9 Aug/Sep 2012

GETTING PAID TO COMPETE!

p10

NUTRITION, CONDITION, TECHNIQUE, SUBMIT

PASS

ANY TEST

Four Diets

EXAMINED

PASSING GUARD WITH

RODOLFO VIEIRA

Kids

BREAK DOWN:

KNEE BARS What You Kneed To Know

BJJ

in

2012 Worlds In

D THE LEGEN SECRETS IS SHARES H

PROTEIN IN DETAIL

TRAIN AT THE NEXT LEVEL WITH INTERVALS! Cover 9.indd 1

$6.99 US/CAN

PEDRO SAUER

AUG/SEPT 2012 / ISSUE 09 • JIUJITSUMAG.COM

PICTURES

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CONTENTS Aug-Sept 2012 // Issue 09 ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: REGULARS EDITORIAL

8 10 18 22 76 92 80 114

Competition Ready?

CHECK-IN News and Tips

GRUB 4 Popular Diets Examined

SUPPLEMENTS Protein in Depth

SPOTLIGHT Ali Monfardi

MEDIC Protect Your Neck

GEAR LAB Gi’s, Gear, and More

TECHNIQUES TAKEDOWN

40 46 64 84

Arm Drags

PEDRO SAUER It’s a Set Up!

PASS ANY TEST Rodolfo Show Us How to Pass

BREAK DOWN Knee Bars with Pedro Munhoz

STRENGTH & CONDITION WARM-UP

26 100

Your Upper Back

INTERVAL TRAINING Unleash the Beast!

SUCCESS No more “Big John”

FEATURES EVENT COVERAGE

32 38 60 98 106

1st Ever World Jiu Jitsu Expo

EVENT COVERAGE NABJJF Los Angeles Open

KIDS GUIDE TO BJJ What Parents Need to Know

NEW COLUMN! Jiu-Jitsu Defined - A to B

EVENT COVERAGE IBJJF Worlds in Pictures

Pedrino may be the toughest man alive.

92

76

46

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ON THE COVER World Champion and Phenom Rodolfo Vieira pictures prior to this year’s World Championship at Grappling Fight Team affiliate Global Jiu Jitsu. Photo by Jason Boulanger

PASS ANY TEST

with an A+

64

BREAK

World Phenom Rodolfo Vieira shows you how to pass any guard

DOWN:

RS A B E E N K

84

EXPLODE WITH

INTERVAL TRAINING

100

22

Don’t mess with the best!

Leave it all, and more, on the mats with proper training.

ALL ABOUT PROTEIN

60

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editorial

Look at me, can you believe I missed weight?

COMPETIÇÃO

HEN I FIRST STARTED PRACTICING JIU-JITSU, I ENTERED MY FIRST COMPETITION AFTER ABOUT THREE MONTHS OF ROLLING. I THINK I HAD JUST BARELY GOTTEN MY FIRST STRIPE. I DIDN’T FARE TOO WELL, LOST BOTH MATCHES, BUT THE COMPETITION BUG BIT ME. I think I competed in about three or four more tournaments while at white belt. After getting my blue belt, I entered a small tournament. This one was a little different, I felt more pressure having my blue belt and was nervous about the prospect of competing against someone who had been a blue belt for years, after I had just gotten mine weeks earlier. Well, it was not my best showing. I didn’t prepare properly and had to do a weight cut hours before. Not fun, but no excuse. I got beat. I have no idea how much more experience the other guy had, but it didn’t matter. At the time, I had a lot of things going on professionally and personally and after that, I guess I lost the bug to compete. Being the editor of a jiu-jitsu magazine, it’s impossible not to be surrounded with competitors that have the spirit of competition coursing through their veins. That spirit is infectious. I got my purple belt earlier this year and decided to put any reservations behind me and enter into another competition recently, the NABJJF LA Open featured in this issue. I missed weight by 0.5lbs.

That sucked. Should have skipped that PowerBar. My competitor was gracious enough to accept the match and I eked out a win. I’ve got the bug again and plan on competing, and making weight, a few more times this year.

Win or lose it’s a thrill to compete and to judge your jiu-jitsu. Competition isn’t for everyone, nor should it be. We all do jiu-jitsu for our own reasons. None is better than anyone else’s. But, if you want to really give yourself a goal, something to aim for, and to add a little more purpose to your training, I recommend entering into a tournament. Thanks to the growing popularity of sport jiu-jitsu and grappling, you can find a competition or tournament every month in almost every area of the country, within driving distance, this time of year. As the ad slogan goes, “Just Do it!”

Train hard and roll often,

EDITIORIAL STAFF Editor & Publisher Mike Velez Copy Editor Deb Blyth Contributing Authors Seymour Yang, Jeremy Reid, Mark de Grasse, Dr. John Park, Dan Faggella, Kenny Johnson, Andre Borges, Hywel Teague ART & PHOTOGRAPHY Art Director Dave Palacios Contributing Photographers Jason Boulanger, John Cooper Kenny Jewel, Mike Lee, Mike Calimbas, Kristen Mendes PRODUCTION /ADVERTISING Production Director Paula Fountain Advertising Sales Mike Velez, Greg Rivera Circulation Manager Tom Ferruggia CHANGE OF ADDRESS & SUBSCRIPTIONS Phone: 1.877.834.3552 ext. 227 Web: jiujitsumag.com ADVERTISING /SALES INFO Available upon request, Contact: Jiu-Jitsu Magazine PO Box 2405 Chino Hills, CA 91709 ph: 1.877.834.3552 ext. 221 fax: 909.591.1251 NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL NEWSSTAND DISTRIBUTION The Curtis Circulation Company Jiu-Jitsu Magazine (ISSN 2157-6173) is a publication of Recon Media Inc., PO Box 2405 Chino Hills, CA 91709; Phone: 877.834.3552; Fax: 909.517.1601email: info@jiujitsumag.com. Subscription rates are $27.99 for 6 issues (1 year), $42.99 per year Canada, and $67.99 per year for foreign airmail. All rights reserved, The entire contents are copyright 2012 Recon Media Inc, and may not be reproduced in any manner in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher.

The views and the opinions of the writers and advertisers are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Recon Media Inc., the Publisher, or the editorial staff. The Publisher assumes no responsibilities for advertising claims, errors, and omissions.

Some of the techniques described in this magazine can be dangerous. Always practice safe procedures and use common sense. Recon Media Inc., and the Publisher can not be held responsible from any injuries or damage caused by these techniques. Perform at your own risk.

Jiu-Jitsu magazine is published bi-monthly.

Application to mail at Periodicals Postage rate is pending at Chino, CA and at additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to Jiu-Jitsu Magazine PO Box 2405, Chino HIlls, CA 91709.

Mike Velez Editor & Publisher mikev@jiujitsumag.com

100% Recyclable.

Save the Planet.

Roll Frequently, Read Jiu-Jitsu Magazine Printed in the U.S.A

8 | Jiu-Jitsu Magazine

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check-in

X-GUARD CUSTOMS X-Guard Brand recently released short and long sleeve IBJJF approved rash guards that you can customize with your own artwork!

The rashguards are made from a strong, high quality, moisture wicking, Polyester and Lycra blend material with contrast stitching, and are available in white, blue, purple, brown, and black. The rashguards are available for just $29, and for an extra $10, they’ll customize with your supplied artwork. The artwork can be up to 7”x10” and will be sublimated into the rashguard. Make sure you’re not ripping off someone else’s copyright. Their motto is “you design it, you rep it!” www.xguardbrand.com

IBJJF PRO LEAGUE

No, that’s not RDJ. But he gets that a lot.

Well known black belts like Rodolfo Vieira (this month’s cover feature) have recently voiced their opinions that the highest level of sport jiujitsu needs some type of professional element. Makes sense to us, competing at that level is a full time job. Well, the IBJJF has been listening, that coupled with the fact that other organizations are preparing their own “professional” programs, so, the IBJJF Pro League is being formed.

All the details are not yet fully known, but the first event will take place December 8th of this year at the Pyramid in Long Beach, CA, which is the host venue of the IBJJF Worlds. There will be three male brackets and the competition is exclusive to black belts only. More brackets may be added and there is a possibility of a female bracket, either for the inaugural event, or sometime in the future.

The minimum total cash payout has been set at $15,000, however that could change. It’s not known exactly how that will be divvied up.

At this point, there are still many unanswered questions and more details will be released soon. Competitors in this event will be allowed to compete at the Worlds or Pan Ams. We’ll be on the lookout for more information as it becomes available so check the IBJJF website or ours for details as they become available. www.ibjjf.org

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Gracie Worlds – YOU GOTTA FINISH At the Los Angeles Fit Expo earlier this year we got a taste of Rose Gracie’s Gracie Nationals and her unique format. This July in San Jose, California, in conjunction with the Fit Expo, is the Gracie US Nationals. Rose’s unique format spawned from a desire to bring back the original jiu-jitsu that her Grandfather, Grandmaster Helio Gracie envisioned from the beginning.

All matches are 15 minutes in length, with the exception of finals matches. Those have no time limit. There are no points or advantages calculated for any moves or positions. In order to win, you have to submit your opponent within the 15-minute time limit. If neither combatant gets the submission, neither moves on to the next match. Seems pretty simple, and we like it! Other rules are very similar to IBJJF rules, with a few exceptions being that knee bars and Twisters are okay at purple belt, and at black belt, slams from the guard, neck cranks, and cervical locks are all okay. Also, weigh-ins can be done the night before and the weights are different from the normally accepted, since a gi is not required for gi weighins. As for our opinion, we’re not too sure on the weigh-in rules. We’d hate to see major weight cuts become common, but the lack of points and requirement to submit changes everything, and should lead to some exciting jiu-jitsu. www.gracietournaments.com

QUICK TIP

Don’t Leak THE PLAN

Joe Rogan recently earned is black belt under 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu guru, Eddie Bravo. Joe was gracious and humbled as you’d expect and gave an inspiring speech on his journey thus far.

Renzo Gracie is quoted by MMAjunkie.com as preparing for another UFC fight. “I’m getting ready to fight again.” “I have a six-fight contract with no predetermined time frame. I still have five fights to go, so I plan to jump back into it.” No details have been set yet by the UFC. The UFC is returning to Brazil in October…maybe…

It appears that 33-year-old BJ Penn, former UFC champion, and first American to win an IBJJF World Championship is coming out of retirement to fight Rory MacDonald after accepting the 22-year-old’s challenge. The two will fight at welterweight (170lbs) at UFC 152 in Toronto Canada on September 22nd.

We were short on models this month, sorry.

Coaches, don’t give away the plan. Go to any tournament and you’ll hear coaches, friends, family, and teammates screaming directions to their student, friend, or loved one on what to do next. The intent is great, but it’s always giving away the game plan to their opponent as well. Think about it; your guy’s down on points, and he’s on the bottom in side control. He knows he has to escape.

But when you yell out the precise course of action for him to take, you’re telling the other guy what to look for and how to be prepared to counter. This is part of the reason Eddie Bravo uses specific, albeit strange, names for each move. The other guy doesn’t know what the hell he’s talking about.

So, instead of screaming out moves, as a coach, focus on reminding your student to breath. During the heat of battle it’s easy to lose focus on your breathing. Also make sure they’re aware of the time left on the clock. That advice comes from Gustavo Dantas, president of Nova Uniao USA. Gustavo believes that the time to “coach” is before, not during the match.

NEWS BITS:

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check-in

Combat JIU-JITSU Boxing meets jiu-jitsu, at least that’s one way of putting it. Eddie Bravo and Turi Altavilla (head of UofMMA fight promotion) have received sanctioning under the California Amateur MMA Organization and hosted their first Combat Jiu Jitsu promotion on May 20th at Club Nokia at LA Live in Los Angeles. Combat Jiu Jitsu bridges the gap between MMA and jiu-jitsu by allowing for punches to be thrown once on the ground. While standing up, think No-Gi grappling/wrestling. Eddie and Turi envision this as a “professional league of grappling” with huge potential, and we can see that, too. Eddie has presented the idea to Sheikh Tahnoon, the founder of the Abu Dhabi Combat Club and host of the ADCC World Championships about introducing the striking element to the ADCC or some other hybrid event.

As for the details of the rules, once someone is on the ground, they’re open to ground and pound. If someone’s on his back with his legs up, he’s open to a Superman punch since he’s on the ground. The rules of striking are amateur MMA, so no elbows can be thrown. Also, no heel hooks or toe holds since those are not allowed in amateur MMA. However, straight ankle locks, knee bars, and calf cranks are all legal. Each match is comprised of three – three minute rounds. The gloves used are the same for amateur MMA, 6 oz fingerless gloves. www.uofmma.com

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unLimited GAME

Gameness is the latest to offer up a new gi for the chosen few. The new G100 Limited Edition XT Gi will be available only while limited supplies last. The XT stands for eXtra Tough and gets the name for features like reinforced stitching in the elbows, a thick rubber collar, 10 Loop MaxDraw® draw string system, Gameness Platinum 100% cotton pants, and 550 gram Pearl Weave top. The entire gi features blue contrast stitching, crisp and clean logo embroidery, and a newly designed chest patch. Kayron Gracie recently won the Pan Ams rolling in a prototype of the XT. Usually “limited edition” precludes a high price, but this beauty will only set you back $169, and is available in A1-A6. Again, that’s only while supplies last. www.gameness.com

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QUICK TIP

Hold the BLEACH

You’ve spent a lot of money on that shiny white gi of yours and you want to keep it nice and clean. It’s tempting to throw in a little bleach the next time you do the laundry, but don’t to it! Bleach is an oxidizer and it works by breaking down chemical bonds to get that bright white color back.

That same action breaks down organic fibers like cotton. If you insist on using more than just standard detergent, throw in a little OxiClean or a store brand version of it.

It’s much gentler on fabrics and will help keep your gi bright and white.

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A MASTERPIECE!

