This week’s episode of The FightWorks Podcast is very unique. To start, we are very fortunate to bring you an interview with one of Brazilian jiu-jitsu’s favorite personalities and most successful competitors, Marcelo Garcia. Garcia, a world champion in International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation competition as well as the Abu Dhabi Combat Club, recently has made some big changes. Not only has he returned to New York City, where he’s opened a new school, but he has begun offering BJJ instruction online at MGinAction.com with assistance from Josh Waitzkin, a brown belt in BJJ under Garcia and a decorated chess player on the global level. I have wanted to bring Garcia on our show for a very long time so I am especially grateful to FightWorks Podcast contributor Christian Simamora for bringing us this interview.

Secondly and no less exciting is a conversation with Relson Gracie! Relson is the second son of Helio Gracie and a red and black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Undefeated for 22 years in Brazil, Relson earned the nickname “Campeao”. These days Relson has a large association of jiu-jitsu schools and devotes his time to teaching his father’s jiu-jitsu to others. Conversations with Relson are always lively so try to keep up!

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Relson Gracie and cohost Dan.

As usual, this week’s poll comes directly from a suggestion we received from a member of the Mighty 600,000, Jon in North Carolina. Jon wonders what the attitude is among the significant others of BJJ folks regarding our training obsessions. A while back we had a revealing episode about how some wives and girlfriends feel about their Brazilian jiu-jitsu guys’ training, but I think this is a good way to measure the pulse of the community instead of a handful of ladies who I was able to bring together for that show.

So grab that special someone in your life and do like Elwood Blues says: “Love him, please him, squeeze her, please her, hold her; Squeeze and please that person, give ‘em all your love”. And then get back to training!

Jon, thanks for the poll idea and thanks again for coming out to the 2009 Pre-Mundials Coffee!

Well now SulTatame is saying that beginning at 10AM on this coming Sunday November 22 the 2009 South American Jiu-Jitsu Championship will be available free on their website available this Sunday!

The South American Championships are taking place in Santa Catarina, Brazil. Where is Santa Catarina? Most of us, including myself, have never really heard of Santa Catarina. It turns out that by car Santa Catarina is just over eight hours south of Sao Paulo. It’s also thirteen and a half hours from Rio de Janeiro! Whoa!

I’m guessing that because of its location, the distance to the major BJJ hubs in Brazil is going to preclude some of the competitors we like to watch from putting this event on their calendar. I checked the brackets over on the CBJJ website (that’s the Brazilian arm of the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation) and I do not recognize many names in the male adult black belt division except for Mario Reis and Bruno Frazatto (both are very tough guys who are a blast to watch at the Mundials).

But let’s not forget what is happening here: if the Sul Tatame website is to be believed (and because they’re new to me at least, I have no reason to doubt them), we have the pleasure of watching very high end BJJ direct from Brazil – live online for free. That is a first, as far as I know. So if you don’t have plans on Sunday (other than listening to our new show ) I recommend tuning in to the broadcast.

Are we getting spoiled? Will this sort of thing not be news soon? Are we just going to expect that the big events are streamed online for free?

I sure hope so.

I had decided to compete in the NAGA North American Grappling Championships in Newark, NJ, along with two of my teammates. I had packed food, water, my video camera, and a pillow. I felt reasonably prepared, despite having slept poorly the night before. The women’s no-gi was scheduled to begin at 10:30, and we had about a two and a half hour ride to get up there, forcing me to wake up far earlier than I would like to on a Saturday.

We met at our academy, and began the trek up the NJ turnpike, making good time despite the poor weather. We arrived at the venue at about 10:00 in the morning, to find convenient parking near the gymnasium. Although I hadn’t pre-registered I only had a brief wait in line to get signed in. Also people who registered at the door paid the same as those who pre-registered, which was nice for me. Weigh-ins were equally smooth, although I could see a longer line begin to form behind me. We had missed the rules meeting, and some matches had already begun, which surprised me. The event seemed to start more or less on time.

The venue was probably the largest I had been to for a grappling competition. There were 12 rings that were in use the entire time we were there. Scoreboards were electronic and easy to read. The PA system was loud and clear. There were the typical vendors and concessions.

According to the announcer there were about 1,200 registered competitors, and the high volume did seem to bog down the progress of the divisions somewhat. In particular the one ring devoted to the lady’s divisions seemed to be going slowly. NAGA did seem to be doing their best to keep things running as scheduled, deducting two points from you if they had to call your name over the loudspeaker. They also made a point of keeping coaches a safe distance to the side of the mat, a pet peeve of mine.

