So...I Got Promoted to Black Belt

Professor JD Shelley & Me

I will apologize in advance that this post will probably sound like I'm rambling.  I will do my best to keep it logical and organized but I can't help the fact that trying to summarize 7.5 years of training while keeping it reasonably concise is a lot to ask.

Last night I reached a big milestone in my life and Jiu-Jitsu career.  I was awarded my black belt by my Professor, Joseph D. Shelley (2nd American black belt under Romero "Jacare" Cavalcanti.  I began training February 2008 as the age of 30.  I played soccer competitively from a young age up until my late 20's.  I began training Muay Thai at NDBJJ in 2006 and thought I would NEVER have anything to do with the "grappling stuff." Looked like too much work to be honest.  The truth was I was going through a difficult time in my life, a recent divorce, financial difficulties, among other things.  I didn't fully commit to Muay Thai because of I was out of shape and the commute was not ideal.

Fast forward to 2008.  I'm driving by the old gym and think to myself..."it's time to make a change for the sake of your own health."  I dropped in to simply observe and see what it was like to go through a routine beginner class.  I sent an email to JD Shelley to introduce myself and that I would be coming in to try a class.  Well I did...and I loved it.  It gave me something to focus on that I was missing in my life, a place to exercise, somewhere I could learn something, and work out the competitive side of my personality.

As a newbie it didn't take long for me to recognize the upper belts were vastly better and more knowledgeable than myself and other fellow white belts.  I found Jiu-Jitsu to be incredibly challenging and frustrating at the same time.  I just kept going back no matter how good or bad my training sessions went.  It didn't take long for me to "buddy up" with a couple other white belts and even a couple upper belts.  I did my best to get to know an upper belt that had been at the gym and with JD since the early 2000's.  I even met him back in 2006 during Muay Thai and he was nice enough not to punch my face off during my first class while he was prepping for an MMA fight.  He fought professional MMA and was an instructor at the gym.  I'm not going to lie the guy was a bit standoff-ish but I persisted to get to know him and ask lots of questions. That guy would go on to get his brown belt in 2008 and his black not too long after.  I was lucky enough to see him receive his 1st & 2nd degree black belt promotion last night.  His name is Shervin Alavi and he has become not only a good training partner but a good friend since then.

Keith Wilks another fellow white belt training partner has been a friend as well since then.  We have both shared promotions ever since the beginning through last night.  There have been countless other people that have come and gone for various reasons and I can't name them all. There is still a small group of us "old guys" now which even to me..."we aren't ALL the old guys" because Lord knows there were many before us.  That being said it has been an absolutely difficult, at times frustrating, and many times fun, exciting "journey" (I hate that word) to get here.

Keith Wilks, Shervin Alavi, & Me

I've endured my fair share of injuries along the way, set backs, personal & professional challenges, you name it.  I'm just a regular guy like most people reading this.  None of this would have been possible without the love and support of my family.  I was lucky enough to meet my wife right after I began training in 2008.  She has been there every step of the way.  She is the person that has had to put up with me when I've had a bad day at the gym, the office, etc.  Lindsey has always known this was important to me; she has been and will always be my #1 fan.  I can't say enough about that really. My parents and daughter without a doubt have also been crucial to support and help me get here even though they don't fully realize their roles.

Lindsey & Me

Lucky Dude!

Timeline
Feb 2008 - White belt
October 2009 - Blue belt
December 2011 - Purple belt
November 2013 - Brown belt
June 1, 2015 - Black belt

I've competed in my fair share of tournaments with successes and some failures.  I'm currently 38 and even when starting this at the age of 30, my ability to participate in tournaments is and has been limited at best.  I have a professional career, a family (3 children), among other obligations so keeping everything balanced has always been a challenge.  I'm very lucky I have had a good support system in my wife and family.  I have sacrificed an unbelievable amount of time with them to get here so soon.  For that I appreciate what they have been willing to sacrifice for me.

Note: I have competed at every level and have been lucky to record most of my matches.  I am missing some from last fall at Five Texas 2 I hope to upload.  If you are willing/interested to see any of my matches over the years you can find them on my YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/user/Reefernut77/videos

I began teaching as soon as I received my blue belt and have continued on since then teaching kids and adults of all levels including private lessons.  I immediately discovered that teaching was a big passion right away.  It helped me understand things better and gave me a new outlet to communicate with people.  I enjoy seeing people learn and can also share something that I am passionate about.  If you have seen my blog then you have an idea how "into" Jiu-Jitsu that I am.  I study it and my life revolves around it.

Some people along the way have and continue to ask "how did you get promoted so fast?"  The answer is simple.  I kept coming to class and training.  It didn't stop there though.  I focused on improving certain aspects that were problematic for me in the gym while rolling or at competitions. I never took breaks either unless I was injured.  The longest break I took over 7.5 years was three months for a broken foot which I just recently have come back from.

I'm not a super star; I'm an average, athletic guy that simply remained focused and always continued to learn and evolve.  That is what is important to me in Jiu-Jitsu.  That is not the same for everyone as we all have varying levels of interest but that is the most simple way to answer that common question.