T

he Mendes Bros threw the Grand Opening of their new studio “Art of Jiu-jitsu Academy” on Sunday, July 1, 2012 at their new location in Costa Mesa, and it was quite a spectacle. Let’s just say that the Mendes’ Bros and their sponsor, Pat Tenore, founder of RVCA, know how to throw a party! The school, with its white floors and walls, floor to ceiling windows, and clean, glossy appearance, which makes it look and feel more like a first-class art gallery than a sweaty grappling gym, was packed with every Jiu-Jitsu practitioner and aficionado imaginable. Rafa and Gui Mendes gave a free seminar, while “celebrity” black belts like BJ Penn, Andre’ Galvao, Allan Goes, Pat Tenore, Joel Tudor, and Kid Peligro tip-toed through the throngs of people on the mats, helping them with techniques and taking pictures with fans. After the seminar was concluded, professional surfer Makua Rothman and his band The Skains, gave the crowd a free concert that was enjoyed by all. The acai and Brazilian BBQ was flowing freely as well, making everyone happy. The Art of Jiu-Jitsu academy itself is worth a tour. When you walk in to the school, there is a wall showcasing Rafa and Gui’s journey through Jiu-Jitsu including all their medals from their various tournaments around the world and pictures of them along the way. The main mat area is huge and elevated with a second, smaller mat area on the other side of the building. The academy includes showers and a laundry service so your gi is nice and clean when you come in to roll. And what’s the most important aspect of this gym? World champions Rafa and Gui will be teaching every class, so you will get the opportunity to learn from the best in the world!

The guys made it very clear that they want to have the largest kids jiu-jitsu program in the nation, so get yourself and your family down there to see them! If interested in joining the Mendes Bros Art of Jiu-jitsu Academy, you can call them at: (949) 295-0276 or visit them at: 411 E. 17th, Costa Mesa, CA 92627 or locate them on FB at: www.facebook.com/aojacademy

Knight Jump The Queen!

It’s a movie reference. Save the hate mail. Do you know which movie?

CTRL Industries has been making quite the name recently with more and more jiu-jitsu celebs sporting their T’s. Well Blayne and the folks at CTRL are good for something more than just coming up with a cool slogan for a T-shirt.

Their latest offering is the new “The Knight” limited edition gi. The top is constructed from 450-gram lightweight pearl weave with a one-piece cut. The pants and collar are made from ripstop while the collar also uses EVA foam construction. A few small tasteful logos are embroidered on the top and bottom. The Navy Blue gi features grey trim and dark grey contrast stitching. This is a limited edition gi with only 250 being produced. By the time you read this there may be some available so check it out.

The Knight is priced right at $169.99US. www.ctrlindustries.com

SPEAKS What’s been your

best and worst

tournament experience?

Michael Murphy Worst- first tournament, first match get grips and my opponent rips my gi pants from hip to ankle. I’m standing there in my shorts, then I get disqualified for improper uniform.

Joe Ware Doing the adult and masters division gi heavyweight at the same time. I was literally getting smashed and hearing my name to go fight on the other mats at the same time.

John Morris Having the flu, & tapping when I was on top and in charge, ahead on points, but had to puke. Last year at Houston Grand Prix 40 & over superheavyweight championship.

Joe Kuhn My first match of my first ever tournament was one of the worst. Clinched with my opponent on the edge of the mat, he dropped for a takedown and drives me out on the hardwood gymnasium floor about five feet from the mat for the takedown. Not only did it hurt like hell (I’m in the super/ultra heavyweight division) but also the ref gave him points for the takedown. I lost but still managed to win in the losers bracket and take 3rd place. It was a small tournament but I learned a lot. My best experience had to be winning a tournament and looking out to see my step dad in the stands. He was at my first football game when I was 5 years old and even as a 30-year-old man, he never misses an opportunity to see me compete.

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EXAMINING

POPULAR DIETS Is one of these right for you? words: JEREMY REID

N THIS ARTICLE I WILL BE DISCUSSING THE RATIONALE, AND THE PROS AND CONS OF SOME POPULAR DIETS. There is no shortage of fad diets out there with new ones popping up weekly. While some have merit, most of them have no real scientific principles behind them or they are filled with half-truths, over exaggerations, and false assumptions. I am going to cut through the myths and hype and explain the science (if any) behind some of the more popular ones. I will also discuss the general applications, and more importantly, the performance applications as they pertain to Jiu-Jitsu.

T

he Atkins diet was first developed in 1972 by, surprise surprise, Dr. Robert Atkins.

It was later revamped in 2002 leading to one of the biggest diet crazes ever seen. The basic premise of the diet is an extremely low carbohydrate (CHO) intake. This is due to Dr. Atkins’ theory that the typical American eats too many CHO leading to unstable blood glucose levels, weight gain, and possible insulin resistance. The purpose of the diet is to force the body into switching the energy systems from utilizing glucose (CHO) to breaking down adipose tissue (fat) to meet energy demands. Drastically reducing CHO intake causes the body to go into a state of ketosis. Ketosis is a process that occurs when the body is burning its own fat for fuel. A person in ketosis is getting energy from ketones, little carbon fragments that are fuel created by breakdown of fat stores. When you are in ketosis, you may feel less hungry, and thus are likely to eat less. However, ketosis can also cause a variety of unpleasant effects, including dizziness and nausea. The Atkins diet claim is that as a result of these processes, your body changes from a CHO-burning machine to a fat-burning machine. While the scientific premises are pretty sound, and the diet can actually work, there are some major flaws with this diet. The biggest thing to point out is that it is mainly for an overweight, inactive population, generally significantly overweight. It does not take into account active individuals or even address exercise at all. While the drastic reduction in CHO can be beneficial for the overweight, inactive population, it is severely lacking for any active individual. Simply, there is no readily available source of energy. It depletes our body’s glycogen stores, which if we remember, is essentially our body’s “gas tank.” Utilizing fat as an energy source takes a tremendous amount of time and cannot support high intensity exercise. Trust me, no one wants to roll while glycogen depleted and relying on stored fat for energy. Another major flaw is the lack of regulation of everything else except CHO. There are no guidelines for protein, fat, micronutrients, etc. This most often adds up to a poor diet with poor health. The last flaw, and this is a BIG one in the Atkins diet, is the high prevalence of regaining all weight lost. Since the diet is essentially unsustainable over long periods of time, research has shown that the majority of subjects that experience weight loss on the Atkins diet end up gaining most, if not all of the weight back after stopping the diet. While the Atkins diet may support and induce weight loss, it is neither a long-term solution nor a healthy diet.

Diet’s are difficult to stick with.

ATKINS

PROS: Sufficie nt protein intake, may he lp with weight loss, can be ef fective for quick fat loss CONS: Extremely high fat content (usual ly bad fat), depletes muscle glycogen, high instance of gaining weight back, la ck of energy for training sess ions, mental fatigue, strain on the kidneys RECOMMENDA TIONS: Avoid

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PALEO DIET The Paleo diet is becoming a very popular diet, especially among active men. The basic principle behind the Paleo diet is to “eat like a caveman.”

“If a caveman didn’t eat it, neither should you!”

Can you see why men love it? It just fuels that macho self image. Despite being a great gimmick and marketing tool, there actually is some truth behind “eating like a caveman.” Notice I said, “some truth.” The concept is to mimic eating like our hunter-gatherer ancestors did. This means sticking to lean meats, seafood, fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Basically anything a hunter-gatherer would be able to hunt or gather. This means no dairy, grains, legumes, salt, refined sugar, or processed oils. The emphasis is on organic produce and grass fed free range meat as the caveman didn’t have the ability to domesticate livestock. Generally it is roughly 65% animal (meat) and 35% plant (fruits and vegetables).

This equates to quite a low CHO diet. The diet is based on the theory that genetically this is how our bodies are programmed to eat. It argues that human genetics have scarcely changed since the dawn of agriculture and modern farming about 10,000 years ago and have not adjusted to eating such foods. Therefore, an ideal diet for human health and well-being is one that resembles the hunter-gatherer’s diet. It also argues that diets and health started to go downhill as agriculture started to gain momentum. It states that the foundation of today’s diet revolves around farming, the foods it produces, and food processing. And that these are the enemies of health. If you want to be healthy, you have to eat the diet your body was programmed for, the “caveman diet.” Due to this, the Paleo diet claims to improve numerous health issues including cancer, heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, as well as numerous other conditions. To those who follow the Paleo diet, it is the greatest thing ever created.

Overall lifestyle changes seem to work best.

Now, I am in quite a dilemma with the Paleo diet. I have a lot of issues with it, however, I do agree with most of the actual diet. My problems really are around the gimmick and theories behind it. First and foremost, we don’t know all that much about what cavemen really ate or how much of it. I mean, we can get pretty close by narrowing down things they couldn’t eat, but we are really unsure (they didn’t exactly leave behind cookbooks or diet logs). We also do not know the breakdown of their diets. We all love to think that cavemen were these amazing hunters, killing mammoths and eating steak every day. However, if we look at more recent civilizations of huntergatherers, and even modern day hunter-gatherer tribes, we see that they are not very successful at killing large game animals, maybe once a month, if that, even with their greatly advanced weaponry and tools. So, do we really believe that these cavemen were eating 65% of their diet from animal meat? I highly doubt it. I also don’t

get the huge problem with grains, dairy, and farming in general. There is a reason why humans learned how to farm. It is smart! Farming led to the ability for civilizations to form and humans to evolve. According to the Paleo diet our bodies cannot handle grains or dairy and they are actually harmful to them, leading to numerous health issues of today including obesity, diabetes, and cancer. However, these health issues have only really become prevalent in the past 100 years or so. But farming has been around for about 10,000 years? So, we were able to handle it pretty effectively for about 9,900 years but not the past 100? Again, something doesn’t add up. The last issue I will point out is probably the most practical one. The Paleo diet is a low CHO diet; again, it is not a performance diet. Our bodies need CHO for energy and optimal performance, especially high intensity activities. The Paleo diet will not effectively and sufficiently fuel jiu-jitsu performance. Now, after saying all that, I agree with all of the food choices of the Paleo diet.

I think overall it is a pretty good diet. In fact, there is a version that takes sport performance into account that is a little better. I agree, you should focus on lean meats, fish, vegetables, and fruit. I whole heartedly agree with the idea that the high consumption of processed and refined foods lead to health issues and that you should choose cleaner foods like organic produce and grass fed meat. However, I think dairy and grains should be a part of your diet and can be extremely beneficial. The Paleo diet is not a bad diet, the gimmick and marketing playing on the alpha male “caveman” mentality is the problem.

Want to know what the real “caveman” diet was?

A survival diet. Simply, cavemen ate the quickest and easiest things they could get a hold of and anything they could get find. If cavemen were implanted in the world today, they would be at the value menu of the closest fast food joint (the quickest and easiest thing). But I guess to sell a lot of books and make a lot of money you need a cool gimmick. Maybe I should try it. What about the “BAMF diet” or the “Swag diet”… nah, I’ll just stick to giving you guys the truth in these articles.

od quality, PROS: Great fo ytonutrient ph gh extremely hi improve health a-3 intake, can eg om gh hi , intake support in CHO, doesn’t CONS: Too low food groups rt po im es at elimin ing to performance, et. If you’re go erall a good di Ov : ance” ON rm TI rfo DA the “sport pe RECOMMEN end going with m m co re ly gh try it, I hi version

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HCG DIET

Gracie Diet Now this one is a hard one. The Gracie diet has been growing in popularity among jiu-jitsu practitioners for some time now. The Gracie diet was developed by…wanna take a guess? Yup, Master Carlos Gracie. A good amount of the Gracie family and high level jiu-jitsu practitioners follow this diet. While there are some principles that may have some scientific reasoning, the diet was developed more through the personal experiences of Master Carlos Gracie. The diet is basically designed around the digestive system. The main principle of the Gracie diet is eating the right combinations of foods and avoiding the wrong combinations. This is meant to optimize digestion by preventing unhealthy chemical reactions in the digestive process, such as fermentation and acidity. Another key principle in the Gracie diet is waiting at least 4.5 hours between meals, and consuming nothing except water or coconut water. It also involves eating natural clean foods and claims to increase energy and decrease stomachaches, headaches, heartburn, and irregular bowel movements. The Gracie diet begins by having you answer a series of questions to establish your base point. Then you begin the three different phases of the diet. You stay on each phase for a week at a time until you are ready to move to the next one. The goal is to slowly change your eating habits and allow the Gracie diet to become part of your lifestyle. The first phase is where you only eat three meals a day, at least 4.5 hours apart. You have to stop snacking and only drink water between meals. The second phase is getting rid of sodas, desserts, and all other unhealthy “sweets.” The final phase involves not mixing certain types of foods. Once these basic three phases are complete, the Gracie diet is now part of your lifestyle and you will continue to follow the principles and discover meals based on the combinations.

HCG is not for athletes.

The Gracie diet, while not being backed by any scientific theory does have some good principles. The first and foremost is its emphasis on eating clean natural foods, while cutting out junk food. Due to its emphasis on digestion and preventing high acidity from digestion, the Gracie diet shares some principles of controlling blood alkalinity and thus, may help reduce or prevent chronic inflammation. One of the problems otes clean with the Gracie diet is the great variance of food PROS: Prom ates bad choices. While it is possible to eat an extremely foods, elimin help with ay healthy and balanced diet while following the m snacking, Gracie diet, it is also possible to eat an unhealthy digestion ce, unbalanced diet while following the Gracie diet. much varian CONS: Too The Gracie diet and its emphasis on digestion s basi no scientific may help some individuals; however, I still feel it DATION: EN is possible and better to eat a healthy balanced diet RECOMM ficial, but combining foods and eating every three hours.

May be bene not optimal

PROS: None CONS: Extremely dangerous, gain weight back RECOMMENDA TION: Avoid at all cost s

BON APPETIT

Ahhh! The latest of the “get skinny quick” miracle diets, the HCG diet. Where to start? Well, unless you haven’t left the house lately, you have probably seen signs for the “amazing HCG diet!” “Get your HCG here!” “HCG only $20!”