I wasn’t crazy about the strange rules that NAGA uses for no-gi, but I don’t do no-gi so it wasn’t an issue for me. I do thing that allowing leg locks in beginner’s divisions is inadvisable however. The only rule issue I had personally was that blue belt matches were only five minutes long, and I had trained for six. Others in my division were not so fortunate however. There appeared to be some heated debates as to what constituted “reaping the knee”. The ref in my ring (ring 2), did a good job explaining his decisions in a calm manner, and even used a spectator’s video to replay and review his decision. One competitor who went for a straight ankle lock let his foot cross the line of the hip and was immediately disqualified. Overall I was very impressed with my ref. He appeared attentive and calm the entire time.

It was a long and grueling day, but overall this NAGA was run much more smoothly than any tournament of this size I have been to. The large number of rings, professionalism of the staff, and the fact that they split the kids and teens division into a separate day allowed us to get on our way by about 6:30. I think all tournaments should move the kids and teens to a separate day. Hopefully this trend of quality tournaments will continue.

- Caleb

by Seymour Yang

The very first Kent BJJ Open in 2008 was a roaring success. Competitors and spectators spoke highly of last year’s tournament – so anticipation for this year’s event was sky high. And the organisors did not disappoint. One week before the actual event, competitor names and divisions were already posted on the internet, and three days prior, all fight times and mat placements were already announced. With just under 400 competitors attending, it was a superb testament to the level of organisation that went on behind the scenes.

The Kent BJJ Open was originated by the UK’s Carlson Gracie BJJ Revolution Team. The organisors were keen to establish the event as a competition created by fighters, for fighters. Simon Hayes, one of the organisors, told me that he felt some competitions in the UK were poorly run and his team wanted to give a good example to the outside world, and to BJJ participants, of how to run a tournament professionally, and he credited co-instructor Dickie Martin as the ‘brains’ behind the event.

The event was divided over two days (Saturday for white belts, Sunday for all other belts). Considering the extra financial burden that two-days worth of hall hire would encompass, entry fees were kept as low as possible and the weekend spread meant everything ran on time and finished at a decent hour.

More importantly, the organisors felt that everyone should be allowed to have at least two fights on the day, hence the introduction of the repechage system to win bronze. In a system borrowed from judo tournaments, the BJJ reperchage was trialled last year to much acclaim – all non-finalists in their division were able to fight for the bronze medal, adding genuine value to a podium placement.

The Dartford judo club is an Olympic standard judo training facility designed to host the 2012 British Olympic judo team. It was an honour to compete within this up-to-date sports stadium. The facilities are of international standard and for a few hours, everyone felt like they were Olympic superstars.

Saturday hosted all the white belt matches. I did not attend this day so can only comment that with around 200 participants, it was clearly a popular tournament for first-timers and more experienced novices alike. Sometimes tournaments can seem an intimidating experience for newcomers to the sport, and a day just for white belts is a nice touch.

The following day hosted all the coloured belt matches. It was a packed schedule with four mats in constant action. The table staff, ushers, referees and all the team who had roles to play running the event, did their job brilliantly. There was no ‘dead’ time as one fight ended, another began immediately. The tight time-table meant that if you missed your call-out, you got dq’ed. The PA announcements was loud and very clear.

Of course a good stadium is nothing without some good fights, and the competitors who attended this weekend did not disappoint. I saw some fantastic tussles from the super feathers all the way to the heavy brown belts. It seems the combatants were inspired by the surroundings and by the huge Carlson Gracie fighting ethic (whether you were a Carlson team member or not!).

If I had to pick one division that generated a lot of attention, I would say the womens blue absolute was interesting to watch. Notably for the inclusion of British judo gold medallist Samantha Lowe. Standing head a shoulders above all the other ladies, the Carlson Gracie BJJ fighter used solid, basic jiu-jitsu to nullify her opponents to win gold in her weight and in the absolute.

A shout out should also go to the mens blue under 76kg division as I witnessed some oustandingly athletic and technically adept matches, especially the young Ross Nicholls, representing Pedro Bessa BJJ, who won this division.

After its second successful year in existence, the Kent Open has firmly established itself as one of the major ‘must-do’ tournaments in the UK. Judging from the post-tournament buzz and chatter, participants, myself included, are eagerly anticipating next year’s event.

- Caleb

A few weeks ago on our humble BJJ internet radio show, I read an email from one of the Mighty 600,000 asking whether he thought it was possible for his young son to receive sponsorship to offset the expense of all the tournaments the son competes in. About 4 days ago, a BJJ person out there tried to leave a comment on our site which read, “Hello my name is Andrew and I am looking for any kind of Sponser (sic) that is interested I am a blue belt Under [names redacted] in BJJ please anyone that is interested plese (sic) email me”. Needless to say, there is a wide range of curiousity in the Brazilian jiu-jitsu community about how to get others to pay for us to train BJJ. I mean, if these are lower ranking belts who are expressing this curiosity, just imagine how it must weigh on the minds of BJJ black belts!