I also found along the way that as people would come and go, and some even came back...it was important to me to eventually earn my black belt but it was even more important to get it from MY coach, Joseph D. Shelley.  He has never been known to "hand out belts" and has incredibly high standards especially at the black belt level.  Lineage means a lot to me and he trained with some of the best.  You may not know my coach but if you do, you know that he is one of the toughest guys you will ever encounter on the mats.  He's a 2 tour Gulf War veteran (Marine) and a two-time Nogi Worlds Champion 2008 & 2010.  Even at his age (early 40's) you would never know it by the way he rolls on the mat and his dedication to the sport.  He is and will always be MY coach and he is also my friend.  I am grateful for the time, energy, and opportunities he has given me over the years.

I can't thank every single person that has helped me but I will list the most influential people that come to mind not previously mentioned above.

-All of my training partners
-Every guy that stepped on the mat against me in competition
-Robson Moura
-Reilly Bodycomb
-Sean Roberts
-Michelle Nicolini
-Caio Terra
-Mendes Bros
-Bruno & Rico Bastos
-Gustavo Dantas
-Manny Diaz

My lineage:  Rolls Gracie--->Romero "Jacare" Calvalcanti--->JD Shelley--->Me

Some of the the NDBJJ Black Belts in attendance last night

http://ndbjj.com/index.html

Get to Know: Collin Grayson (Caio Terra Association)

I had the opportunity to meet Collin Grayson shortly after I started training Jiu-Jitsu in early 2008. He was hosting Marcelo Garcia for a seminar and I was lucky enough to attend...even if I could barely tie my own belt.  Fast forward to 2014 and Collin is still teaching Jiu-Jitsu in both Rockwall and Irving under the Caio Terra Association.  

When did you start training?

-January 28, 2002

When did you receive your Black Belt and from whom?

-I received my Black Belt on December 28, 2011 from Jose Reyes

What should a new student focus on?

-Having fun first and foremost.  Experiencing the culture of jiu-jitsu, seeing how it changes people, meeting new friends, setting new goals, acquiring a mentor, etc.  That is what creates a lifelong BJJ’er – not the techniques.  The techniques are simply a means to an end.

What would you change about how you approached training Jiu-Jitsu if you had to go back and start all over again?

-Drill more.  Recognize that rolling/training is merely the output of the input.

How important is competition for development?

-I think it develops character and is good for self-evaluation.  Not necessary for developing good technique though.  Hard work and honest partners can create that.

Collin Grayson (CTA) vs Kelly Rundle (Alliance)

(Link for mobile users: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4Fs4wXQ1gY)

How do you feel about students cross-training at other gyms?

-Learn whatever you can!  Just be sure to share it!

How do you feel about supplementing training with other forms of physical activity such as lifting weights, crossfit, running, swimming, etc? 

-If you want to be good at Jiu-Jitsu, train Jiu-Jitsu.

Do you feel like the BJJ is becoming watered down due to the ease of people uploading instructional videos on sites like YouTube?

-Not watered down, but the evolution of BJJ has changed dramatically.  Advanced techniques are being hit at a much lower belt level

What are your thoughts on rolling versus drilling?

-Rolling should be secondary, drilling helps to develop the tools you use when rolling.

Do you use supplements?   How do you stay healthy? 

-Fish Oil, Flax Oil, Glucosamine & Chondroitin

What do you recommend for training preparation?

-Stretching, eating a light meal 90 mins prior, and having a teaspoon of honey 10 minutes prior

Do you think training wrestling and judo is important?  

-At least enough to defend against it

As an instructor, what does your training consist of trying to balance teaching vs training?  Give an example of a typical week of training for you. 

-Teach 7 classes per week – try to drill and roll as much as possible without taking away from the students instruction.  Also cross-train at other gyms when possible.

Do you continue to study new (modern) Jiu-Jitsu and how do you go about that?  Do you train with other black belts in other gyms, affiliations, etc? 

-Yes – via www.caioterra.com.  Study new techniques and drill them with BB Mark Stites on the weekends.

What is the worst injury you have experienced while training? 

-Torn MCL

Is there anything interesting you would like to say about yourself or any opinions you have on the current state of BJJ?

-I think it’s awesome…there will never be a set of rules that please everyone.  As BJJ evolves, the rules will as well.  The constant evolution is what keeps it fresh, interesting, and fun!

Collin Grayson recently promoted his first Black Belt and
longtime friend Mark Stites who also teaches at the Rockwall location. 

Not only is Collin an excellent instructor but he's also well known for bringing in some of the best talent for seminars throughout the year.  If you have a chance to drop in and train with his group I highly recommend it.  As mentioned earlier, Collin operates out of both Rockwall and Irving, TX. His locations can be found at:

811 E. Yellow Jacket Ln

Rockwall, TX 75087 

(Located inside  of Ridge Pointe Athletic Club)

612 South Valley Ranch Parkway

Irving, TX 75063

(George Prevalsky's Boxing & Muay Thai Boxing Club)

Related Links:

http://ctarockwall.com/

http://caioterra.com/

http://ifightinpajamas.blogspot.com/2013/08/caio-terra-seminar-review.html

http://ifightinpajamas.blogspot.com/2012/06/interview-with-caio-terra.html

Manny "Beats" Diaz Seminar Review

I've been really fortunate this year to attend a few excellent seminars that have been incredibly affordable; each of them costing less than $50 for three hours of training.  A good friend of mine, Collin Grayson, runs a Caio Terra affiliate in Rockwall, TX and was planning on hosting Gameness sponsored athlete Manny Diaz for a weekend.  For those not familiar with Manny he is a high level, world champion brown belt from Caio Terra's academy. What makes him a little different than the "average" high level competitor is that he doesn't train Jiu-Jitsu on a full-time basis like it's his primary job.  Manny is married, has children, and a regular job that has him traveling from time to time.  He's one of those few guys that is able to balance all of that stuff and somehow compete at the highest levels with success.