It is probably the hottest diet around, well, it was until the FDA banned it. So let’s start with that. As of December 2011 the FDA has prohibited the sale of “homeopathic” and over the counter HCG diet products and declared them fraudulent and illegal. There are a few reasons for this. Number one being that the HCG diet is dangerous. The other reason is that all of the over the counter and homeopathic HCG products contain no real HCG or only trace amounts.

So, unless you’re getting HCG by prescription, you’re really not getting HCG. Now, let’s take a look at the HCG diet. HCG stands for human chorionic gonadatropin. It is a hormone produced from the placenta during pregnancy.

During pregnancy HCG promotes the maintenance of the corpus luteum, and aids in enriching the uterus with a thick lining of blood vessels and capillaries so that it can sustain the growing fetus. Basically, it is one of the main hormones responsible for protecting the fetus. So, how did this become a diet drug? Yeah, it was weird to me, too. The theory developed from studying malnourished pregnant women in India. The mothers seemed to lose fat instead of lean mass.

They theorized that this was due to HCG causing the hypothalamus to program the body to burn fat stores to protect the fetus. The HCG diet was then developed. It encompasses daily injections of HCG with an extremely low calorie diet, usually around 500 calories. Hmm, I wonder why people are losing weight? There is no real scientific evidence that HCG works for weight loss. In fact, most of the studies show that it is not only ineffective, but also dangerous.

Five hundred calories is not enough to sustain health. You are left with serious deficiencies. Studies also show that the majority of people gain all the weight back after they stop the diet. Simply, HCG doesn’t work. They have effectively convinced people that the drops under their tongue or daily shots are causing the weight loss, not the 500 calorie diet. I could inject you with bacon grease while on a 500 calorie diet and you’ll lose weight. The weight will be mostly muscle and you will gain all the weight back, usually as pure fat, but hey, the diet “worked” right?

T

hese are some of the most popular diets out there right now. I explained what science, if any, are behind them and what benefits they have. I also tried to show you any flaws and/ or reveal their “secrets.” While popular or “fad” diets may actually show some results, it is usually because they are hiding or masking some common or simple dietary concepts.

Most are either low calorie or low CHO diets surrounded by cool sounding “secrets” (gimmicks). Some are better than others, and some actually get the big picture. However, no cool fad diet will ever beat a sound balanced diet based on real life and science. Also, no fad diet, or any diet for that matter can give you the will to make a change. Like jiu-jitsu, the basics still seem to work best, but only in the hands of a dedicated and disciplined practitioner. Learning a really cool flying arm bar will not win you the Worlds, nor will some really cool “secret” diet give you the body of your dreams. The only way to achieve both is hard work and some good instruction.

So, go out and work hard and Jiu-Jitsu Magazine will keep giving you the good instruction!

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supplements

ALL ABOUT PROTEIN Men, beware the soy.

words: JEREMY REID

ust about everyone has heard of protein supplements and most people take or have taken one.

However, they are thousands of protein supplements out there.

So, how do you know which ones are good and which ones you should take? Easy! I’m gonna tell you. I will cover the different types of protein supplements and hopefully clear up a lot of the confusion out there. First of all, we must understand exactly what protein is and why it can be beneficial for us. Protein is a critical nutrient in human nutrition. The main role of dietary proteins in the body is for protein synthesis, or simply, building and repairing muscle. If we remember

from previous articles, protein synthesis is necessary for recovery between workouts, and increasing muscle mass, strength, power, and endurance. It also prevents loss of muscle mass, strength, power, and endurance during weight cutting, but why protein powder? Can’t you just eat protein and get the same effect? This is a very good question, and the answer is, “kind of.”

While you should eat a high protein diet, and I do recommend getting the majority of your protein from whole food sources, protein powders are beneficial. There are a few reasons why protein supplements are helpful. The first reason is the convenience they provide. I don’t know about you, but immediately after a training session I’m

not exactly in the mood to eat a large chicken breast. Protein supplements are an extremely easy and effective way to ensure we get the protein we need exactly when we need it. Another reason is the ability to provide the exact type of protein we need at the right moments.

There are certain times our bodies need a quick rush of protein and certain times we need a slow, steady protein source.

With protein supplements, we can ensure we are getting the right kind of protein at the right times. So, let’s take a look at the different types of protein supplements out there and how we can use them.

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WHEY Whey protein is without a doubt the most common protein supplement on the market. There is actually a pretty good reason for this. Whey protein is probably the most effective post workout protein supplement. Whey protein has been referred to as a “fast” protein because it is rapidly digested and leads to a large temporary rise in plasma amino acid levels. Whey protein is a dairy protein.

Basically, it’s part of milk protein and is obtained as a by-product of cheese manufacturing. Also known as ‘lactalbumin,’ it constitutes about 19% of cow milk and is a rich source of amino acids. It also does contain cholesterol and minimal fats. Whey protein is considered such a high quality protein due to its high levels of amino acids, like essential amino acids (EAAs) and branched chain amino acids (BCAAs). These amino acids help in protein synthesis and maintenance of muscle tissues. Since whey protein is a “fast” protein, it provides quick nourishment to the muscles. This is critical immediately after a training session. During a training session, our muscles are being stressed and broken down. Following the training session our muscles are primed for recovery and rebuilding. They are literally starving for amino acids. The sooner we ingest protein, the sooner we can get amino acids to our muscles to stop protein breakdown and start protein synthesis (building muscle). The quick digestion and sharp rise in amino acid availability make whey the best choice at this time.

CASEIN By now, some of you have probably heard about casein protein. If not, it is basically the other part of milk protein. Casein has a more gradual and prolonged increase in amino acid plasma levels and therefore it is considered a “slow” protein. Casein is actually the most abundant protein in milk. It is relatively insoluble and tends to form structures called micelles that increase solubility in water. During the processing of milk, the casein peptides and micelle structure become disturbed or denatured to form simpler structures. This results in the formation of a gelatinous material, which leads to a slower digestion rate. Because of its slower steady release of amino acids into the bloodstream, casein is beneficial at certain times. One of those times is right before bed. When we sleep, we have 6-9 hours of fasting, with no nutrient intake. This is also the time when a significant amount of muscle rebuilding happens. Those two do not go well together. If you guys remember anything it should be that we need the necessary amino acid availability to effectively and completely rebuild muscles. Ingestion of casein protein before bed can help solve this problem. The prolonged release of amino acids can help give our muscles the necessary nutrients throughout the night. Casein can also come in handy during weight cutting as a meal replacement shake. The steady supply of amino acids will aid in preventing loss of lean muscle mass during calorie restriction.

EGG

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It’s incredible, and edible.

Who remembers the first “Rocky” movie?

Not the new one where Stallone looks like he’s wearing a Halloween mask of himself.

Anyway, we all remember that scene where Rocky downs a glass of raw eggs. While still crazy, there may be a little bit of sense to it. Egg protein powder is an older protein supplement that has made a comeback in recent years. If you remember from my protein article, egg protein is a very high quality source of protein. Eggs have traditionally been used as the standard of comparison for measuring protein quality because of their essential amino acid profile and high digestibility. Egg protein is a relatively fast digesting protein that can be a great substitute for whey or casein protein if you have sensitivities to milk or dairy. While its score is not quite as high as whey protein, egg is still a great option. If you can’t handle and/or do not like whey or casein protein, I would highly recommend you give egg protein a try.

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supplements

MIXTURES One of the newest crazes, and with good reason, is protein mixtures. Mixtures are exactly what they sound like, a mixture of different protein types.

The most common being mixing whey (fast) and casein (slow). The basic goal of these mixtures is to combine the sharp fast increase in plasma amino acids with the prolonged steady rise. Although still new, the results seem extremely promising. Studies on these mixtures have been showing a fairly quick rise in amino acid availability, close to pure whey protein, followed by a steady drop, as opposed to the sharp drop seen from pure whey protein.

While whey protein is still your best bet post workout, mixtures are probably your best choice for meal replacements throughout the day.

CONCENTRATE

I like the subscription idea better.

VS. ISOLATE

One of the big things in the world of protein supplements right now is isolates. While in the past most protein supplements were made from concentrates, now many companies are coming out with isolates. The main difference is that isolates are a slightly “purer” form of the protein.

The main selling points of isolates are: higher quality with greater absorption. Now, here is where it gets a little tricky. I have a somewhat mixed and contradictory view on isolates. Are isolates technically better than concentrates? Yes. Are isolates that much better that you should pay way more for them? Not really. Many companies are jacking the prices up on isolates claiming superiority to “regular concentrates.” So, here is the simplest way I can put it. If you gave them a score out of 100, concentrate would be around a 92 while isolate is around a 96 or 97. Better yes, but not overwhelming superiority. My basic advice is this: if you can afford it and/or are following an extremely strict weight cutting diet with a highly advanced strength and conditioning program, then go for the isolate. Otherwise, concentrate should work just fine, and you can use that extra money saved on renewing your Jiu-Jitsu Mag subscription or a new gi!

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WARM-UP

WARM UP

UPPER BACK words & photos: MIKE VELEZ

HEN YOU THINK OF BACK PAIN OR FLEXIBILITY, GENERALLY THE LOWER BACK IS WHAT SPRINGS TO MIND. Most back problems originate in the lower back, which is also the area of the back that’s most often called upon to be flexible and strong during a robust roll. But the upper back is equally as important. Total flexibility is the goal of every jiu-jitsu player, so in this installment of Warm-Up we’re going to focus on the often neglected upper back, and how to properly warm it up, and stretch it out for peak performance.

Anatomy upper back

T

he upper back is comprised of three major muscles groups, all of which give you upper back strength and support the spine. These muscles, along with your arms, are responsible for your ability to perform a number of techniques and movements, and most importantly, your ability to pull your opponent into you and keep them tightly to you.

Latissimus Dorsi (Lats) The lats are the largest group of muscles in the upper back.

They’re responsible for the movement towards the body, the internal rotation of the shoulders, the extension of the shoulder, bending over, and more. The lats are also largely responsible for giving fighters that sought-after V-shape.

RHOMBOIDS

TRAPEZIUS (TRAPS)

Rhomboids The rhomboids (located beneath the trapezius) are often over looked, but are extremely important. They’re responsible for pulling your shoulder blades back together. Think of a body lock when you need to pull your opponent tight into you for a takedown or other technique where every inch counts.

Trapezius (Traps) Rhomboids good, Hemorrhoids bad.

The traps are often thought of as neck muscles, but they’re actually part of the back grouping. At the bottom, they connect to your spine towards the lower vertebrae, and extend all the way to the base of the skull. Going out from center, they extend to the scapula (shoulder blades). The traps are responsible for all kinds of shoulder movements, neck movement, and again, bringing the shoulders back in a clinch.

LATISSIMUS DORSI (LATS)

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Powered by:

ATHLETIC BODY CARE

WARMING UP THE UPPER BACK

B

EFORE ANY TRAINING SESSION, WHETHER IT’S ON THE MATS OR IN THE GYM, IT’S IMPORTANT TO PROPERLY WARM UP THE MUSCLE GROUPS YOU’LL BE EMPLOYING. Although you may not use the same range of motion that’s used in say, your hips or legs, the upper back is equally important and deserves proper warm up. The following are three simple exercises you can use to warm up the muscle groups in the upper back:

SUPERMAN

1 2

Lie flat on your stomach, with your arms and feet stretched out.

Perform 10 reps holding

Lift your feet and hands off the mat, contracting all the muscles necessary to perform this task and hold for 5 to 10 seconds.

FORWARD BURPEE

for 5 to 10 seconds each.

CROSS OVER JUMPING JACKS Performed just like a basic jumping jack, with a slight variation.

With a standard burpee you drop to the ground and shoot your legs out. In a forward burpee your feet stay in place the entire time.

1

1

Stand with your feet shoulder width apart bent at the knees and hips downward, shifting your weight forward.

2

2

3

Start with your legs spread beyond shoulder width apart and your arms stretched out at your sides.

Jump up bringing your feet together and at the same time swing your arms in towards each other. At the point that your feet contact the mat, your arms should be crossed over each other.

Catch yourself on the mat with your hands beyond shoulder width apart as if to perform a push up.

After you’ve landed with your feet together jump again so that your feet go back to the starting

position. With this movement swing your arms back to your side, the further back your arms go beyond 180º, the better.

4

After your arms are stretched out, straight jump back to bring your feet together. This time alternate which arm crosses over the top, so if your left arm was above on step 2, have your right arm on top on this step.

3

After making contact with your hands on the mat, allow your weight to shift forward so your shoulders go beyond the point that your hands are planted. Go forward and down as far as you can without touching your chest to the mat.

Perform 2 sets of 10 with a different warm up exercise in between.

After reaching the bottom of the movement, use your chest muscles to push yourself back up and back towards your feet.

This will be difficult at first, and you may have to drag your hands back with you to support your weight a bit until you get the hang of it. Return to standing then repeat.

Yes, we just did a step-by-step on jumping jacks.

4

Repeat with a vigorous pace for at least one minute. Work to increase the range of motion in your arms with each jump; however, don’t push to the point of pain in any of your joints.

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WARM-UP

FLEXIBILITY T

hese stretches can be performed after a warm up routine, or after a roll to help increase flexibility and range of motion in your upper back muscles.

LAT STRETCH

1 2

Start with your right arm extended over your head.

Bring your other arm up and behind your head to grasp your right arm at the elbow.

3

Gently pull your right elbow towards your opposite shoulder, and lean your torso to your left to maximize the stretch of your right lat.

RHOMBOID STRETCH

1 2

Get on your hands and knees on the mat and drop down to your elbows.

Slide your right arm across your body as far as it will go, then continue to drop your right shoulder to the mat.

3

Turn your head to the left and place it on your left forearm, most of your weight should be on your right knee at this point.