Well as usual we are here for you, Family! This time around we bring you an interview with Tren Long, who is a purple belt in BJJ. Tren grew up in the competitive kayaking circuit and eventually made it to the highest ranks of global kayaking competition. Along the way, he learned how to approach businesses and organizations to provide financial support for his kayaking activities. Tren shares some strategies and tactics for getting sponsorships if you’re serious about it. Hey it’s not always about having the sharpest technique on the mat but having some business skills!

This episode also contains the normal jiu-jitsu talk between cohost Dan and I. We’ll review the most recent BJJ Poll, answer an email from you guys and a voicemail or two to boot.

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The idea for this week’s BJJ Poll came to us from one of the Mighty 600,000. He wrote us here at The FightWorks Podcast headquarters in San Diego and put it better than I might be able to so I’ll just pass along his comments:

After participating in a handful of jiu-jitsu tournaments over the last couple years and having been around a gym since the mid-1980s, I’ve come to learn what type of physiques are natural and what types are suspect. However, even a trained eye cannot always be 100% sure who is taking what substance and who isn’t, or who has worked hard in the gym and is equally gifted with great genetics. But sometimes you see someone and it just doesn’t look right. This has gotten me thinking, are performance enhancing substances – the kind you need a doctor’s prescrition for – an issue in jiu-jitsu competitions? Should there be some form of testing?

So what do you think, Family? It’s a very touchy subject indeed but I am very sure you have thoughts on the matter. Sound off! Vote in the poll above, leave a comment below, or even call us at 877-247-4662 and leave us a message we can use in an upcoming show!

The story starts 2 1/2 yrs ago in Columbus, Ohio. One of my friends said to me at the gym, “Hey why don’t you try jiu jitsu with me?” He was a blue belt under Relson Gracie South Columbus School! I said I would try it, one thing led to another, and the next night I bought a $150 dollar gi from Koral, I was going 2-3 times a week!

Three months later I did my first tournament. It was a NAGA BJJ tournament and I lost my first match on points! I kept training for an additional 2 months then I got a pretty bad ankle injury playing football. I quit going to heal the ankle and to focus on college. I pick the story back up 8 months ago. I went to the Arnold Fitness expo, and I saw the BJJ tournament and the next day I was back training like a mad man, but still only going 2-3 days a week! I asked one of the higher ranking belts what I was doing wrong, why was my progression not going as fast as I wanted. He said, “Jason you’re not rolling enough.” After that I started going 5-6 days a week! I was ready to do a tournament now, but oh no, I hurt my stupid foot again playing that stupid football! I already payed 50 dollars for the tournament too, and to top it off, Relson Gracie was coming to town to do a seminar. I thought, “This sucks!”

I told my instructor Tracy Hopkins that I would be there but I would not participate! He said “no, no, I need you on the mat Jason.” At that moment I had a sneaky feeling something good was going to happen! The day of the seminar, I am getting text messages from my class mates saying that they think I am getting promoted to blue belt! Well it happened! At that time I was a month and a half out from my tournament!

Fast forward that a month and a half, and I am at the 1ST Ohio Brazilian Jiu jitsu and Submission Grappling Championships, in Pickerington, Ohio! The tournament was run well; the turnout was pretty good as well! If I had to guess, I would guess about 75 competitors, ranging from white belt, to brown belt, it was a very nice turn out of belt diversity. I felt the rules were communicated well, and I did not see anyone intentionally break any of the rules! I was rolling in the light weight division of 150-164 pound division; I weighed in at about 163.4 pounds! All the tables were moving fast, well all except mine. We had the purple belt and up division at our table, and I swear there were like 15-20 competitors in that one alone! I thought we would be there all day, but the ring announcer called us to another table, so we would not have to wait any longer. We were waiting for 2 ½ hours to roll! So I was in the 3rd pairing in my division, we had a good amount of position changes, most of them good for him, but I am used to that! Then it happened he mounted me, but I reversed it real quick into his guard, he tried to choke me, but I thwarted that attempt! I got stuck in his guard, and he won on points! I was not nervous the entire time waiting to roll, but as soon as he touched my gi, I got a little nervous, and then the adrenaline kicked in, and about a minute or two into it I felt winded, but I knew I was in good shape. I would roll for about 2 hours on Saturdays and Sundays! After the roll, I felt great to just do it, I have really bad anxiety too, so this was a huge accomplishment for myself! I will be doing another tournament soon too, so when I do it I will write you again.