Not knowing what the focus of the seminar would be covering I felt like attending was a no-brainer.  We were lucky enough to host Manny and Collin for a Friday night rolling session at our own gym.  Knowing that Manny has a great top game I expected to get crushed the entire time but found that he has an excellent half guard game.  He was fairly playful during the rolls for the most part but had no problems tuning us up and doing what he wanted.  It was a really good experience to see what parts of our A game wouldn't work on him and he was helpful to point out things we could do differently.

The next day we met up at Collin's gym in Rockwall for the seminar.  I managed to get a few guys from my gym to attend as well.  Much to my surprise the first half of the seminar was focused on how he likes to play half guard, maintain distance control, keeping your opponent grounded in the half guard, and 3-4 sweeps from here.  I think most of us expected to see Manny's crushing top game but this was a welcomed surprise as half guard is one of my favorite positions.  To finish up this position he showed us some Williams Guard options and submissions from half which will work very well for my own game.

The second half of the seminar focused on breaking down and passing the uber popular De La Riva Guard. The techniques Manny showed from here were fairly new to me but seemed very good.  Manny likes to remove the DLR hook and use a knee up the middle to smash through the guard, taking his time to nullify any additional annoyances from the legs and controlling the hips before sliding through into side mount.  This is not a lot of fun as an uke much less during a normal rolling session...but it is super effective as evidenced in the video.  This was fairly reminiscent of the Sean Roberts means for passing we learned earlier this year but Manny brought even more pressure and control to the table.

Link for Mobile Users: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BWvDFUahmw)

At the end of the seminar Manny rolled individually with every person that stuck around with no breaks between rounds.  What a guy!  I can't recommend enough that if you have the opportunity to attend one of his seminars or simply train with him...do it!  He is very talented, an effective instructor, and a super nice guy. I heard a rumor (well not really) from Caio Terra that Manny plans to open up his own academy in the near future.  We wish him luck with that and at the IBJJF World Championships in a couple weeks!

Big thanks to Collin Grayson of CTA - Rockwall, TX for hosting the seminar.  If you are in his area please check out his gym.  http://ctarockwall.com/academy/

Caio Terra Seminar Review

Caio Terra is easily one of the most visible and vocal competitors in recent years.  His gym, Institute of Martial Arts is based in San Jose, California.  He has not only built a gym with excellent competitors and instructors but he has been spending a great deal of his time traveling the globe giving seminars.  In addition to this he has established over a dozen affiliates throughout the country.

I have been following Caio Terra for the last 4 years both in competitions and his instructional DVD's.  Being a small grappler myself, I can relate to a lot of the techniques that Caio teaches and uses with a a lot of success.  His dominance in major tournaments speaks volumes about his abilities and I have found his teaching methodology to be fairly easy to follow.

When I heard a local gym would be bringing him in for a two day seminar I jumped at the opportunity.  Caio has never visited Texas for seminars and considered myself lucky that he would be in my own backyard.

Day 1 (Gi portion)
Caio gave our group about seven topics of things we could focus on for the gi portion of the seminar. The majority vote would decide on the focus for the techniques he would show.  We chose to work the De La Riva/Berimbolo stuff.  Caio made a comment about this before starting.  He said, "most of the time everyone wants to work really hard techniques because they think they are better...the reality is they are just harder." That seemed funny at the time but was a great point.  I think sometimes we tend to over-complicate Jiu-Jitsu and lose sight of the importance of executing clean, basic techniques that are high percentage...or at a minimum easier to achieve a higher level of understanding.

Caio began by showing how to initiate and maintain the DLR guard.  He also pointed out that dragging your opponent to the ground for Berimbolo can be very laborious (which I totally agree with) and that it is vital to break down your opponent in order to get it.  One might not necessarily go straight for it by pulling/yanking on them and trying to force but first to hide your intentions with lapel and/or sleeve grips.  His methods for initiating the sweep were a bit different than what I have previously studied.  I have spent a great deal of time utilizing the Mendes brothers stuff so it was good to see a different perspective.  In some ways it was a challenge to execute his technique as I tended to get confused on occasion due to my muscle memory.  So over the course of day one we covered the following from DLR guard:

1. Back take (Babybolo)
2. Leg drag from Berimbolo (probably my favorite)
3. Back take from Berimbolo
4. Mount from Berimbolo

This may not sound like a lot of techniques but it really was.  The amount of detail Caio shows could be overwhelming for a white belt but necessary.  We ended the day with Q&A over anything we wanted, even techniques which were not covered during the seminar.  This was excellent as he showed us how he sets up and finishes his secret ankle lock attack from DLR guard.  Video below shows him hitting this same ankle lock in a recent IBJJF tournament.  He has used this same submission against Fabio Passos (Cobrinha black belt) in competition a little about a year ago.