4

Using your right leg, push your body forward and to the right, concentrate on trying to rotate the left side of your torso to the mat to feel the stretch.

Hold the stretch for 30 to 60 seconds while continuing to breathe. Repeat on the opposite arm.

1

TRAP STRETCH

Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, arms at your sides. Bend your left arm behind you as if you’re making a “running motion” with your elbow bent.

2

Reach across your back with your right hand and grab your left wrist.

3

Use the leverage of your left arm at your side to pull your right arm along with

it. The stretch will be felt on your right trap.

4

Tilt your head down and to the left bringing your left ear towards your left shoulder to lengthen the stretch.

I feel more flexible just reading this.

Perform 2 times on each side holding

the stretch for 30 to 60 seconds

Hold for 30 to 60 seconds on each side. As always,

without experiencing pain.

continue to be mindful of your breathing throughout.

This Column is Powered by Athletic Body Care:

N

o workout is ever complete without proper hygiene. Be prepared before and after hitting the mats with the Athletic Body Care line of performance skincare products designed to provide the athlete with a level of hygiene and protection better than any other today.

www.athleticbodycare.com

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feature

The

WORLD JIU-JITSU

EXPO

words: DEB BLYTHE | photos: JOHN COOPER & MIKE VELEZ

N MAY 12, 2012, RENZO GRACIE, IN CONCERT WITH JUNIOR NALTY, LAUNCHED THE FIRST EVER WORLD JIU-JITSU EXPO. The event took place at the Convention Center in Long Beach, CA, and brought thousands of jiu-jitsu fans, practitioners, and consumers with it. It was a “winning” event with more than just a little bit of everything for everyone, including free jiu-jitsu seminars by the world’s greatest black belts, Brazilian jiu-jitsu history and the honoring of its legendary roots and leaders, many Worlds Champions wandering around taking pictures with fans and giving autographs, BJJ legends abound, MMA fighters, a variety of jiu-jitsu and MMA brands and retailers, and some good old-fashioned drama.

Get ready for next year: www.worldjiujitsuexpo.com

SOME OF THE THINGS THE WORLD JIU-JITSU EXPO FEATURED:

The Long Beach International Open The IBJJF took the opportunity to throw a new spring jiu-jitsu tournament for kids and adults at the Expo, which many took part in. Every year the number of athletes continues to increase at BJJ tournaments.

Black belts like Milton Bastos, Samir Chantre, Zak Maxwell, Otavio Sousa, Romulo Barral, Gustavo Pires, and Gustavo Dias all worked their way through the event to take gold in their divisions, with Otavio Sousa and Romulo Barral closing out the bracket in the black belt absolute.

FREE SEMINARS The biggest names in the business gave seminars at the World jiu-jitsu Expo. Superstars Ricardo Almeida, Andre’ Galvao, Roberto Cyborg Abreu, Ronaldo Jacare’, Robert Drysdale, and Rodrigo Comprido were on hand to share their skills and knowledge with the many fans who clamored to get on the mats with the jiu-jitsu legends. There wasn’t an unhappy face in the crowd as they hung on every word and strained to catch every piece of advice from their idols. It was a great opportunity to learn from the world’s best practitioners in the sport.

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Retailers & EXHIBITORS T

here were a variety of retailers at the jiu-jitsu Expo, selling their wares, such as new Gis, rash guards, No-Gi grappling shorts, BJJ hoodies and tees, supplements, and the like. All new products out on the market were displayed by Koral, Versa Climber, Jiu-Jitsu Pro Gear, Keiko Sports, Adidas, Dom Gear, Fuji Kimonos, Zebra Mats, JiuJitSoul, Tap Out, Metal Mulisha, Ring to Cage, and Storm Kimonos, to name a very few of the purveyors hawking their merchandise at the event.

T

SUPERFIGHTS

he jiu-jitsu superfights brought the most emotion and excitement to the Expo. The athletes really put on a show and were the crowning glory of the event.

Bill Cooper

ie was an exciting match, with Kyra Grac and big pulling out the dominant, decisive, win with a 5-0 ending.

v

Expo Coverage.indd 2

We were there too!

Kyra Gracie vs Alexis Davis

s Nino Sche brought the cr mbri owd to its feet with their technical and ub er-enthralling fight. It was a back and forth dynamic and flu id battle, with Bill Cooper taki ng the match in the end.

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feature

Rafael Lovato vs. Lucas Leite was one for the ages as the two Worlds Champions squared off against each other in another nail biter of a bout. It was an exciting end as Rafael won with a sweep for two points, but not before Lucas tried for a last minute takedown, which he almost got!

Great action photography by John Cooper.

S T H G I F R SUPE

e

a rematch from th

e was eat that vs Kron Graci Victor Estima r took that bout, but was unable to rep of

ow ns. Victo It was a riveting sh 2012 Pan America him in this one. d pe some re top we on Kr ere as Th victory again, otions ran high. er revealed a stellar sweeps. Em lat d ich an wh bs , su ing ed ov pt attem shing and sh s. em and a little pu session afterward words between th d a quick make up an o tw e th een g betw misunderstandin 34 | Jiu-Jitsu Magazine

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er nd Jeff Glov Caio Terra a d the crowd on their

and ha put on a show ional skills ith their except w g feet cheerin d. ea The evering head-to-h and talents go back to Caio s hi ff flashed entertaining Je , which Caio g of the match at the beginnin ultimately as w t ed on, bu gladly capitaliz ith their the deal on. W unable to close ded up en ff Je , dueling back and forth d took his an o ai C on es bl turning the ta e match with d, finishing th back in the en a 10-6 win.

SUPERF I

GHTS

As exciting as all the matches were, the one everyone waited to see was the Braulio Estima vs Nick Diaz superfight.

We would have loved to see the match that never was.

The crowd jumped the railing and created their own seating arrangements, sitting on the mats as close as they could get to the anticipated battle. They wanted to watch the BJJ’s beloved ADCC and Worlds Champion Braulio take on the UFC’s bad boy and resident Cesar Gracie black belt Nick Diaz. As the minutes ticked by, it became evident that the superfight would not occur. And as (un)luck would have it, it turned out that there was erroneous information abound about Braulio not making weight and a war of words behind the scenes began that few knew anything about at the time.

Nick ended up leaving the event, not to return. An upset Braulio sat patiently waiting for his superfight, not knowing until the last minute that it wasn’t going to happen. The event’s promoter Junior Nalty got pulled into the mix, and before you knew it, all hell broke loose over the whole issue.

In the end, relationships were repaired (we think) and life went on for everyone involved. Talks of a rematch have been thrown around, but that remains to be seen. In the end, Renzo said the World Jiu-Jitsu Expo was a huge success, and that he wouldn’t think twice about holding another one if the opportunity should arise again in the future, let’s hope that happens.

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feature

NABJJF LOS ANGELES N E P O L A N O I T A N R INTE

photos: NABJJF

Kids pull of the darnedest submissions.

ne event that’s steadily gaining in popularity and respect is the North American Jiu Jitsu Federation’s Los Angeles International Open. The event’s been taking place the last few years at Cal State Dominguez Hills, a suburb of Los Angeles and home to the LA Galaxy MLS team. Over 1100 competitors from around the west made it out for the competition that ran over two days in June. Saturday was filled with gi competitors and Sunday was reserved for those doing no-gi. Here’s a collection of shots taken of the action over the two days! For more information on NABJJF tournaments check out www.nabjjf.com

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That picture at the top says a lot.

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technique

Arm

DRAGS WITH

KENNY JOHNSON words: KENNY JOHNSON photos: MIKE LEE

n this issue Kenny’s going to show us how you can add the wrestling arm drag to your tool box when it comes to getting the takedown every time. The arm drag is a move designed to drag or move your opponent’s arm and body direction. It’s often used as a set up for another takedown, or is the takedown in and of itself. With the basic arm drag, one arm is the guide arm that starts the movement, and the other arm is the power arm that hooks the opponent’s arm and moves it the rest of the way.

Basic arm Drag to Double Step 1 Kenny controls Pedro’s right arm with his left with a single wrist tie. Kenny has a solid stance and great head position.

Step 2 Keeping in perfect position, Kenny pulls Pedro’s right wrist towards him with his left hand. Then, using his right arm, Kenny cross-grabs Pedro’s right arm just above the elbow.

Step 3

Pedro gets his pay back in this Issue’s Break Down article.

Using his right arm, Kenny pulls Pedro’s right arm across his body, then immediately penetrates his right leg DEEP between Pedro’s legs and lowers his level at the same time. Notice the perfect position and the left arm coming around to grab the back of Pedro’s right knee.

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Step 5 After Kenny drives through, he lands in Pedro’s guard and is ready for his next transition, picking up the two points on the takedown.

Step 4

Kenny drops to the double bringing his b right arm down to gra , behind Pedro’s left leg and ee, kn the behind explodes into him.

Basic arm Drag to Body Lock – Crush Finish Step 1 Starting from the same basic arm drag tie-up, Kenny is ready to move on to the next step.

Step 2 Kenny pulls Pedro’s arm across his body, penetrates his right leg DEEP between Pedro’s legs, lowers his level, and locks his hands/arms tight around Pedro, leaving no space. In the reverse photo, notice how Kenny keeps Pedro’s arm trapped.

Yes, Kenny does talk in the third person all the time.

Step 3 Kenny rolls his lock to Pedro’s lower back and tries to break it as he extends his body and bends Pedro in half backwards to break his posture, and therefore, his ability to defend the position.

Step 4

Kenny continues to extend his body and apply pressure to Pedro’s lower back until Pedro falls. Kenny looks to secure the takedown and transition to his next position.

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technique

Basic arm Drag to Body Lock – Crush Throw Step 1 Starting from the same basic arm drag tie-up, Kenny is ready to move on to the next step.

Step 3 Kenny steps 90 degrees around Pedro’s leg, locking tight with hips low and in tight.

This one is not for the faint of heart. Only practice on a crash mat first before attempting.

Step 2

Kenny pulls Pedro’s arm across his body, penetrates his right leg DEEP between Pedro’s legs, lowers his level, and locks his hands/arms tight around Pedro leaving no space.

REVERSE

Step 4 Okay, this is the part of the program that’s going to get a little hairy. If you have no wrestling experience, you might want to avoid, or at least use a crash mat, to drill this one.

Kenny lifts Pedro and back arches him looking over his left shoulder.

This must be done with an explosive movement, generating power in your hips and legs.

Step 5 Twist far enough so that you’re not landing on the back of your head, but on top of your opponent’s side. Once you finish this throw you can quickly move into side control.

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Step 2

Head Inside Arm Drag – Far Leg

Keeping in perfect position, Kenny pulls Pedro’s wrist towards him and cross-grabs Pedro’s arm, just above the elbow, using his right hand.

Step 1 Kenny controls Pedro with a single wrist tie using his left hand to control Pedro’s right arm at the wrist. Kenny has a solid stance and great head position.

Step 3 Kenny secures Pedro’s arm above the elbow, drives in, and rotates his body to his left creating an angle to Pedro with his head on the inside of Pedro’s arm. Kenny penetrates through and reaches to Pedro’s far leg (Pedro’s Left) keeping his pressure down and into Pedro.

Step 4

Step 5

Kenny stays on his feet and drives hard through Pedro keeping everything tight. Look at the torque created by the combination of: first, the angle, second, the drive/penetration, and lastly, keeping everything tight.

Finish driving forward on to the mat and look for your next position.

Head Inside Arm Drag – Near Leg Step 2

Kenny secures Pedro’s arm above the elbow and drives in, rotating his body creating an angle to Pedro with his head y on the inside. Kenn reaches to Pedro’s near leg keeping his pressure down and into Pedro.

These look doable.

Step 1 Starting from the same basic arm drag tie-up as the previous sequence, Kenny is ready to move on to the next step.

WRONG

Notice I am snaking the hand down from thigh to calf and not just grabbing the leg.

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technique Step 3 Kenny drives through Pedro with downward pressure keeping the leg and arm secure all the way to the mat. Look for your next position once to the mat.

Arm Drag to Trip from Clinch Step 1 Kenny starts in a solid, controlled clinch position. A proper clinch means that you have a solid and centered base (do not lean), a deep under hook, your shoulder is just slightly below his shoulder, and your same side leg as the under hook is in the middle of your opponent’s legs, controlling the center.

Your left hand is open wide in the crook of your opponent’s right arm, stopping his clinch of you with your elbow tight to your side. (for more on the Clinch check out Issue 5)

Step 2 Kenny slides his left hand back and secures Pedro’s right wrist.

KEY POINTS Whenever you’re working

Step 3 Kenny drives Pedro’s right wrist and arm down and across his own body while reaching his right arm in behind Pedro’s right arm, just above his elbow.

Step 4 Kenny pulls Pedro’s arm across his body and penetrates his leg deep between Pedro’s legs to get his heel behind Pedro’s heel. Kenny’s left hand secures the thigh and his position is rigid driving forward.

with the arm drag, it’s important that at the point you drag the arm you have a penetrating step deep between your opponent’s legs. Failing to do this is just square dancing.

So don’t dance!

If your opponent attempts to drag your arm while you’re

That looks like a square dance.

dragging his, break loose, get back to your stance, and attempt again.

The arm drag is an explosive move. Drill often

Step 5 Kenny drives off the back leg, penetrating hard through Pedro. His right hand lets go of the arm and is now in a double leg position with Pedro’s foot trapped as Kenny is driving forward.

Step 6 Kenny takes Pedro to the mat and covers up on top securing the takedown and looking for the next position.

with a training partner to get your timing down. When you get really good you’ll be hitting these techniques almost simultaneously.