All in all, I would recommend this tournament for everyone, it was small enough for a beginner to get their feet wet, but big enough for the higher belt classes to get tested!

p.s. I lost to the guy who won my weight division! That made me feel a little better.

- Caleb

This week on The FightWorks Podcast, Bruce Hoyer supercontributor interviews:

• Josh Barnett on his appearance at the 2009 No Gi Jiu Jitsu World Championship
• Renato Tavares about the 2010 Abu Dhabi Pro, the gi competition with big prize money for competitors
• Team Quest’s Pancho regarding his knee injury

Remember that you can watch the 2009 No Gi Jiu Jitsu World Championship streamed live on nogi.com today!

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I think most folks who have followed the FightWorks Podcast for a while know my answer to this one! This poll comes to us courtesy of one of the earliest members of the Mighty 600,000, Ross!

“They want to know where I got my black belt? I got my black belt from all the other black belts who I’ve passed out and made scream over the years. That’s where I earned it.”

According to the brackets that the IBJJF has posted, Barnett’s first oppponent will be Andre de Freitas of Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. de Freitas is very tough, but Barnett will be looking to come out and make a point in his first match, so it should be very entertaining.

Make sure you tune in to this coming Sunday’s show to hear the rest of the conversation with Josh, and don’t forget also that the 2009 NoGi Worlds will be streamed live online on nogi.com on Sunday as well! Other big names who will be competing include Roberto Tousa Alencar, Rafael Lovato Jr., Pablo Popovitch, Romulo Barral, Daniel Moraes, Mike Fowler, JT Torres, Lucas Leite… the list goes on forever!

Gabriel Vella’s name is not likely to bring warm and fuzzy thoughts to his opponents in the ultra heavyweight division. Like most Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt competitors, Vella is smiling and relaxed off the mats, but once the referee signals “combate!“, the easygoing character becomes one of the most formidable challenges in the world of BJJ. This image of Flavio Almeida after his 2008 encounter with Vella sums up the the difficulties of going against this perennial pesadissimo medalist.

On Tuesday GracieMag.com reported that Gabriel Vella had left Alliance, the jiu-jitsu competition team that – with his help – won the 2009 World Championship team title for male competitors. We contacted Fabio Gurgel, the leader of Alliance Jiu-Jitsu in Brazil, to get a little more information about the departure of this very valuable team mate, who will now likely return to his roots and compete again under the Gracie Barra flag.

The FightWorks Podcast: Hello Fabio. What can you tell us about Gabriel Vella leaving Alliance? Vella has been a reliable medalist for Alliance in the black belt pessadissimo division for some time. How does this affect Alliance’s strategy in major competitions? Does Alliance have another black belt ready in that weight division?

Fabio Gurgel: About Vella, unfortunately he decided to move away, there was nothing that I could do to change his mind, it was a big loss for the team as a great competitor that he is, but in other hand it create a spot for news talents thats coming up, of course Alliance will have someone to take his place, not forgetting that we already have Leonardo Leite in pesadissimo.

The FightWorks Podcast: You recently reflected on what your 20 years as a black belt have been like on your website. What do you see happening in the next 20 years for Alliance?

Fabio Gurgel: 20 years of black belt, it has been a long journey so far, however it is still far away to the point that i see Alliance in the future, next 20 years? I hope I’m still here doing what I love to do.

The FightWorks Podcast: Any other news from Alliance in Sao Paulo that you think our audience would like to know?

Fabio Gurgel: We are working very hard here preparing the team for the next season, Europeans is our next goal, among other things that we working on in order to organize the school even better.

The FightWorks Podcast: Thank you for your time Fabio!

Fabio Gurgel: big hug

Gabriel Vella’s hand is raised as he defeats Rodrigo Cavaca (CheckMat BJJ) and wins the gold at the 2009 Mundials.

by Jon Broster

Following on from his double victory at the recent Abu Dhabi Combat Club World Submission Wrestling Championship, it was time for Gacie Barra’s Braulio Estima to host his own No Gi tournament.

This was by far Britain’s biggest No Gi event this year, with around 400 competitors in divisions from white to black belt and children through to seniors. The event built on the success of Braulio’s BJJ British Open that was held in the spring and ran very smoothly, with divisions running very punctually and being very clearly announced. Whilst attendance was significantly less than the BJJ Open (which saw over 700 competitors) it was good to see strong teams fielded by the country’s bigger schools – Roger Gracie Academy, GB Birmingham, GB Swansea as well as quite a number of participants from MMA gyms, who would probably not normally enter BJJ competitions. In order to give a relatively level playing field, the divisions were based on the amount of time spent training (rather than the actual belt level per se); as a result, some people were forced to compete above their normal division, (so a blue belt who had been training for more than 3 years would have had to enter the purple belt division).