Caio Terra vs Fabio Passos

Caio rolled with pretty much everyone that was interested after pictures were taken.  It was apparent pretty quickly he intended to triangle choke every single victim opponent.  When it was my turn we exchanged some pleasantries.  I attempted a sitting guard-->single leg technical stand-up which he quickly shut down.  I joked about it and he actually allowed me to attempt it again which I managed to get and sweep he let me. As I was attempting to pass towards the back he started to invert a bit and forced me into 50/50 guard (see exhibit A):

Exhibit A

That week I had been working on some 50/50 guard stuff from his half-guard DVD (specifically the ankle lock) and was pretty nervous in this position with him as he's known to be a killer with leg locks.  As I was battling for grips he stood up and began removing the 50/50 guard and moved quickly into side mount.  As I was preventing the cross-face he slid into mount, trapped an arm, and threw up a triangle rolling to his back. This happened so quickly I really didn't see any of it coming.  I defended pretty well but he transitioned into an armbar to finish the roll.  I lasted maybe 2 minutes.  I can honestly say that he is the smoothest I have ever rolled against.  I have experienced world class black belts pressure, explosiveness, etc. but Caio never exhibited any of those traits.  He was just smooth as can be.  There was nothing wasted...simply efficient.

Day 2 (Nogi portion)
At the beginning of the second day, Caio reiterated that we chose a difficult topic the day prior and he would pick for the second day...something much easier.  We spent the entire second day working from the side mount.  The focus was on moving to north-south, trapping the far side arm with an over hook and moving into side mount on the far side to eventually finish the armbar.  We worked the following scenarios:

1. Finishing same side armbar (2 different methods)
2. Switching sides to far side armbar (2 different methods)
3. Finishing the armbar many different ways on the far side based on your opponents responses to defend and interlock their hands.

The nice thing about this particular series was that after each variation, he would add a layer or option depending on your opponent's response or attempt to escape the submission/position.  It is worth noting he covered the armbar he managed to finish with against Jeff Glover at Metamoris earlier this year.  (Video is linked at the bottom of this article.)

Again, it may not sound like a lot of material but it really built layer upon layer from beginning to end.  I probably got more out of the second day for some of the basic concepts that I had not seen before. There was no rolling at the end of the second day but again he allowed questions which I took full advantage.  I asked how to finish the ankle lock from 50/50 when your opponent hides their feet really well (particularly figure four).  He showed multiple ways to attack the non-hidden foot by way of ankle lock and toe-holds. One of the great concepts I took away from it was almost anytime your are working the 50/50 guard...if you want to sweep, submit, escape you have to be willing to make space with your hips.

Overall I think it was a very good seminar.  Caio showed some excellent techniques and details. I do get the impression that Caio is a perfectionist while showing technique.  There were some moments when he appeared to get a little frustrated with his training partner while trying to show technique.  Some positives to take away from those moments that should be applied during training are the following:

1. The training partner should never feed any moves; don't make the technique easy because the reality is most techniques will not be easy to apply on a resisting opponent.
2. The training partner should react naturally (not necessarily defend) but use good posture when stuck in DLR guard rather than slumping over, don't just lay flat on your back while your partner attempts Berimbolo, etc.  These are not natural during a live roll so why would you do this while training?  Giving that much natural resistance makes it more real for the person attempting the techniques.

Something else worth noting.  After circling up to review some of the covered techniques, if someone had a question about a detail he would have them perform the move in front of the group and then correct the issue.  This is good for both the people directly involved and also the group.  Being able to evaluate what others are doing or having issues with may answer some questions for everyone involved.

All in all it was an excellent two days of training.  I might not recommend a Caio Terra seminar to a white belt but every one's learning curves are different.  I've seen my fair share of blue belts that have a hard time keeping up with the level of techniques during some seminars.


Things Caio has upcoming:
1. World Jiu-Jitsu Expo in November.  I asked him if he had an opponent and he said that had not been determined yet.  Stay up to date on this event here: https://www.facebook.com/worldjiujitsuexpo
2. Pan Jiu-Jitsu Nogi Championships the last weekend of September.
3. Rumor has it that Caio will be launching an online training site.  I confirmed with him via Facebook that he indeed plans to launch the site.  No target date was provided.

I'd like to extend a huge amount of thanks to Collin Grayson for hosting the seminar.  He provided most of the pictures for this article.  He is also now the first and ONLY Caio Terra affiliate in Texas!
http://www.ctarockwall.com/

http://caioterra.com/

Related Blog Posts:
http://ifightinpajamas.blogspot.com/2012/06/interview-with-caio-terra.html
http://ifightinpajamas.blogspot.com/2013/05/flashback-friday-caio-terra-vs-jeff.html

2013 IBJJF World Championships (Review)

The 2013 IBJJF World Championships concluded around 10pm central time Sunday night.  It was an excellent event featuring some incredible matches and upsets.  That being said...my brain is FRIED from watching most of Saturday and Sunday's live stream.  

Academy Results

Adult Male:

1 - Alliance - 94
2 - CheckMat - 53
3 - Atos Jiu-Jitsu - 45 

Adult Female:

1 - Alliance - 74
2 - CheckMat - 45
3 - Gracie Humaita - 32 

Juvenile:

1 - Gracie Elite Team - 65
2 - Gracie Barra - 52
3 - Alliance - 33 

Novice:

1 - Gracie Elite Team - 47
2 - Alliance - 41
3 - Gracie Barra - 34 

*Additional results can be found at: 

https://www.ibjjfdb.com/Campeonato/PublicResults?CampeonatoId=177&CultureInfo=en-US

Notable moments (Spoilers if you haven't seen the matches. Skip down and watch the matches first.)

