does.  The fundamental classes we saw focused heavily on the DLR guard and would be an intermediate to advanced class in most gyms.  The other thing I liked was they didn’t waste any time during training.  Class started promptly and there wasn’t an excessive amount of time spent explaining the techniques.  There was plenty of time dedicated towards drilling and rolling. The instructors always kept timers running to make sure that time wasn’t wasted in between rounds and water breaks.

After talking to some of the students we came to find out that a good bunch of them have moved out to southern California just to train at with the Mendes Brothers.  Some commute up to 1.5 hours each way to train here. There is no doubt that Rafa and Gui have had a huge impact on the skill of the students here but it’s also apparent that these students are constantly making each other better with their ridiculous work ethic.  I hope to visit this gym in the future and highly recommend it for anyone ranging from the serious, hobbyist Jiu-Jitsu student to the high level competitor.   

Budovideos recently released a new episode of Rolled Up featuring both Rafa & Gui Mendes. They discuss their gym, philosophy, structure, etc.  There are a couple really nice techniques shown at the end.

Link for mobile users: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhps4AkeM0U