The venue, the University of Wolverhampton sports centre, was excellent. The central location makes it easily accessible and the facilities were modern and well maintained. There was plenty of seating and plenty of room for spectators; in addition, there was a viewing gallery with a café for anyone who wanted a change of view and something to eat or drink.

The atmosphere was great throughout the day, with spectators cheering good performance from all those involved.

The level of competition in Britain continues to rise and this event was no exception. There were some excellent performances at all levels. It was particularly nice to see a fantastic level of athleticism and technique in the youth divisions, with several boys who looked like they would be more than capable of holding their own with, and probably beating, adults. Every division was fiercely contested, with play-offs for third place meaning that everyone who won a medal richly deserved.

In summary, this was an excellent event, whether for the experienced campaigner or the relative newcomer.

- Caleb

Wolverhampton University sports centre

Braulio Estima

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.

ABSOLUTE
ELITE ABSOLUTE GOLD NICK GREGORIADES RGA
ELITE ABSOLUTE SILVER LUCIANO CRISTOVAN RGA
ELITE ABSOLUTE BRONZE NORBERT NOWAK BRAULIO ESTIMA

ADVANCED ABSOLUTE GOLD LUKE COSTELLO BRAULIO ESTIMA
ADVANCED ABSOLUTE SILVER NATHAN ROBERTS BRAULIO ESTIMA
ADVANCED ABSOLUTE BRONZE PADDY CARMODY BRAULIO ESTIMA

INTERMEDIATE ABSOLUTE GOLD MATT STEVENS GB BATH
INTERMEDIATE ABSOLUTE SILVER CHRIS BOWE BRAULIO ESTIMA
INTERMEDIATE ABSOLUTE BRONZE RENALDO EDMONDSON BRAULIO ESTIMA

BEGINNER ABSOLUTE GOLD ADRIAN TWEED BRAULIO ESTIMA
BEGINNER ABSOLUTE SILVER STEVE BORDE INDEPENDENT
BEGINNER ABSOLUTE BRONZE AARON OWEN BRAULIO ESTIMA

ELITE DIVISIONS
ELITE FEATHER GOLD TOMAS BARLOW BRAULIO ESTIMA
ELITE FEATHER SILVER KEV CAPEL RGA
ELITE MEDIUM HEAVY ADULT GOLD NICK GREGORIADES RGA
ELITE MEDIUM HEAVY ADULT SILVER LUCIANO CHRISTOVAN RGA
ELITE MEDIUM HEAVY ADULT BRONZE NORBERT NOWAK BRAULIO ESTIMA
ELITE MIDDLE ADULT GOLD EDUARDO AZEVEDO CHECKMAT
ELITE MIDDLE ADULT SILVER MARCO CANHA RGA
ELITE MIDDLE ADULT BRONZE HANDRE PETERS GB CAMBRIDGE
ELITE SUPER HEAVY ADULT/MASTER GOLD PIOTR KAPRAL BRAULIO ESTIMA
ELITE SUPER HEAVY ADULT/MASTER SILVER RYAN ROBINSON CARLSON GRACIE
ELITE SUPER HEAVY ADULT/MASTER BRONZE GREG CREEL PEDRO BESSA

ADVANCED DIVISIONS
ADVANCED FEATHER ADULT GOLD AARON AY-YEUNG BRAULIO ESTIMA
ADVANCED FEATHER ADULT SILVER ADAM WATTS CARLSON GRACIE
ADVANCED FEATHER ADULT BRONZE PAUL JANEW BRAULIO ESTIMA
ADVANCED LIGHT ADULT GOLD OLIVER GEDDES RGA
ADVANCED LIGHT ADULT SILVER STEPHEN MARTIN BRAULIO ESTIMA
ADVANCED LIGHT ADULT BRONZE DANIEL STRAUSS RGA
ADVANCED LIGHT MASTER/SENIOR GOLD NATHAN ROBERTS BRAULIO ESTIMA
ADVANCED LIGHT MASTER/SENIOR SILVER SIMON MCGOVEN GB STOKE
ADVANCED LIGHT MASTER/SENIOR BRONZE JASON TRIPP GB BATH
ADVANCED MEDIUM HEAVY ADULT GOLD LUKE COSTELLO BRAULIO ESTIMA
ADVANCED MEDIUM HEAVY ADULT SILVER ROB WESTNEY EC BJJ
ADVANCED MEDIUM HEAVY ADULT BRONZE STUART GWILT BRAULIO ESTIMA
ADVANCED MEDIUM HEAVY ADULT BRONZE CRAIG TETLEY BRAULIO ESTIMA
ADVANCED MIDDLE ADULT GOLD PADDY CARMODY BRAULIO ESTIMA
ADVANCED MIDDLE ADULT SILVER DARRAGH O’CONAIL NEXT GENERATION IRELAND
ADVANCED MIDDLE ADULT BRONZE SEAN SMITH BRAULIO ESTIMA
ADVANCED MIDDLE MASTER/SENIOR GOLD SCOTT PICKERING TEAM SUCATA