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technique

Turn The

TABLES with

PEDRO SAUER words: MIKE VELEZ | photos: JASON BOULANGER

M

That’s black belt Mike Horihan who looks to be in excruciating pain.

aster Pedro Sauer has been training jiu-jitsu for over 30 years and is the first non-Gracie to ever be awarded a coral belt, a very distinguished honor. He was introduced to jiu-jitsu at the age of 5, but began training seriously at 14 years old. He received coral belt in November of 2011 from Relson Gracie. Today at the age of 54 he overseas 110 affiliate schools around the world. His unique style of jiu-jitsu puts an emphasis on self-defense and self-respect. He holds the martial art in high esteem and it shows. Spending time with Master Sauer you get a strong sense of his confidence, mutual respect, and experiences. We had the absolute pleasure of spending some time with Master Sauer where he showed us not only some self-defense techniques that could easily be used on or off the mats, but also some very interesting techniques that provide counter opportunities where you might not see or expect.

You’ve been known to provide training to many in the Special Forces. What separates that training from what we know as jiu-jitsu?

You have 110 affiliates, what can people expect when going to a Pedro Sauer affiliate, what separates your schools from the rest?

When it comes to Special Forces training versus traditional BJJ the focus is to get to a weapon, know how to protect your weapon, and not let anyone else get to your weapon. When you have a gun, you don’t want to get into a grappling match. So the techniques taught to these individuals are unique and focused on retaining or securing your weapon to end the confrontation as quickly as possible. Secondly a weapon is not always necessary, so that portion of the training focuses being to subdue someone and put the cuffs on them as quickly and easily as possible.

Everybody in our group of guys does jiu-jitsu for respect, for integrity, and for the love of jiu-jitsu.

I don’t want to see just a bunch of tough guys, I want to see people step up on a social level and to step up on the mats. We train at a very high level, we go for it. The idea is to submit your opponent, no matter what. You want to get the submission. I believe if you work for submissions everyone in the class is going to get better both in their ability to find the submission and their defense. You’re going to get caught over and over.

The points come as a consequence of going for the submission. It’s a way to trick your brain

into not wasting your time to expose yourself to take a blow to the chin, or something else just by going for a sweep or an advantage. Every move you do you have to protect yourself, your vital parts, and to go for the submission. When that happens and you have 50 students in a class all going for the same objective everyone gets better.

It doesn’t matter what the points are, if you get the submission you’re happy. That should always be the goal.

In your classes do you always talk about the self-defense aspects?

No matter what position or technique I’m teaching I’m always reminding my students to take into account the self-defense aspects. Be aware of an opening for a punch, an elbow,

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anything. That way the technique they’re learning can be used in sport jiu-jitsu or on the street if they ever need it.

I encourage all my students to try different schools, if you’re traveling drop into the local schools, it doesn’t matter what school it is. Every hour you spend on the mats is priceless. I have total confidence for any of my students to train in any school. I believe if they go to other schools they’re going to learn some good stuff, and maybe some not so good stuff. They’re going to be able to measure their skills and they’ll bring something back to their teammates. That’s the way our association has grown so fast. We’re welcome everywhere. People know that our students know their jiu-jitsu. They may not be the most powerful, but they’re technical and if you blink you’re going to get tapped. Our students are also respectful and carry themselves correctly and have a good attitude.

When did you start teaching?

I began teaching in 1988 in Rio when the economy took a major down turn. The president in Brazil decided to freeze the economy and I was a stockbroker. Prior to that I was in class for 20 years with Grand Master Helio, Rickson, Rorion, Relson, everybody that was in class. People would ask me questions and I would reply “why are you asking me, Grand Master’s over there, or Rorion, etc.” and they would say “oh no you do things a little different, a little more technical…” I was a black belt at the time and that’s how I started teaching. I went go Grand Master and I said “Professor, I got a guy that’s offered me teach a class.” I was offered a job to teach for Copa Quarto (check) with the blessing of Grand Master Helio in 1989. At one tournament, a big tournament in Brazil, our team did very well. Rickson was teaching up in America and he contacted me and asked me if I’d like to come to America and teach. Two weeks later I was here in America and never looked back.

no clue, but I was excited and I wanted to expand my horizons. The first winter for me was the worst.

I was working in the mountains in Park City doing construction for $5 an hour for 12 hour shifts, then would drive back home for an hour then teach class for 2 hours. I was teaching at a Golds Gym, it used to be Utah Valley Fitness. It was a nightmare!

Why was it so bad?

At the time there was the Gracie Challenge. For about four years I fought guys every night, I never knew who was going to show up.

Hold on a second, you did what?

In September of 1991 Rorion did an interview in Black Belt Magazine and challenged $100,000 to anyone that could beat a Gracie Black Belt. They would even come to my house. People used to knock on my door, I’d be eating dinner with my family, my kids. They’d bring the magazine and say, “hey I want to fight.” I didn’t speak English, so I’d bring the guy inside, got on the phone and called Rorion and put the guy on the phone with him. They would talk for a few minutes, I’d get the phone back and Rorion would say “Pedrino, there’s no money involved go ahead and beat the heck out of the guy.” We’d hang up the phone and go at it…

curriculum on what to do, but I remember all of the stuff that Grand Master showed me back home in Brazil. What I started to do was to keep track of the hours that students would spend practicing.

Not just sparing, but actually doing drills. That opened up the belts to more people. You could be deaf, blind, it doesn’t matter, and if you spend the time on the mats you will know jiu-jitsu. Doesn’t matter your physical abilities. I still promote by the hours like that.

Today Master Sauer travels to affiliates all over the country and the world, he’s a grandfather and has a small jiu-jitsu compound in Brazil that he hosts students from around the world a few times a year.

His story is amazing and shows that when you pay your dues good things happen.

What do you mean no money involved?

Well there was a catch. In order to win the $100,000 you’d have to put up $10,000.

Did anyone ever put up the ten grand?

Nope, not to me. And I was the easiest black belt. I was 150 lbs, at the time the size didn’t matter.

So this wasn’t a class, this was just a bounty?

Yeah, it was a brawl. I fought at least 100 times with different people. The good thing was that , I’d say, everyone that came to fight me ended up becoming my students. That was my introduction class for them.

What was it like when you got here?

So in 1990 when you moved out here then what happen?

I shared the room, actually it was a garage, and I noticed after 6 months I didn’t learn any English.

Actually the only thing I learned was “do like this.”

I figured I had to learn English if I were going to do anything. My whole group of guys were all from Brazil speaking Portuguese, Rickson, Limao, Grand Master Helio, the Machado brothers. So I had a chance to go to Salt Lake City Utah in October of 1990. It was a little chilly, but not that bad. When I went I had no clue what was awaiting me, I didn’t know about the mountains, the Mormon culture,

So then what?

Getting the school started was difficult. I had a guy that started with me named Mark Schultz. He was an Olympic gold medalist in wrestling and his brother Dave. Dave passed away, unfortunately.

Mark was a tough guy, very nice, but on the mats he was a tough, tough guy. It was sort of a nightmare because Mark was so tough, such an animal on the mat that nobody wanted to come to class. It was just him and me sometimes. Because my school was at a gym it was me and a bunch of huge body builders. Looking back I see that most of my injuries were from fighting those giants. I’ve been operated on ten times and all of them were because of those dudes.

I guess talk was cheaper than putting up the cash!

I lived in Torrance first. I shared a room with Grand Master Helio and “Limao” (Luis Heredia).

It was pretty amazing. We were eating, and talking jiu-jitsu everyday but there was no other practitioners. Rickson was teaching private classes for $20 at the time. Rickson was my instructor for many years. I went from white to black under Rickson. He took me under his wing, he helped me under his wing.

So when did you open up your first school?

I opened my first school that was just mine in 1997 in Salt Lake City. It was the first Gracie Academy outside of family. Rickson came out for my grand opening. I was the first guy to be allowed to use the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu name that wasn’t a Gracie family member. Rorion gave me pictures and a

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technique

SELF DEFENSE STANDING AMERICANA

T

he Scenario goes like this: you’re minding your own business and somebody comes up to you with some impolite words and proceeds to put their hand on your shoulder, or grabs your shoulder. In a situation like this Master Sauer’s advice is to never to look for a confrontation, don’t close your fist; don’t be the aggressor, instead, have your hands in front of you and attempt to diffuse the situation with words first. If that doesn’t do the trick, then read on.

Step 2

Step 1

is bend your knees The first thing to do strings, and be slightly, relax your ham f defense situation sel a In ready to “float.” e your knees or legs you never want to hav sh your ability to ini dim locked, this will keep your balance.

In this scenario the attacker is reaching with his left hand to grab your right shoulder. As you drop your level slightly to bend your knees, at the same time raise your hands in front of you if they aren’t there already. Keep an eye on his free hand, in this case his right. Should he throw a strike with his right be ready to deflect or capture with your left hand.

Step 3

KEY POINTS

With your right hand and arm bring your elbow up and scoop your right hand around the outside of his outstretched left arm. Once your hand has cleared his arm bring it back down and under his arm as to “overhook” the arm.

If at step 3 he begins

to pull his arm away, quickly turn your right hand in so that the point of your hand just below the thumb, is above his elbow. This will allow you to lock up the arm regardless of his attempt to pull away.

From there, bring his arm along with you, raise your right leg in front of his body, at the hips, and continue the motion or turn your body to your right. At this point, you’re finishing with a straight armbar on his left elbow.

You’re not throwing him, the use of your right leg is only to keep the rest of his body from following you to protect his arm.

This technique will allow you to incapacitate

your attacker and at least attempt to give you time to summon help, or get away.

This looks fun.

To protect against blows from his free right

Step 4 As soon as your arm is successfully overhooking, step your left foot back and turn your body away.

Step 5 As soon as you step to your side, with your left hand reach and grab your own right wrist. Curl your right arm up and posture up. You’ll be taking his arm and shoulder along with you.

hand it’s important that you’re turning away from him after you’ve captured the arm.

Don’t face him.

48 | Jiu-Jitsu Magazine

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STANDING WRIST LOCK FROM THE SCHOOL YARD PUSH

T

he scenario is this: somebody’s being a jerk, and wants to start problems. Of course, as Master Saurer says, “do your best to diffuse the situation verbally.” But the other guy’s having no part of it. Often times, rather than throw a punch and commit to the assault he’ll attempt to intimidate you by using both hands to push you, kind of like when you were kids in the school yard.

Step 2 When you see that he’s going for the “push” rather than a strike, allow him to make contact with your chest. As his hands are coming in focus in on one side, in this case his right hand.

Step 1 The moment any confrontation turns into a heightened situation you should be in a stance that allows you to be prepared for anything. This means drop your level just a bit so your knees are bent for balance, and your upper body is loose.

Step 3

Step 4

Just before he brings his hands to you, prepare to capture that hand you’ve decided to focus in on.

With your right hand grab the back of his hand and hold it tight against your chest. Grab the back of the hand, as close to the wrist as you can, not just the fingers.

Step 5

step pull In the final finishing p back ste , you o int arm the and “bow” with your right foot pressure rt exe to him s ard tow efense f-d sel a In on his wrist. for a tap, p sto n’t do on ati situ to give you look to incapacitate lice, or flee. po p, hel d fin to e tim

At the same time that you’re grabbing the hand with your right, grab the back of his elbow with your left hand. Firmly cup the back of the elbow, at the lower bicep. Hold his entire arm locked against your chest with his palm up.

KEY POINTS This technique can easily be adapted for competition.

Pedro Sauer.indd 4

Ouch, can’t unhear that.

In fact, there’s a popular video of Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza doing this in competition. The scream of pain from his opponent is a bit disturbing so be warned. Perform as described above, just look for your opponent to grab your gi lapel rather than push you. Lock up the wrist, and bend it one way or the other, it doesn’t matter as long as it’s not straight and continue the steps either to finish, or to at least bring him down to the mat for takedown points.

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technique

CLOSING THE GAP

A

gain, talking about a self defense situation where things happen quickly and you can’t necessarily flee or summon help, you must be able to protect yourself. As jiu-jitsu practitioners we don’t necessarily want distance from our assailant. We want to close the gap, to take the altercation to the ground where we feel safe given our skill set. In order to get the “fight” to the ground, this technique may seem contrary to anything you’ve seen with two people squaring up in a real world confrontation.

Step 1

You’ve gott en into your stance , lowered your level and loosened u p. Now anticipate his move.

Step 2 As you see him coming forward either with both hands or with just one, rotate at the waist once he makes contact.

Step 3 the him slightly and with As you rotate, fall into er shoot uld sho rd wa for r you leg on the side of r k clinch, wrapping you in and go for a body loc s. arm his ng uri sec or arms around him Step 4

Don’t go to sleep.

int, you can From this po to the ground take the fight until help m to subdue hi no u feel you’re arrives or yo . er ng longer in da

KEY POINTS This technique should not be your first option should your

attacker throw a punch to the head, a kick, or anything other than a direct blow to the body.

Instead, make sure that your hands are raised to protect your noggin. Look to deflect the punch as quickly as possible and continue into the opponent to close the gap and get to the ground.

50 | Jiu-Jitsu Magazine

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technique

CROSS BODY SIDE CONTROL ESCAPE

Y

ou’re on the bottom, he’s on top with a pretty solid side control. He’s got one arm over or around your neck and the other at your side controlling your hips. A common side control position.

Step 1 In this case, as shown, work to get your left hand between your opponent’s right arm and body. Once through, turn your hand inward so you can grasp his tricep with your hand.

Step 3 Continue that movement from Step 2 and work to turn your shoulders into him as well. Use the handle you have on his right arm to help turn your shoulders in towards him while pushing against his left hip with your right arm.

Step 2 Begin to move your left foot and leg away to your left side. Once you’ve moved it away a few inches plant you right foot on the mat and use it as leverage to bridge your hip up slightly and escape your hips out to your left side a bit, turning in slightly towards your opponent.

Step 4 At this point, you can bet the farm that he’s not going to just let you have it, he’s going to pressure into you to attempt to flatten you back on the mat so he can reestablish his control.

Step 5

Yes, you can call it a sweep.