• Gui Mendes being knocked out in only the quarterfinals.  He played a dangerously close match and didn't push the pace losing a ref's decision.  
• Tanquinho was impressive.  I picked him to make it to the finals but who would have expected him to beat both Cobrinha AND Rafael Mendes the same day?  Probably the most impressive run in the black belt division in my opinion.
• Caio Terra showed that his win against his nemesis, Bruno Malfacine, at Pan 2013 was not fluke.  He played a very similar game and won the 50/50 battle to claim another World title.
• Leandro Lo showed that he is one of the most dynamic standing guard passers and open guard players of the tournament.  He had only 2 points scored against him in the entire tournament.  
• Paulo Miyao FINALLY beats Keenan Cornelius in the Brown belt Absolute final.  This is an amazing feat considering that he fights at Light Feather.  
• Braulio Estima was very impressive and showed the world that he still is competing at the highest level dazzling with a ridiculous kneebar.  He closed out his weight class and conceded to teammate Romulo Barral.  
• Atos was shut out at black belt in all divisions.  
• Ary Farias had appeared to win the Light Feather final, left the mat area to celebrate, was penalized for doing so which docked him an advantage and caused him to lose the final.  Very unfortunate as the match was one of the best finals during the weekend.
• Lucas Leite was excellent making it to the final at Heavyweight...which is two weight classes above his natural division.  
• Bruno Bastos (Nova Uniao) retired from Worlds competition and gave his black belt to Buchecha after losing to him in the Absolute division.  
• Buchecha proved AGAIN that he is the best pound for pound guy out there.  He was incredibly dominant winning both his weight and the Absolute division.  The Absolute final against Rodolfo Veira wasn't close at all. 

Xande Ribeiro (Match 1)

Caio Terra (Brasa) vs Fabio Passos (Alliance)

Rafa Mendes vs Mayako Borges

Braulio Estima's INSANE kneebar in slo-motion.

Gui Mendes (Atos) vs Daniel Beleza Light Feather Quarterfinal

Rodolfo Veira (GF Team) vs Leo Leite (CheckMat)

Rafael Mendes (Atos) vs Tanquinho (Soul Fighters) Feather Final

Caio Terra (Brasa) vs Bruno Malfacine (Alliance) Rooster Final

Ari Farias (Atos) vs Gabriel Moraes (CheckMat) Light Feather Final

Leandro Lo vs Michael Langhi (Alliance) Light Final

Flashback Friday: Caio Terra vs Jeff Glover (Metamoris Pro)

This would be the second time they met in 2012. Jeff Glover took the win via points in their first meeting at the 2012 World Jiu-Jitsu Expo.  This match between Caio Terra and Jeff Glover took place at the first Metamoris Pro event last fall.  For me, this was the most exciting match of the night.  Both guys seemed to be having a good time throughout the chess match drawing cheers from the crowd.  Glover was up to his usual antics and played an unorthodox game giving up position (note there was no point system / submission only) to attack from odd angles and hope to wear Caio down physically in the 20 minute time limit match.

2013 IBJJF Pans (Post Thoughts)

The IBJJF 2013 Pan Championship has come and gone.  This year was bigger than ever spanning over the course of five days.  While the Pan may not be considered the most coveted tournament it seems to be the most attended each year which begs the question..."Why is it NOT the most coveted title?"  There were a few big names missing from the black belt brackets this year as some are heavily focused on other tournaments such as the Abu Dhabi Pro.  Such names as Lovato, Rodolfo, Farias, & Marcelo Garcia just to name a few did not compete this year.  As usual, Budovideos did an excellent job of providing streaming coverage which aerial mat views and selectable mats.  The commentary was top notch as well with the likes of Budo Jake, Shawn Williams, and guests like Kurt Osiander popping in.

In Black Belt action:
Caio Terra defeated Bruno Malficine (points)
Guilherme Mendes defeated Laercio Fernandes (points)
Rafael Mendes defeated Cobrinha (points)
Michael Langhi closed out with teammate Lucas Lepri
Clark Gracie defeated Marcelo Mafra in epic fashion (submission)
Andre Galvao defeated Gustavo Campos
Roberto Alencar "Tussa" defeated Nivaldo Lima (points)
Leo Nogueira defeated Gabriel Vella
Marcus Almeida "Buchecha" defeated Alexander Trans

Open Weight
Marcus Almeida "Buchecha" defeated Andre Galvao (points)

In Brown Belt action:
Joao Miyao took gold in Light Feather
Paulo Miyao took gold defeating Gianni Grippo by choke at Feather
Rafael Henrique Pereira defeated reigning Pan champ AJ Agazarm
Keenan Cornelius took double gold in his weight and the open

Noteworthy:

• Michael Liera Jr (Atos Purple belt) is one to watch as he is becoming very dominant.  He took double gold in his weight and the open.  We will continue to see big things from him.  
• Marcio Andre (Nova Uniao Purple belt) followed up his 2012 Worlds title with a gold at Pan.  He will probably be promoted to brown before the next Worlds tournament.
• Say what you want about the Miyao Bros and Gianni Grippo but their De la Riva/Berimbolo game looked very dominant all day Sunday.  
• Keenan looked as dominant as ever quieting critics that the TLI drama and move to Atos might disrupt his concentration.  
• Rafael Pereira's win over AJ Agazarm at Brown Light came as a big surprise since Rafael's performance in the Brown Belt Kumite was less than stellar.  
• Sean Roberts (Ralph Gracie) got his wish and faced Leandro Lo in the 2nd round of his weight class where he was dominated 43-0 before being submitted by Lo.  You have to give Sean credit for competing at the Pan after receiving his black belt just a week prior.  
• The Great Kurt Osiander took gold in his respective division.
• Cobrinha loses another close final to Rafa Mendes.  I do feel Rafa outworked him at the end of the match getting the decision.  One has to think that Cobrinha will have to truly beat Rafa by points or sub if he is going to get over the hump.  Ref decisions have not been good to him.  
• I was happy to see Caio Terra break out of his funk against Bruno Malficine.  Bruno looked unstoppable on Sunday and Caio executed a brilliant game plan scoring late in the match threatening with a calf slicer at the end.  Caio seemed calm and collected throughout the entire match.  
• Clark Gracie was impressive with his aggressive omoplatas all day.  Good to see him capture gold.  One of the best finals on Sunday.  See the video below.
• I can't say enough good things about Buchecha.  Many people hate watching the bigger guys compete because they can be boring. You never seem to get this with Buchecha.  He moves with the speed and technique of a Lightweight.  The absolute final between him and Galvao was epic.  

Clark Gracie vs Marcelo Mafra (Medium Final)

Buchecha vs Andre Galvao (Open Final)

AJ Agazarm vs Rafael Henrique Pereira (Light Final)

Caio Terra vs Bruno Malficine (Rooster Final)

                          

                                    Paulo Miyao vs Gianni Grippo (Feather Final)

Keenan Cornelius vs J. Miyao (Brown Belt Open Semi-Final)

Black Belt Finals HL's

Academy Results

Novice:

1 - Gracie Barra - 46
2 - Lotus Club Jiu-Jitsu - 34
3 - Gracie Elite Team - 31 

Adult Male:

1 - Alliance - 85
2 - Atos Jiu-Jitsu - 83
3 - Gracie Elite Team - 36 

Adult Female:

1 - Alliance - 43
2 - Gracie Humaita - 31
3 - Atos Jiu-Jitsu - 30 

Juvenile:

1 - Gracie Elite Team - 39
2 - Alliance - 36
3 - Gracie Barra - 19 

Master and Senior:

1 - Gracie Barra - 199
2 - Alliance - 142
3 - Gracie Elite Team - 129 

All results can be found here: https://www.ibjjfdb.com/Campeonato/PublicResults?

CampeonatoId=162&CultureInfo=en-US

2012 Nogi Worlds (Post Analysis)

Caio Terra (Gracie Fighter) x Fabbio Passos (Alliance)  Rooster Final

I unfortunately missed this match but thankfully Budovideos posted it on Youtube for our viewing pleasure.  Note that at the beginning of the match two funny things happen.  First, there is discussion about the IBJJF forbidding the use of thong underwear for female competitors and Caio takes a timeout prior to the start of the match to fix his hair.  This match was nothing short of brilliant on the part of Caio Terra.  As the match begins, Passos moves into a sitting guard single leg and transitions into deep half guard.  It looks like Passos wanted to sweep into a single leg but Caio is almost two steps ahead of him.  Caio responds by grabbing a kimura before Passos can initiate the sweep which allows him to sneak around to the back of Passos.  VERY SLICK!  Caio moves into the top rear mount position and slaps on a RNC.  As Passos attempts to bring his left arms out to defend the choke Caio traps it with his left knee which enables him to finish easily by RNC.

The stream was improved in some ways this time around by Budovideos.  For this tournament they utilized instant replays which was GREAT.  All too often I miss crucial moments that happen and one glance away from the screen is all it would take to miss out on something amazing.  They also made the mat assignments available so the viewer was aware of everything that was going on.  There was an aerial view provided which made it much easier to know if switching to a different mat was even worthwhile since not all mats always have a match ongoing.  My only complaint about the stream this year was the quality of the video stream seemed to be down a little bit.  There didn't seem to be too much lag (not anymore than normal) but that could be a combination of traffic and/or my Internet connection.

Onto overall impressions from the tournament.  My initial impressions (at the black belt level) was that the brackets seemed a little thin.  I have to wonder if some of this is due to the increasingly busy IBJJF schedule and upcoming IBJJF Pro shows.  The IBJJF Masters/Seniors tournament was less than a month ago as was the Metamoris PPV event.  I was unable to watch the stream on Saturday but did see a good portion on Sunday.  I came away from this having a new found respect for Team Lloyd Irvin.  I have been following them more closely since last summer and they have a recipe for building top level competitors.  Their results at the Worlds this year speak volumes.  DJ Jackson is now officially the first TLI adult male to claim a world championship.  They were only two points behind Alliance in overall adult men's rankings which shocked me.  Some may argue with the style and/or marketing of Lloyd Irvin but it's hard to dispute that they are creating some awesome competitors the likes of Ryan Hall, Jonathan Torres, DJ Jackson, Jordon Schultz & Kennan Cornelius (who by the way submitted everyone on his way to gold).  It will be interesting to see if they can keep this momentum when the 2013 Pan Championships roll around next Spring.