ADVANCED FEMALE
ADVANCED FEMALE ADULT +63KG GOLD CAMILA HANSEN EK BJJ
ADVANCED FEMALE ADULT +63KG SILVER CHRISTINE MCDONAGH BRAULIO ESTIMA
ADVANCED FEMALE ADULT +63KG BRONZE CAROLINE HANSEN EK BJJ

INTERMEDIATE DIVISIONS
INTERMEDIATE FEATHER ADULT GOLD JAN WALLOS EC BJJ
INTERMEDIATE FEATHER ADULT SILVER ASHLEY WILLIAMS BRAULIO ESTIMA
INTERMEDIATE FEATHER ADULT BRONZE DAVID PRESCOTT GB LAGARTO
INTERMEDIATE FEATHER ADULT BRONZE ROBBIE FALLON GB LAGARTO
INTERMEDIATE FEATHER MASTER/SENIOR GOLD DANIEL JONES RGA
INTERMEDIATE FEATHER MASTER/SENIOR SILVER CAIO ROCHA RGA
INTERMEDIATE FEATHER MASTER/SENIOR BRONZE GLEN AKWEI RGA MH
INTERMEDIATE HEAVY ADULT GOLD CHRIS REGAN BRAULIO ESTIMA
INTERMEDIATE HEAVY ADULT SILVER ANHONY JONES MMA ACADEMY
INTERMEDIATE HEAVY ADULT BRONZE LAWRENCE DUTTON GB LAGARTO
INTERMEDIATE HEAVY MASTER/SENIOR GOLD SAHID KAMLICHI BRAULIO ESTIMA
INTERMEDIATE HEAVY MASTER/SENIOR SILVER STUART CLOWES BRAULIO ESTIMA
INTERMEDIATE HEAVY MASTER/SENIOR BRONZE NIALL LAWLESS BRAULIO ESTIMA
INTERMEDIATE LIGHT ADULT GOLD JACK CROIN CHECKMAT
INTERMEDIATE LIGHT ADULT SILVER DIEGO VITAL CHECKMAT
INTERMEDIATE LIGHT ADULT BRONZE JEPPE BOELSMAND SHOOTERS MMA
INTERMEDIATE LIGHT MASTER/SENIOR GOLD VICTOR FRONTCZAK EC BJJ
INTERMEDIATE LIGHT MASTER/SENIOR SILVER DARREN DOBBINS BRAULIO ESTIMA
INTERMEDIATE LIGHT MASTER/SENIOR BRONZE KAMRAN ALI BRAULIO ESTIMA
INTERMEDIATE MEDIUM HEAVY ADULT GOLD MARTINS LUKINS BJJ SCHOOL
INTERMEDIATE MEDIUM HEAVY ADULT SILVER SCOTT WARD DINKY NINJAS/MARCOS NARDINI
INTERMEDIATE MEDIUM HEAVY ADULT BRONZE STUART COOPER GB LAGARTO
INTERMEDIATE MEDIUM HEAVY MASTER GOLD ARTUR PURGAL POLISH CLUB FIGHT
INTERMEDIATE MEDIUM HEAVY MASTER SILVER MATTHEW COX BRAULIO ESTIMA
INTERMEDIATE MEDIUM HEAVY MASTER BRONZE SAN BANGHOA BRAULIO ESTIMA
INTERMEDIATE MIDDLE ADULT GOLD DAVID KHOZA RGA
INTERMEDIATE MIDDLE ADULT SILVER ANDREW SMITH GB LAGARTO
INTERMEDIATE MIDDLE ADULT BRONZE ARTURS CERNAVSKI BJJ SCHOOL
INTERMEDIATE MIDDLE MASTER/SENIOR GOLD MAREK KWESZEWSKI BRAULIO ESTIMA
INTERMEDIATE MIDDLE MASTER/SENIOR SILVER IAN FINCH BRAULIO ESTIMA
INTERMEDIATE MIDDLE MASTER/SENIOR BRONZE CLINT JONES RGA MH
INTERMEDIATE SUPER HEAVY ADULT GOLD CHRISTOPHER BOWE BRAULIO ESTIMA
INTERMEDIATE SUPER HEAVY ADULT SILVER RONAN FLEMING ITALO FERREIRA
INTERMEDIATE SUPER HEAVY ADULT BRONZE MATTHEW ROONEY STEVE CAMPBELL BJJ
INTERMEDIATE SUPER HEAVY MASTER/SENIOR GOLD JASON LEADBEATER BRAULIO ESTIMA
INTERMEDIATE SUPER HEAVY MASTER/SENIOR SILVER CHARLIE HALIWELL MMA GLADIATOR
INTERMEDIATE SUPER HEAVY MASTER/SENIOR BRONZE TREVOR TEALE LION FIGHT COMPANY
INTERMEDIATE SUPER SUPER HEAVY ADULT GOLD MATT STEVENS GB BATH
INTERMEDIATE SUPER SUPER HEAVY ADULT SILVER RADU DUMETRESCO INDEPENDENT