As he puts pressure against you, use that pressure to continue to carry his momentum. Push up against his hip with your outstretched right arm while using your legs on the mat and pulling his right arm down and into with your left hand.

Step 6 Continue to sweep until you end up on top in side control.

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SIDE CONTROL ARMBAR COUNTER WITH AMERICANA

A

very common tecnique from side control is an arm bar from the top. The person on the top gets a hold of the far side arm, brings that shoulder off the mat and steps around to execute an armbar. Here’s the antidote to that.

KEY POINTS If he defends the finish

on step 4 somehow, bring your left leg over his face and sit back, with his arm, to finish with an armbar.

Between steps 2 and 3, as

you have control of his right arm, it would be very difficult and risky to attempt to finish.

Instead, continue on with the sweep to gain side control or at the very least get out from under his side control as you found yourself in the beginning.

Step 2 Once you have his right arm trapped he’ll be forgetting about the armbar he was going for and instead will focus on defending the pressure you’re applying to his right arm. In an attempt to relieve that pressure expect him to turn his body to his right and to try and bring his legs over your head. Maintain pressure on his left hip with your right arm.

Step 3 Apply pressure to his trapped right arm, forcing him to the side. Maintain the pressure on his hip and then base your right foot to the mat.

Bridge slightly and escape your hip to your right. His weight and your force will take him over his right side.

Step 4 Continue the movement so that he lands on his back and you in his side control. You’ll still have control of his right arm. To finish, rise up to your feet, squatting at his side. Bring your knees down on him to control his movement and twist your body, along with his arm, to your left side to finish the Americana on his shoulder. Be sure that your left arm and elbow are over your left knee when you twist to finish. Keep your right knee forward and firm against his torso, hook your foot against his side to aid the movement.

That looks like the Standing Americana.

When he goes to pass over you and relieve pressure, don’t find yourself flat on your back.

If you do you’re going to need a lot of strength to keep him from passing over your right arm.

Instead, make sure you turn with him, and keep your hips active until you complete the sweep.

Step 1 As your opponent goes to underhook and capture your far side arm, swim your left arm over his right and bring it deep so you’re applying pressure at or below his elbow. Do your best to grab onto your own right arm at your elbow. Your right arm should be at your side attempting to create or maintain space between his left hip and you.

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technique

BASEBALL CHOKE COUNTER TO ARMBAR

A

baseball choke is typically performed from side control or mount.

Your opponent’s got his hands deep in your collar, one on each side. In order for him to finish he must clear to one side, cross his arms, and pass around you to tighten the grip and execute the choke.

Master Sauer begins this demonstration at the point that his opponent is looking to clear your body and finish the choke.

Step 1 Your opponent has both grips in on your collar.

He’s off to your left side, as he raises up to begin to circle around, grab a firm hold of his left arm, at the forearm, below his elbow.

Step 2

ht hand Bring your rig to p hi s hi t ns agai tation and impede his ro to turn, when he begins ction. re di at circle in th bait for y all tu ac is s Thi the next step.

Step 3 If you’re keeping pressure on his left hip, he’s going to have to deal with that arm. Having it outstretched presents a perfect opportunity for him to simply bring his right knee over and on top of the arm to clear. As soon as he’s done this he’s taken the bait.

Grab his right foot, by the inside heel if possible, but as long as you lock that right lower leg of his to your body, you’re good.

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Step 4 As soon as you have that leg unde r control, look to your left side and with control of his right arm and leg, bridge in that direction, your left, taking him over the top of you and onto his side.

KEY POINTS On step 5 you may have to release a hold

of his right arm for a brief instance to help your leg clear his face. If you do, work quickly and get your left arm back around his right arm before he realizes you’ve let go. He’ll probably continue to grip your collar. Regardless, work quickly.

Step 5 You’ll land in the perfect position to fall back into a straight armbar. Pass your left leg over his head, bring your right leg, while bent, against his out stretched arm and maintain control of his right leg with your right hand. Your left arm controls his right arm. Pull back on it and hip up to finish.

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technique

BAITED AMERICANA FROM SIT OUT SIDE CONTROL

T

his one has your opponent in your side control with you sitting out. This means rather than leaning forward, you’ve leaned back, with more pressure against his hips than shoulders, your right foot is forward and your left leg is back to prevent him rolling you back.

Step 2

Step 1 The object here is to look to attack that right arm of his. Ideally, you want to rustle it into your hip between your torso and your left thigh.

that arm, Once you have control of top of his the ss acro bring your left leg ld do this wou You d. hea his r ove y bod t arm. righ his on bar to execute an arm this to bait ng doi ’re you , ead inst But arm across him into bringing his left leg. the ck blo to y bod his

KEY POINTS Step 3 As the arm is coming over, reach across with your left hand and grab his left arm at the wrist.

In step 5 if he defends or is flexible enough to get his arm out of danger, step over him to mount briefly with your right leg. Continue stepping over and bring your right leg over his head.

Control the arm, keep your left leg over his body, and fall back to finish with an armbar.

Step 4 Shift your weight forward and grab your own left wrist with your right hand underneath his arm. Make sure his left arm is bent at a 90º angle. Secure your grips, 5-fingers over each wrist.

The right bait makes all the difference.

Step 5

Keep a solid base on top of him, not too far forward, and put upward pressure on his left elbow with your right arm while “wiping” his hand down against the mat to execute the Americana shoulder lock.

For all the finer points of the Americana check out the Break Down in Issue 4.

56 | Jiu-Jitsu Magazine

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ARMBAR COUNTER TO KNEE ON BELLY

O

f course, you should always look to follow that “position before submission” rule, but some things are too good to pass up. That’s the case with this one.

You find yourself in someone else’s side control. He’s looking for some points so he’s preparing to go knee on belly. That’s where Master Sauer begins this lesson.

Step 2

Step 1 got his left arm wrapped around the back of He’s on your side and you’re in his side control. He’s right hand over to your knee and getting ready to your head, controlling your collar. He’s moving his low against you, and he’s moved that right hand he’s When . pop up to knee on belly for some points left side collar, thumb in, as deep as you can. of his to go for your knee, quickly get a hold of his

As he pops that knee on belly he’s going to be stuck because you’ve got a good hold of his collar. In order to force it, he’ll more than likely push off and straighten out that left arm of his.

As he does, wrap your right arm under and over his left arm, below the elbow.

Step 4 Pull both arms down and into you to execute the armbar by applying pressure to his arm, just below the elbow, and trapping it against your neck. He’ll likely roll to his right side. Because of this likelihood, it’s important that your left foot is on the mat and your right foot is on the mat and cocked.

Step 3 Bring your left arm over, grabbing the back of your right elbow, and pull that elbow in so you’re forcing his arm against the side of your neck.

Remember, he had a grip of your collar when this started.

Step 5

KEY POINTS You need to fall back to

Step 6 As if to pivot on his shoulder with your butt once you’re perpendicular to him, reach over with your left hand and grab his left pant leg. Sit back with the arm and extend your hips up to finish the armbar.

perform the armbar that way, so try to hook the underside of his left arm with the top of your right foot that’s passed in front of his face.

This will help control his right arm and impede his ability to escape or defend the arm that you’re tugging on.

Pedro Sauer.indd 11

That Pedro’s a good looking guy. His hair hasn’t moved a bit.

If he turns his head away from you and looks to turn to his right to escape, push up against him with your already cocked right leg, rolling him over to his side. Get to your feet immediately in a squatted position, maintaining pressure on his arm. Circle to your left with your right leg over his head and bringing your left leg against his left side.

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technique

BAITED GUARD PASS CHOKE

T

his is a cool little choke that’s not hard to set up, but probably won’t draw opponents in at the higher levels. The probability on this one is higher for white and blue belts.

Step 2

Step 1 en guard. When his posture is brok Your opponent is in your closed can, you as deep as r colla a hold of his and he’s leaning into you, grab his right bing grab re you’ , case this in four-fingers in, thumbs out. So side collar with your left hand.

Release the guard and bring your left foot to the mat behind his right leg and below the knee.

Leave the right side leg loose. This is the bait for him to attempt to pass to your right side. As soon as he grabs that right leg, loop it inside on his left leg.

Step 3 When he pushes down with his hand or brings his leg over your right leg, shoot that right leg through to capture his right leg in half-guard.

Don’t let the good looks fool you, Master Sauer will take you down in a heartbeat.

Step 5

Curl your right wrist into you, putting pressure on his left side carotid artery and pull your left hand down into you, bringing your left elbow outward to finish the cross collar choke.

Step 4 As he passes that right leg, he’s going to be leaning forward. With your left hand, grab a hold of his left side collar or gi material above his right shoulder.

THAT’S A WRAP! Throughout all of these techniques remember Pedro’s keys to always be thinking of the submission and to protect yourself at all times that way should you ever need to defend yourself you’re prepared for anything that might come your way.

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feature

Getting Your Child

STARTED IN

JIU-JITSU

“A Parents’ Guide” words: JOHN SIMONS III

RAZILIAN JIU-JITSU CAN BE A LIFE CHANGING EXPERIENCE FOR CHILDREN BOTH MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY. Through the gentle art they engage in everything from selfdefense training, to social interaction with fellow classmates, to physical fitness training, to character development, and much more. Making sure you, as a parent, make the right choices in guiding them in the right direction is crucial to their success as young martial artists.

That’s a lot of colors. The regular accomplishment of a new strip helps to keep kids motivated.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT ACADEMY

There are many things to consider when choosing a jiu-jitsu academy for your child. It is much like choosing an academic college; so the first thing you want to check is if the school provides a curriculum that will guide them through each “Belt Rank” in jiu-jitsu. The standard belt system used in jiu-jitsu belting is White, Gray, Yellow, Orange, and Green. However, this system may vary from one academy to another. What is important is that they have a written curriculum that lays out the requirements to achieve each one of these ranks. Having focused goals to reach are very important for children to keep them motivated in training and to ensure constant growth in jiu-jitsu. The curriculum should have a strong focus on “Self-Defense” tactics that will teach children how to defend themselves if ever put in a life-threatening situation. Jiu-jitsu is not only a proven martial art discipline for self-defense, it is also a great sport for kids. As your child gets more involved in jiu-jitsu he or she may want to become a jiu-jitsu competitor, so check to see if the academy has a youth competition team your child can join.

White/ Yellow Belt 4-15 Yrs. Old

Yellow Belt 4-15 Yrs. Old

Orange Belt 10-15 Yrs. Old Green Belt 13-15 Yrs. Old Blue Belt 16 Yrs Old and Up

Black Stripe: Commitment

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CHOOSING THE RIGHT INSTRUCTOR M

ost children have high energy levels that need to be driven in the right direction. This means choosing a mentor that will aid your child in reaching his or her full potential; it is perhaps one of the most important things to consider. Most schools will do a one-on-one intro class with children to get them started in the school. This intro class may be great, but it is important not to “sign up” until you see an actual class yourself. One easy way to tell what a jiu-jitsu instructor is truly capable of is watching the students of the instructor. Ask to sit in on a class and see how the students behave, how they move, how their jiu-jitsu skills appear, and how the instructor interacts with them.

The class should look disciplined and organized, and have a high level of energy.

The students should appear focused, while having a lot of fun at the same time.

The preferred belt rank of the instructor is “Black Belt”; however, this is not essential.

Master Ali and his A-Team Jiu Jitsu has made quite a name for themselves in competition.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT ATMOSPHERE FOR YOUR CHILD Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu schools can have many different atmospheres surrounding the classes. This is all based on the ethics and guidelines of the particular academy. You want the environment to be family friendly and positive.

The things that will determine this are a combination of the instructor, classmates, families, and academy staff.

The growth of your child in jiu-jitsu is made up of 50% the instructor and 50% the classmates. This means you will want to evaluate the students in the class to make sure these are the children you want influencing your child on a daily basis. You must remember that kids will be kids, so make sure your evaluation scale is not too harsh.

Picking the right school and instructor is key for success.

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feature

CHOOSING THE RIGHT ACADEMY THAT MEETS YOUR NEEDS AS A PARENT

Every parent has certain needs they require in order for an academy to work within their lifestyle. Some of these basic needs include a good geographic location and a schedule that works for your family. Make sure the location of the school is suitable for you to take your child to classes on a regular basis and that the schedule is doable for you. If you work late, you may want to see if the academy has an After School Program your child can attend. Again, choosing the right academy of jiu-jitsu is very similar to choosing an academic college. This means that just because the school is right around the corner from your home, it does not necessarily mean this is the right school for your child.

Glass between parents and students is a great idea.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT UNIFORM OR APPAREL FOR

JIU-JITSU That is the Gi.

Some schools will already have a standard uniform that every student must wear to represent the academy. This is great because the work is already done for you. However, many schools don’t have a standard uniform which means you will need to get your own. You will typically need a uniform for both “Gi” and “No-Gi” training. The Gi uniform is a combination of a heavy grade jacket top, pants, and a white belt. The No-Gi uniform is a combination of grappling shorts and a tight fitting, grappling, rash guard shirt. There are many companies that make the gear you will need.

Many companies make both Gi and No-Gi uniforms that vary in price and quality. Some schools may require you to have a mouthpiece and groin cup as well, but every school has different standards.

If you follow this parents’ guide to getting your child started in jiu-jitsu, you should be on your way to success. Now, all you have to do is kick back and enjoy watching your child grow as a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu artist.

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technique

G N I S PAS

D R A U G A R I E I V O F L O D you O s R w o h s d n easy a with

look t i s e k a m He l. l e w s a o t how

words: MIKE VELEZ and MARCELO CARVALHO photos: JASON BOULANGER

Pass on the left or the right?