Academy Results

Adult Male: 

1 - Alliance - 82
2 - Team Lloyd Irvin - 80
3 - Gracie Elite Team - 50 

Female:

1 - Gracie Humaita - 53
2 - Gracie Barra - 38
3 - Alliance - 35 

Juvenile:

1 - Gracie Barra - 22
2 - Nova União - 21
3 - Carvalho Teixeira BJJ - 18 

Masters & Seniors:

1 - Gracie Barra - 103
2 - Brazilian Top Team - 86
3 - Nova União - 76 

The remainder of the results can be found here on the IBJJF website.

https://www.ibjjfdb.com/Campeonato/PublicResults?CampeonatoId=149&CultureInfo=en-US

I've added some videos that Budo just released from Lloyd Irvin's matches.  I thought it would be cool to post them because there aren't a ton of competition videos out there of Lloyd.

Match 1 is against Paul Halme of Peak Performance

Match 2 (final) is against Mark Zuber (assistant instructor from our school NDBJJ)

Keenan Cornelius (TLI) Match 2

Keenan Cornelius (TLI) Match 4 or 5?

Being Injured (Popped Ribs) SUCKS!

I've been training BJJ for just over four years now and I've had my fair share of injuries.  I have managed to do the following:

• Hyper-extended thumbs
• Strained groin (borderline hernia)
• Dislocated pinky toe
• Torn MCL
• Fractured orbital
• "Popped" ribs

The popped rib incident happened a week ago from last Monday.  This occurred while trying to escape side mount against a larger rolling partner.  It was definitely not something that happens very often.  In fact I have only popped one rib a while back (again with a larger rolling partner) but it wasn't that bad and healed up in a couple to few weeks.  Well this latest incident involved three popping sounds.  The feeling of having this occur just takes your breath away and hurts like HELL.  I would equate it to getting hit in the ribs with a sledgehammer.  It sucked pretty bad but I've managed to stay on the mats and focus mostly on drilling.  I'd be lying though if I said I've not pushed it a bit too much (errant bumps) and simply trying to roll "light" with larger people....just not a very good recipe for getting healthy.  I got a terrible reminder this morning rolling light with one of the black belts at our gym.  That feeling should last at least a few weeks and remind me not to push it.  I think the biggest problem is twisting the upper body while bearing weight or load from other people.  Unfortunately a large part of my game is playing from various guards and that just isn't a viable option with any sort of resistance.  Should be a good time to get in a ridiculous amount of reps drilling.  

So moving forward I'm going to follow my own advice.

• Stop being a dumb-dumb and train around the injury
• Stop pushing it and let it heal

If you made it this far, here's a really cool match between Caio Terra and one of his friends (co-instructors) Osvaldo Augusto Queixnho from last year.

Interview with Caio Terra

I used to do some writing here and there for TXMMA.com and thought I'd post up an interview I did with Caio Terra last fall. 

September 26, 2011 - A native of Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, Caio originally began training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in 2003 as a way to defend himself from being bullied at school. Although Caio himself was reluctant to train, he caved in to the pressure from his mother who was concerned about his situation. He quickly found a passion for the sport and became very committed to Brazilian
Jiu-Jitsu. He first began training under Ricardo Vieira, Rodrigo Medeiros, Marcelo Ribeiro, and Felipe Costa. Eventually, Caio began training under Grandmaster Paulo Mauricio Strauch and Grandmaster Reyson Gracie. His ability to attend classes was poor at the time and he was only able to manage one class per day. By the time Caio received his promotion to blue-white belt, his motivation was unquestionable and he built a mat system at his house so that he could train multiple times per day. Caio received his black belt under Grandmaster Stauch and Gracie in 2006 after only 3 years of dedicated training. Being awarded a black belt in such a short time frame is very uncommon and an incredible achievement.

In 2007, Caio moved to the United States and today spends most of his time teaching at his school, the Institute of Martial Arts in San Jose, California.
Caio’s initial motivation to travel to the U.S. was to compete in the various large tournaments. His tournament record is incredibly impressive. Caio is a four-time Rio de Janeiro state champion, a       five-time Brazilian National Champion, and thirteen-time World Medalist, but he is also a   three-time International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) Black Belt World No-Gi Champion, capturing the title in 2008, 2009, and 2010. Additionally, he was the IBJJF Black Belt World Champion in 2008 and finished in second place in 2009, 2010, and 2011. Caio continues to regularly compete and add more championship titles to his resume.

He has recently experienced multiple absolute division championships at IBJJF tournaments, which is impressive for an athlete that spends most of his time competing in the Rooster, or Galo weight class. For those unfamiliar with those classes, we are talking about a guy that stands between 5’6” and 5’7” and walks around at 133lbs on a normal day! I find that to be pretty incredible and inspirational to smaller grapplers who are regularly challenged dealing with larger opponents both in the gym and competitions.

Caio recently released a DVD titled 111 Half Guard Techniques. I purchased this DVD back in June and I believe that it is the most comprehensive half guard instructional on the market. The series consists of 3 disks that begin with a focus on the basic concept of playing the half guard game, working out of bad spots, and recovering the half guard. It moves on to cover intermediate through advanced level techniques.
One of the things that impressed me in this series is that nearly every technique provides an option to modify the original move based on the reaction from your opponent. Caio does an excellent job of explaining in detail so that there is a complete understanding of the mechanics of each movement. I found that many instructional videos show a move and do not explore other possible situations that may occur, so I was pleased to find that is not the case with this series. I own instructional DVD’s by other world class Jiu-Jitsu practitioners and they pale in comparison when it comes to the method of instruction they utilize. In my opinion, this DVD set is a gold mine that will keep most grapplers busy working through the material for many months.