BEGINNER DIVISIONS
BEGINNER FEATHER ADULT GOLD DAVID HYDE COMBAT ACADEMY
BEGINNER FEATHER ADULT SILVER CARL HOLMES BRAULIO ESTIMA
BEGINNER FEATHER ADULT BRONZE DAVID WOSMAN BRAULIO ESTIMA
BEGINNER HEAVY ADULT GOLD WILL BOURNE BRAULIO ESTIMA
BEGINNER HEAVY ADULT SILVER CHRIS SHOREY BRAULIO ESTIMA
BEGINNER HEAVY ADULT BRONZE ANDREW HAZELL BRAULIO ESTIMA
BEGINNER HEAVY MASTER/SENIOR GOLD ADRIAN TWEED BRAULIO ESTIMA
BEGINNER HEAVY MASTER/SENIOR SILVER MARCO CRISPINI LUMPINI
BEGINNER HEAVY MASTER/SENIOR BRONZE AFTAB KHAN BRAULIO ESTIMA
BEGINNER LIGHT ADULT GOLD AARON OWEN BRAULIO ESTIMA
BEGINNER LIGHT ADULT SILVER DANIEL LAMBERT RGA
BEGINNER LIGHT ADULT BRONZE RICHARD WARD BRAULIO ESTIMA
BEGINNER LIGHT MASTER/SENIOR GOLD CESLAV DEDELS KO MMA
BEGINNER LIGHT MASTER/SENIOR SILVER STEVE FAGE RGA
BEGINNER LIGHT MASTER/SENIOR BRONZE STEVE HANSON BRAULIO ESTIMA
BEGINNER MEDIUM HEAVY ADULT GOLD JOHN ROBINSON BRAULIO ESTIMA
BEGINNER MEDIUM HEAVY ADULT SILVER MATT NAZAR BRAULIO ESTIMA
BEGINNER MEDIUM HEAVY ADULT BRONZE CHRISTIAN SMITH PEDRO BESSA
BEGINNER MEDIUM HEAVY MASTER/SENIOR GOLD PERRY JONES RGA
BEGINNER MEDIUM HEAVY MASTER/SENIOR SILVER CARL BUNN BRAULIO ESTIMA
BEGINNER MEDIUM HEAVY MASTER/SENIOR BRONZE MICHAEL THORNE BRAULIO ESTIMA
BEGINNER MIDDLE ADULT GOLD ANDREW TUERJANOWIC CHECKMAT
BEGINNER MIDDLE ADULT SILVER NATHAN SHETTY KO MMA
BEGINNER MIDDLE ADULT BRONZE RICHARD EDWARDS BRAULIO ESTIMA
BEGINNER MIDDLE MASTER/SENIOR GOLD TREVOR HOPKINS RGA
BEGINNER MIDDLE MASTER/SENIOR SILVER JOHNNY IVEY RGA
BEGINNER MIDDLE MASTER/SENIOR BRONZE MATTHEW DUNCAN JONES BRAULIO ESTIMA
BEGINNER SUPER FEATHER ADULT GOLD SEAN MCDONAGH BRAULIO ESTIMA
BEGINNER SUPER FEATHER ADULT SILVER AKIB MALIK BRAULIO ESTIMA
BEGINNER SUPER FEATHER MASTER/SENIOR GOLD JAMES O’KEEFE ULTIMATE FITNESS CENTRE
BEGINNER SUPER FEATHER MASTER/SENIOR SILVER MUZZKUR MULANA CHECKMAT
BEGINNER SUPER HEAVY MASTER/SENIOR GOLD KRIS LEWIS BRAULIO ESTIMA
BEGINNER SUPER HEAVY MASTER/SENIOR SILVER DAVID MINTO STEVE CAMPBELL BJJ
BEGINNER SUPER HEAVY MASTER/SENIOR BRONZE JUSTIN KENT NOVAGEN
BEGINNER SUPER SUPER HEAVY ADULT/MASTER GOLD SAM HOOKER BRAULIO ESTIMA
BEGINNER SUPER SUPER HEAVY ADULT/MASTER SILVER STEVEN BORDE BRAULIO ESTIMA
BEGINNER SUPER SUPER HEAVY ADULT/MASTER BRONZE PHILL CLEGG BRAULIO ESTIMA