HE LAST YEAR COUPLE OF YEARS HAVE BEEN VERY GOOD FOR A YOUNG MAN NAMED RODOLFO VIEIRA. BUT EVEN BEFORE ALL HIS RECENT GLORY, THOSE IN THE JIU-JITSU COMMUNITY ALREADY KNEW HIS NAME, AND MANY BLACK BELTS WERE LOOKING OVER THEIR SHOULDERS WAITING AND WATCHING FOR HIM. In 2009, Rodolfo won the World Pro Cup Brazilian trials as a brown belt against many formidable black belts. This earned him the nickname “The Black Belt Hunter.” Since then, he’s earned his black belt and he still continues to represent that nickname well. In 2011, he exploded onto the international scene, winning both his heavyweight division and the absolute at the Pan Ams, the IBJJF Worlds, the World Pro Cup, and the World Pro Cup Trials. Yeah, it was a very good year. This year, he’s managed to win both his weight and the absolute at the European Open, and he took gold at the 2012 Worlds as a heavyweight.

Rodolfo began training jiu-jitsu under coaches Arlans Maia and Bruno Souza, to lose weight, when he was 13 years old. He earned his blue belt with them, and then moved to what is now known as GFT (Grappling Fight Team) under the team’s leader, Julio Cesar Pereira. Today, Rodolfo is clearly one of the top jiu-jitsu athletes in the world. He is known for his simple, yet effective game. If he’s in guard, he passes, moves to the top, and submits.

Easy as one-two-three! For this article we got together with Rodolfo at GFT USA Headquarters, Global Jiu Jitsu while he was in town for the Worlds, and he showed us how to pass any guard on the way to submission.

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JJM: Your game seems to be passing guard, and getting to the submission. Would you say that’s your comfort zone?

RV: My comfort zone is to make my opponent

uncomfortable. I just feel good when he’s feeling bad. So, in a fight, I always try to put my opponent in a very bad position, which is good for me. I like very much to get the back. That’s where I’m most comfortable, then side mount, and mount. Those are my comfort positions.

JJM: When you’re not on top then what?

RV: I’m very used to playing all types of guards.

JJM: The weeks before a big tournament how does your mentality change? How do you adjust to getting ready for a big competition of specific opponents you

specific person. I train and my opponent has to figure out how to follow me. I always dictate my rhythm; I never follow someone else’s rhythm.

I’m always trying to be the one to dictate the rhythm of the fight. I’m not going to give any space for them to think. I always attack first. I try to not think too much about the competition.

The most important tournament in the world, it’s a lot of pressure, especially because I’m the current champ. With my friends around training and talking, and having fun, I really try not to think too much about the tournament. If I think too much about it, I’m torturing myself with pressure. So I try to distract myself from the pressure. I don’t really begin to strategize until about two or three days before a competition.

JJM: At what point in your training did you recognize that you had a specific style that would be yours? Was there a specific moment when you realized this was your game?

RV: All the positions that you train in, that you

to be good at that. So maybe you stop searching for other techniques. Then he’s going to fight other guys that defend omoplata pretty well and he won’t be able to sweep because they’re ready for it. You always have to search, improve your entire game, guards, and the basics. In the beginning I was just a passer, I never tried to take down. And then I started to fight in more important tournaments and the guys were better standing up. Then I focused on guard. Then I started to train judo and got more comfortable standing up. Now I feel comfortable on the bottom and top, all over.

JJM: What’s the best advice that’s been given to you?

RV: Julio (Julio Cesar Pereira), he always tells

me, “You can do it, you can do it!” He’s always believed in me, since the beginning to today. He believes I can do it. That’s him. Very encouraging.

I now believe that I can do it, too, all the time thanks to that encouragement.

believe in, and repeat, those are going to become strong positions for you. So the person that gets used to omoplata, omoplata, omoplata, he’s going

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Guess it depends on what you’re passing.

I train from every position, but in tournaments I always try to get on top. In my opinion, when you get your black belt you have to be ready for anything. So, I am comfortable on the bottom, and in my last fight I proved that I have a little bit of a guard against Andre, and the guys over there.

I just need to trust myself a little more during tournaments on the bottom. But if I get down there, I try to keep cool and try to sweep out.

know that you’ll be in a bracket with?

RV: When I train there’s no way to think of a

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technique

Pass from Closed Guard Step 1 Whatever you do, don’t put your hands to his sides, or relax your posture so that he can pull you into him.

Step 2 Secure both of his lapels together with one hand, in this case the left, and maintain pressure against his abdomen and hip with your right. Don’t go too high up on the lapel, mid chest is fine. If you go too high up, towards his neck, it will require you to extend yourself too far forward and be open for a clinch.

Step 3 On the side of your body that you have your hand on his abdomen or hip, lift that side knee off the mat and bring your foot to step on the mat. As you do this, twist your hips slightly to that right side. If you don’t, if you stay facing forward, you could find yourself off balance and susceptible to a sweep.

Step 4 Now, with your left arm extended on your opponent’s chest, holding his gi, lean forward placing pressure on his chest, and bring your left foot up to the mat to stand.

Step 5 As you stand, let go of his gi at the lapels and grab a hold of his left cuff at the end of his sleeve with your right arm. At the same time, bring that right elbow in between his left knee and your body.

It’s all in the crumble.

Step 6

If he tries to grab your left hand, you must break his grip, either by rotating your arm away or pulling back hard against his grip. With your right elbow putting pressure on his left knee, take your right hand and place it on his right knee.

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Step 7 This is the money shot. With force, push down on his right knee with your left hand, and between his left knee and your body. As you do this and you feel his feet uncross, “crumble” down on him as he falls to the mat.

Step 9 At this point, you’re going to be on top of him, left knee over his thigh and your right side against the inside of his left leg. Reach your left hand around the back of his neck so the crook of your elbow is against his neck and maintain pressure forward.

Half Guard Pass

Step 8 As you “crumble” be sure to push that right knee all the way to the mat and move forward so your left knee passes over his right thigh.

Step 10 Windshield wiper your legs over his right leg to clear it, continue forward, pressure, and settle into side control.

Step 1 Trapped in your opponent’s half guard, settle to your side on the mat with your left arm between his neck and right shoulder.

Look to get an under hook on his left arm. As soon as you see the opportunity, shoot your right arm under his left, and shift your hips up so you’re no longer on your side, but on your knees.

Step 2

Rodolfo Feature.indd 4

Did you shift?

Once you’ve shifted your weight and you’re on your knees, extend your left leg out, basing on the mat and pushing forward pressure into him.

Your right leg is still trapped between his so it’s important that you keep the pressure on to tweak his body.

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technique

Step 3 Work your right hand, which is under his left arm and shoulder, into his collar near his neck, four-fingers in.

Once you have that grasp, bring your head over to his right side, and trap the back of his right arm at the triceps with your left hand.

You’ve probably noticed by now that some of these captions are funny, some aren’t, some make sense, others don’t.

Step 4

Now, maintain pressure on all your grips and shoot your left leg out against the mat for more pressure.

Tweak his body to his left with your controls and look to slide your right knee over his thigh and down to the mat.

Step 5 At this point, he’ll still have your right foot trapped, but your base and pressure will allow you to safely bring your left foot over, to pry his right knee downward. This should give you enough room to escape your foot free.

Step 6 Once your foot is free, continue the pressure towards his left side and move into a side control position.

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Head Stand Butterfly Pass Step 1

From your opponent’s butterfly guard, stand out the leg that’s on the opposite side of his arm that’s wrapped around you, or securing you.

In this case, it’s the right, to the mat. So, now he has his right leg inside against your left knee and the other leg on the mat.

Step 2 Reach over his arm that’s wrapped around you to secure his gi or belt from behind. At the same time, grab a hold of his left knee, lean forward, and push his knee to the mat.

Step 3 Continue pushing forward and bring your head to the mat, to his right side. As soon as your head is planted on the mat, kick up your left leg first, followed by your right, and swing both over the top of his body far enough to clear him.

Step 4 In a smooth motion, after you sense you’ve cleared his legs, drop back down to his right side.

Step 5 Once your knees are down on the mat, confirm your control of his neck and establish your side control.

Oh no, you’re getting a glimpse behind the curtain.

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technique

Standing Spider Guard Pass Step 1 In order to pass his spider guard you’re going to have to get his foot off one of your biceps. To do this, pick a side, in this case your right.

Grab a hold of his pants, below the knee, and force that leg down. This will force his foot off your bicep.

Step 2 As soon as you’ve gotten that foot off your arm, step back in order for him to maintain control of you. He’ll be forced to sit up slightly.

Step 4 As you step to his right, keep a hold of your grips on his pants to control him from regaining guard.

At this point, the direction you take will depend on what your opponent does. If he lets go of your right sleeve, then simply let go of his left leg and pass your right arm over his right leg and down to his left lapel. At this point, continue to push his right leg down and fall into side control on his right side.

Step 3 Lean to your left slightly to get him off balance, then with one “explosive” thrust, rotate your entire body to your right hand side stepping your left leg over to his right side. The force of your thrust will break his control of your left side.

Step 5 If he doesn’t let go of your sleeve continue applying pressure to your left and step over his head and body with your left leg.

Step 6

Step 7 Get heavy on top of him to flatten him onto his back and use your left hand grip on his right pant leg to flatten him out completely. Move into a side control position.

Hopefully little is lost in translation.

Once you’ve cleared his body let go of your right grip on his pants and continue bringing your right leg over his body while bringing your right hand around his back.

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technique

De La Riva Pass Step 1 On the side that he’s got wrapped around your leg, lean forward and grab his lapel on that side. With your other hand, your left, grab a hold of his pant leg below the knee.

Step 2 More than likely if he’s doing the De La Riva correctly he’ll have his left hand on the back of your right ankle. So, if that’s the case, quickly move your grip from his lapel to his left wrist.

Step 3 Pull hard on that left wrist to break his grip on your left ankle.

Step 4 As soon as your ankle is free from his grip, grab his left pant leg at the knee and control it. At the same time, step your right leg back to clear his left foot.

Step 5

Move quick on that one.

With force, push his left knee across his own body and step to your right toward him. Bring your left knee down on his belly and guess what, you’ve passed and are now in a knee on belly control situation.

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X-Guard Pass Step 1 You’re in your opponent’s X-Guard. He has one leg, your right, wrapped against his neck and arm. The other leg is trapped by his legs being crossed beneath yours.

The first thing you need to do is grip his gi fabric over his right shoulder with your right arm.

This is his free arm that’s not capturing your leg.

Step 3

Step 2

Squat down and get low, he’s more than going to grab likely onto your gi lapel that’s cl This is no pr osest. oblem. With yo ur other hand your left, grab , onto his right pant leg just the knee. Even below though his le gs are crossed, knee should his be exposed fo r you to grab .

As with many of Rodolfo’s passes this is a power move as well. In one motion push down hard on that right leg of his, breaking his cross and at the same time, step your left leg up and back. It’s important to push his right leg down to the mat to bring his left leg forward. Not doing this can make it more likely that he can trap your left leg as you step over.

Step 5 Once you have control of that left arm, and have forced his shoulders to the mat and put weight on his hips, you can step your right leg down, bringing your knee to his neck, to establish side control. Be aware of his left arm. If it’s between your legs try to get it out and between your right thigh and hip.

Rodolfo Feature.indd 9

Step 3 is where the magic happens on this one.

Step 4 Once your left leg has cleared his, bring that knee to his hip, and shift your focus to his far right arm. Bring your left arm under his right arm and grab a hold of your own right wrist. Maintain pressure.

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technique

BONUS FINISHES! T

he subject of this feature with Rodolfo is on the pass, but we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to go over a few of his favorite finishes.

Reverse Ezekiel

T

his is a cool little finish that you can use once you’ve taken your opponent’s back.

Step 1 You’re on his back with one arm, the right, reached beneath his right arm.

He’s doing a good job of blocking your grip of his gi, so instead, reach around to grasp his shoulder as deep as you can.

Step 2

Couldn’t interview Rodolfo without some finishes!

With your right hand find your own left cuff and secure a four-finger grip inside your own left cuff (yes, this is legal) and place pressure on his head with your head to lean him forward.

Step 4 Push your hand forward against his neck by pulling your left elbow back. The grasp of your cuff with your left hand is the pivot point.

Lean forward if it’s an option, and continue applying pressure to the back of his neck until you finish. Ideally, you’ll have your left arm deep enough so the blade of your hand, or wrist, is putting pressure on his right side carotid artery.

Step 3 Once you have your grip in your sleeve cuff, pressure forward and pivot your left arm around so that forearm is as deep as possible behind his neck.

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Collar Choke From Half Guard

T

his one is a great option when you have one hand deep in the collar, yet you can’t get a hold of the other shoulder fabric.

Step 1

his half guard, You’re stuck in your right t ge but able to e his right sid in ep de nd ha u can go. yo as collar as far

Step 2

This one is a bit similar to one Kayron showed us last time, but different enough.

You attempt to grab his left side gi above the shoulder, but either he defends well or you can’t get a good hold of the fabric to complete the choke.

Instead, pressure into him leaning forward and reach across his back with your left hand and grab his belt or the back of his pants. It’s important that you have your left arm elbow down against his back and near the mat.

Step 3 Pulling up on his collar with your right arm, shift your weight to your left side and get heavy onto his neck. You’re placing pressure against this neck and forcing it into your right hand, which is on his collar. Curl your right wrist if needed, to apply a little extra pressure to complete the choke.

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spotlight

ALI

MONFARDI words: DEB BLYTH

photos: MIKE CALIMBAS & PERSONAL ARCHIVE

F

Very inspirational.

or most athletes, the thought of becoming a Jiu-Jitsu World Champion is unfathomable, but becoming the first person to bring a gold medal home to your country in a martial art is simply beyond compare…

Attention-grabbing stories

Jiu-Jitsu in the Kingdom

There was a lot of excitement and drama at the 2012 Worlds this year, which everyone from the stands to the mats could see and feel. But at every tournament, just like in every jiu-jitsu school, there are always those intriguing, inspirational, behind the scenes stories that the public doesn’t see or hear about, unless you’re a teammate, friend, family member, or if someone (like me) brings them to your attention. As you can well imagine, the amount of people flying in from all parts of the world to attend the Mundials can only bring a myriad of stories with them – feats of beating the odds, overcoming adversity, and the sacrifice, dedication and hard work it takes to compete and hold your own at such a high level tournament.