I had the opportunity to interview Caio Terra and get the answers most BJJ enthusiasts want to know:

One-on-One Interview with Caio Terra by TXMMA’s by Matt Little

Thank you very much for taking the time to talk to us Caio. First, how old are you?

Caio: I am 25 years old.

What were the circumstances for you coming to the United States?

Caio: I wanted to compete at the 2007 World Championships. (TXMMA note: Caio Terra won silver at this tournament)

Afterwards, I was encouraged by family and friends to stay here to teach in America so I decided to stay. I’ve been here since then.)

Describe your style of BJJ.

Caio: I am patient. I wait for the right moment for whatever technique is needed at the moment.

Do you get nervous during competitions and do you game plan for opponents?

Caio: Yes, I still get nervous but I feel 100% that everyone is also nervous when they compete as well. I do not use any game plan. I’m confident in my abilities and take risks to force my opponent to react.

I know you spend a lot of time teaching at your gym and traveling for seminars all over the U.S. How do you find the time and motivation to prepare for tournaments?

Caio: It is very hard for me to prepare. I’m not a big fan of training terribly hard. With my busy schedule I only train Jiu-Jitsu. I put so much time into the mat and will usually train for two weeks before tournaments. I feel I can trust my technique to help carry me through to the end.

So do do you train at all outside of the mat?

Caio: No, I’m always drilling. No additional conditioning like lifting or cardio. I really feel that some people were born to be very strong and I am not one of those guys. So I just focus on technique through lots of drilling/mat time.

Tell me about how you deal with larger/stronger opponents in the Absolute division you’ve had so much success with.

Caio: In some regards, it’s easier going against bigger guys. Most of the bigger guys are way heavier and stronger. They feel like they have to push the pace and attack. That allows me to play more of a counterattack style, which I prefer. Also, by pushing pace sometimes forces them into making mistakes. When competing at my weight class I have to push the pace as they don’t risk themselves against me.

Earlier this year you were very outspoken about PEDs (Performance Enhancing Drugs) and that you feel many competitors are using them. How widespread do you think this is? Has there been any backlash for those statements?

Caio: I feel that most of the finalists in big tournaments are using them. There was a good amount of backlash for my statements. I see no reason unless you are using them you know? It makes no sense.

Do you have a preference between GI or No-GI grappling?

Caio: I feel I like the gi most of the time. It really depends on what we’re training for. I guess it doesn’t matter. I enjoy both and whatever my friends want to train is usually fine with me.

It is pretty well known you have a strange diet (consumes large amounts of sweets/candy) and it was discussed a bit on your DVD, have you seen a doctor to figure out what is wrong with your diet?

Caio: Yes I did actually. I found out that I am hypoglycemic! I had to make some changes to my diet to help me recover from training. At least I can understand now what is going on but it’s still difficult. I don’t over train as much now.

So ADCC is right around the corner in London. I was shocked and disappointed that you were not on the competitor list having recently won the 2009 & 2010 World Nogi Championships (IBJJF). Why is that?

Caio: I felt like it was ridiculous. I had been battling some injuries and always said I would have to play it by ear. I never received an invitation to compete at ADCC. Guys like Rafael Mendes need competition. They keep inviting the same guys every year. I have never competed against some of these guys like Mendes and Cobrinha and would like to while they are still in their prime.

 

 

 

 

 

With that said, who are your picks to win in each respective division?

Caio’s ADCC 2011 Predictions

Under 65.9kg► Rafael Mendes or Cobrinha

Under 76.9kg► Marcelo Garcia

Under 87.9kg► Andre Galvao

Under 98.9kg► Roger Gracie if he competes, otherwise Rodolfo Viera.

+99kg► Vinny Magalhaes or Fabricio Werdum

Under 60kg (women)► No comment

Over 60kg (women)► Hannette Staack

Who are your favorite grapplers to watch?

Caio: I really like to watch my teammates compete because I have an emotional attachment to those matches.

Who are your favorite MMA fighters to watch?

Caio: Nick Diaz, Jake Shields, Gilbert Melendez…all Gracie Fighters of course!

With the success of your Half Guard DVD series, do you have plans to release any future DVD’s?

Caio: I can’t talk about any specifics now but I do have plans and it will be out sooner than most would expect.

(Note:  The future he plans he was hinting at was his relationship with Black Belt Mobile and the release of his new DVD: Modern Jiu-Jitsu)

Do you have any plans to visit Texas for a seminar?

Caio: I was supposed to come out for a seminar a while back but plans fell through. I’d love to come visit Texas but waiting for an invite.

With that, we conclude our conversation with Caio Terra. We look forward to seeing what the future has in store for him as he is definitely a world class Jiu-Jitsu practitioner and has a lot to offer the grappling community with his technical ability and instruction in addition to what how he’s able to perform in competition. Please visit his website for information on booking private lessons and seminars, and of course to purchase his instructional DVD’s , including his most recent 3-disc release, 111 Half Guard Techniques.