FEMALE DIVISIONS
FEMALE ADULT LIGHT/MIDDLE GOLD JEAN MILNE BRAULIO ESTIMA
FEMALE ADULT LIGHT/MIDDLE SILVER RACHEL PASSFIELD RGA
FEMALE ADULT SUPER FEATHER/FEATHER GOLD SIMONA SOUKUPOVA KO MMA
FEMALE ADULT SUPER FEATHER/FEATHER SILVER ROSIE ATWOOD BRAULIO ESTIMA
FEMALE ADULT SUPER FEATHER/FEATHER BRONZE PAULA FLUGGE GB BATH

JUNIORS/JUVENILE/ TEENS
FEMALE JUNIORS -56,499KG GOLD MOLLIE BAXTER BRAULIO ESTIMA

JUNIOR 37KG GOLD ELLISON TIPTON BRAULIO ESTIMA
JUNIOR 37KG SILVER DIOGO MACHADO GB CAMBRIDGE

JUNIOR 51KG TO 56KG GOLD ELLISON BAGGOT BRAULIO ESTIMA
JUNIOR 51KG TO 56KG SILVER MASSIMO CASALI BRAULIO ESTIMA
JUNIOR 51KG TO 56KG BRONZE JAKE LEE LION FIGHT COMPANY

JUVENILE 67KG GOLD ASHLEY WILLIAMS BRAULIO ESTIMA
JUVENILE 67KG SILVER JOSHUA WILLIAMS BRAULIO ESTIMA
JUVENILE 67KG BRONZE CALLUM SIDDONS GB BATH

TEENS 71KG TO 76KG GOLD PETER ADAMS BRAULIO ESTIMA
TEENS 71KG TO 76KG SILVER MARC NEWELL BRAULIO ESTIMA
TEENS 71KG TO 76KG BRONZE MATTHEW HANCOCK EXETER BJJ

TEENS ROOSTER GOLD GIORDANO GAMBINO GB BATH
TEENS ROOSTER SILVER NAFIS HUSSEN INDEPENDENT
TEENS ROOSTER BRONZE MOGHE LAWLESS BRAULIO ESTIMA

TEAM SCORES
Academy points
BRAULIO ESTIMA Total 316
RGA Total 91
CHECKMAT Total 33
GB BATH Total 30
EC BJJ Total 21
KO MMA Total 21
BJJ SCHOOL Total 10
EK BJJ Total 10
COMBAT ACADEMY Total 9
POLISH CLUB FIGHT Total 9
TEAM SUCATA Total 9
ULTIMATE FITNESS CENTRE Total 9
GB LAGARTO Total 7
CARLSON GRACIE Total 6
INDEPENDENT Total 6
GB CAMBRIDGE Total 4
STEVE CAMPBELL BJJ Total 4
DINKY NINJAS/MARCOS NARDINI Total 3
GB STOKE Total 3
ITALO FERREIRA Total 3
LUMPINI Total 3
MMA ACADEMY Total 3
MMA GLADIATOR Total 3
NEXT GENERATION IRELAND Total 3
LION FIGHT COMPANY Total 2
PEDRO BESSA Total 2
RGA MH Total 2
EXETER BJJ Total 1
NOVAGEN Total 1
SHOOTERS MMA Total 1

Silvio Braga is a 2nd degree black belt under Gracie Barra, and now resides in Hong Kong, a city hungry for Brazilian jiu-jitsu. This week on the FightWorks Podcast we present an interview with Braga that took place over the summer when our cohost Dan traveled to China to cover the Art of War event.

We will also review the results of our most recent BJJ Poll, as well as answer an email from a member of the Mighty 600,000 about knee injuries (including my own!).

[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (recommended)
[mp3] Download the show

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!

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!

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:

• 2008 BJJ No Gi World Championships
• 2007 BJJ No Gi World Championships

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)
[mp3] Download the show

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.

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!