This year, 18-year-old Ali Monfaradi caught my eye as he competed in the lightweight, blue belt adult division at the Worlds. Ali is from a small Middle-Eastern country known as the Kingdom of Bahrain. He’s been training in jiu-jitsu since he was 12 years old at Alliance Bahrain, under his uncle, Reza Monfaradi. Ali’s father and his two younger brothers train in jiu-jitsu as well.

“I won a bronze medal at adult blue belt. This was the first time anyone has ever won any kind of medal in a martial art in the Kingdom of Bahrain!”

His dad is a brown belt, and one of his younger brothers is a blue belt; the other a white belt.

Jiu-Jitsu is not a popular sport in Bahrain, and there are few practitioners at his academy, but Ali and his family love it and train diligently in the sport. Ali especially has a penchant for fighting in the open class. And because Ali is not a very big guy, his bigger and heavier teammates constantly challenge him. “I think the training in Bahrain made a small guy like me love to fight in the absolute division,” he laughs, “My dad is even smaller than me, so I guess I got this habit from him!”

Ali gets his blue belt and makes history Not long after Ali turned 16 years old, he received his blue belt from his Uncle Reza. When

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he turned 17 last year, he traveled to Long Beach, California to the Worlds, and won Bahrain’s very first ever medal in a martial art. “Last year, right after I finished my high school’s final exams, and even before my graduation ceremony, I fought at the Mundials,” Ali boasts, “I won a bronze medal at adult blue belt. This was the first time anyone has ever won any kind of medal in a martial art in the Kingdom of Bahrain!” Can you imagine the feeling of bringing your country’s first medal home? But wait…it gets better.

Shortly thereafter, Ali moved to Sao Paulo, Brazil, in order to train with Master Fabio Gurgel, at the Alliance headquarters. “I decided to do this in order to take my training to the next level,”

Ali’s remarkable 2012 year Ali recently turned 18, and has had a recordbreaking year so far. He closed out the bracket in his lightweight division at the Pan Americans and took third place in the absolute. Then he turned his attention to the Worlds. “The World

Championships this year were unbelievable,” says an awestruck Ali, “I had a total of seven matches in my division. I finished two with chokes from the back, and four matches by points. In my final match, I won by two advantages to one.” In the absolute, Ali got a bye in his first match because his opponent did not show up, and then he went on to face three much heavier guys than him. “I won my first match by two advantages to one, the second with a choke from the back, and I lost in the final, two points to zero.” This gave Ali a gold medal in his lightweight division and a silver in the absolute.

Ali makes history in the Kingdom More importantly, Ali became the first athlete to ever bring home a gold medal in a martial art to the Kingdom of Bahrain. But as a competitive

Spotlight 8.indd 2

Good for the country.

Ali moves to Brazil to improve his game

Ali says, “I also wanted to use this opportunity to study Portuguese as a language, and then continue my studies there as well.” Ali worked hard over the next year, fueled by his success at the 2011 Worlds, and wanting something even greater for the 2012 event. He says that training at Alliance Headquarters was more than he could have ever imagined and the changes he made over the last year, transformed him, his life, and his game completely.

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spotlight athlete, the experience is only as good as one’s drive and perfectionism will allow it to be, so, you won’t be surprised to hear that, although he was happy with his big, history-making win, his second place finish in the open class was bittersweet. “This was the first World Championship in history, of any martial art, to be won by someone from Bahrain,” Ali says, “The final of the absolute division was a bonus for me. It just added to my joy, although I was disappointed that I came in second place, having lost by only two points. Winning the absolute division as a lightweight would have been extraordinary for me.”

Ali reflects on his achievements Ali says that his accomplishments in jiu-jitsu thus far mean a lot to him, but are nothing close to where his long-term dreams will take him.

However, he does acknowledge the sacrifices he’s made to become a world champion. He left the comfort of his home, his family, his good friends, and moved thousands of miles away to a new country where he struggled with his studies, and tried to learn a completely new language, just to be able to improve his jiu-jitsu game and realize his dreams in the sport. “Don’t get me wrong, I have no problem with doing any of this,” he says, “It is a very small price to pay to be able to do what I love, with the best of the best. Nevertheless, I now feel rewarded, and more than ever, I feel that I did the right thing by moving to Brazil to study with Master Fabio Gurgel.”

The action shots are from Mike.

Ali the purple belt

Shortly after his Worlds achievement, Ali received his purple belt from Fabio Gurgel.

He’s currently in the middle of his final exams at his university. He says he was a little worried about them, since they’re in Portuguese, but thankfully, things seem to be going well for him. He’s continuing to train very hard as usual, and is getting ready to compete at purple belt at the Rio Open and the Sao Paulo Open. “I am so thankful to my uncle, Reza Monfaradi, for bringing me into jiu-jitsu,” Ali says, “He constantly supports me in every way possible. I owe everything to this man. I really do admire him. I am also grateful to my master, Fabio Gurgel, who is not only behind my current success, but our entire team. And although I’ve finally accomplished a lifelong dream, this is nothing compared to what I have planned. I have many aspirations, and winning the Worlds Championship this year really gave me the push I needed to keep going. I want to be known as one of the most technical fighters in history. I want to contribute so much that I leave a permanent mark on our sport, but my biggest dream is to be the first lightweight, at black belt level, to win the absolute division.” That will be yet another first for the Kingdom, which awaits this good news, as does the rest of the jiu-jitsu community.

ALI

MONFARDI

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gear lab

Ring To Cage

ELITE BJJ KIMONO $149.95

ringtocage.com

Jeremy tested this gi in Vegas. Vegas Baby, Vegas!

I

t’s time again for the JJM Gear Lab to look at and examine another jiu-jitsu gi.

The Gear Lab takes gis through tests, inspections and rolling sessions to see how they measure up. This issue we will be looking at the Ring to Cage “Elite” BJJ Kimono in Black.

SIZE AND SHRINKAGE The Ring to Cage website has a great sizing chart on their website. It gives all the measurements of the gi, as well as the traditional height/weight suggestions. This can be very beneficial, especially if you find yourself between sizes. Our sample was an A2. The jacket of the Ring to Cage gi fit a little on the larger side out of the bag, almost like a judo gi compared to other A2’s I’ve worn. Upon washing, it shrank to a fairly more snug form fit, more like a jiu-jitsu gi. One thing I noticed with

the Elite gi is that the sleeves shrank a considerable amount (see chart). It isn’t a major concern, just something to be aware of when you wash it, especially if you have longer arms. The gi pants fit very well with slight shrinkage in length. Overall, the sizing of the gi is normal for an A2, however, if you are on the longer side when it comes to arm and legs, you may want to opt for one size up.

QUALITY The Elite gi is a very well made gi. It’s woven from a 550 gram pearl weave material, and cut from one-piece, with no seams in the back. It has the standard double layer reinforcement in the important stress zones. The sleeve cuffs and pant openings also have extra support to deal with the extreme gripping and tugging that is standard for these areas. Combine this with the triple stitching in all the key areas and you have the makings of

a high quality gi. The collar is a foam core and has a thick feel to it. The Elite gi is very tough and durable. It’s withstood numerous long and strenuous training sessions with no signs of wear or breakdown. Everything has held up and still appears brand new, in spite of it being twisted and tugged on relentlessly. It truly has stood up to the test thus far. Even with the toughness and durability of this gi, it is remarkably comfortable.

The feeling and thought of pajama pants came to mind the first time I wore the gi pants. They have also remained soft and comfortable through multiple training sessions and washes. The pants are a 12 oz. twill cotton with a soft pearl weave gusset. They’ve very comfortable, but did feel a little heavy, especially during those sweaty training sessions. Thankfully, that little bit of extra weight was more than made up for in durability and comfort. The rope drawstring is a great addition,

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A

Shrink Me?

TRY IT!

D

BRAND NEW

AFTER X3 WASHES AT 65-DEGREES F

A 61”

59”

B 32.5”

31.5”

C 25”

24”

D 23”

22.5”

E 35”

34.2”

STYLE AND DESIGN The Elite gi comes plain with no large patches.

The only advertisement is a small patch on the left arm and on the bottom of the lapel that are both almost unnoticeable. This gives you the ability and option to leave it as is or patch it up as you like.

You can really get creative with all the room you have. The green contrast stitching looks amazing on the black gi and gives it that little extra flair

E C

that makes it appear more than just a plain gi. The green drawstring also helps give it a little more style without being over the top. It holds a special place with me as green is my favorite color and I have been searching for a green contrast stitched gi for some time. The design is enough to be stylish and modern. It isn’t too flashy looking, like a costume or billboard. Simply, you will get noticed while still looking like you’re wearing a traditional jiu-jitsu gi. If you’re not a fan of the black gi, it also comes in white with green stitching, and blue with white stitching.

CONCLUSION The Ring to Cage Elite gi is a great, high quality, and durable gi. It can be good in competition or as a workhorse training gi. The design and style adds

to its appeal without taking anything away from the construction of the gi. While you need to be careful and plan ahead with the sizing, especially regarding sleeve length, the overall toughness and durability are remarkable. With its modest price tag of $149.95, it is definitely a great value. The Ring to Cage Elite gi should make for a great addition to anyone’s gi collection.

VERDICT Great gi, good price, not a well-known name brand, but don’t let that dissuade you.

4

Performance: Value: Overall:

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You can save some dough on this gi, just gotta now where to look. Cough pg 55, cough...

especially compared to a flat cotton drawstring.

The rope drawstring keeps the pants right where you want them, without the fear of them loosening up after a long training session. There are six loop points for the drawstring. The drawstring was on the longer side, and thick, which can cause for a large knot that can be distracting when rolling.

You definitely do not have to worry about losing the string in the pants.

B

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gear lab

Damage Control

CUSTOM FITTED BJJ MOUTHGUARD $159.99

dcmouthguards.com

H

aving boxed for a couple of years before beginning my jiu-jitsu life, I was trained to always put in a mouth guard before sparring or any sort of contact training. After my first few classes of jiu-jitsu, I was shocked that only a small percentage of students took the time to put their mouth guards in. I’m still shocked to this day that more and more jiu-jitsu practitioners don’t wear a mouth guard when they roll. I’m a huge proponent of mouthguards in general, for everyone who rolls.

That also gives me over five years of experience with a variety of mouth guards when writing up this test of the Damage Control Custom Fitted BJJ Mouthguard.

THE PROCESS So, how do you get a custom fitted mouthguard without visiting your dentist? Well, the folks at Damage Control (DC) have that covered. When you order a mouthguard from DC, they send you a box loaded with a simple boil-and-bite football style mouthguard, a two-part epoxy resin to take your fitting, instructions, and a link to a very easy to follow and informative web video on taking the correct fitting. Thanks to the video, the fitting process is very easy and doesn’t take long at all. I got my fitting correct on the first try, and it took only a few minutes. Once I was done, I filled out the order slip, and mailed the box back to DC, which is located in New Mexico. In less than a week I got back my custom fitted mouthpieces, made just for me.

If you like chewing your food you should really look into getting one of these.

FIT AND FEEL

The mouthguard fit me perfectly. It was tight enough to stay in place, but not too tight where I felt my parent’s investment in braces was in jeopardy.

When in place over my upper teeth, the mouthguard itself goes up past my gum line, just below my inside lip, and wraps all the way back to just below my inside gum line. All of my upper teeth are covered, and at the back, it comes to about half of my furthest back Molar. I’ve had my wisdom teeth removed. One of the questions on the order slip is whether or not you have a strong gag reflex. I do not, but if I did, the cut would have been slightly different to reduce the chances of gagging when installed. With the mouthguard in place, it sticks tightly to your upper teeth. This gives you the ability to open your mouth and breath just like you regularly would.

Overall, the fit and feel is excellent.

DESIGN The DC Mouthguard was designed by Dr. Vesna Delic DDS and her husband Delano Romero. The good doctor has been practicing dentistry for over 10 years. The specific materials used in the mouthguard are proprietary, but Delano did share with us the fact that the material choice and thickness was developed with a National Research Laboratory research grant, which also happens to be located in their home town of Albuquerque. The Lab helped determine the best choice for protection along with the optimal thickness for dental protection. Damage Control offers the ability for you to customize your mouthguard with your school logo, belt rank, and name. We took them up on that and also got one with our “JJM” logo on it. Very sharp!

IN USE As I mentioned earlier, the fit was perfect, there was no gagging, and the designs looked slick. We actually got our hands on these back in February and have been using them daily ever since. As for protection, they’ve worked flawlessly - zero tooth damage while the mouthguard was in place. During that time, I failed to wear it during a drill, and wouldn’t you know, I got a slightly chipped tooth. Lesson learned and now I’m wearing my mouthguard every time I hit the mats. During that time, I did have some pretty hard impacts from elbows and other appendages that inadvertently get thrown from time to time. In fact, one impact was so hard that I noticed a bite mark into the mouthguard immediately following. This would have no doubt resulted in a trip to the dentist had I not been using protection! Through use, the only sign of wear was the fact that on my black mouthguard the layer of clear material that forms the bottom of the mouthguard began to separate from the opaque portion. The ability to protect didn’t appear to be diminished, however, saliva was getting trapped between the two layers. This could be difficult to clean and could pose a health risk to me if not cleaned properly. I made a call to DC and they informed me that this rarely, but sometimes does happen. Their advice was to heat the clear portion gently with a blow dryer and as soon as it becomes pliable, push it back into place.

I did this and the two parts did, in fact, adhere to each other.

CONCLUSION Being a fan of dental protection, I was immediately sold on the DC Custom Fit. The design is great, it’s made for jiu-jitsu combatants, and it’s not cumbersome at all. It’s comfortable, it gave me plenty of protection, and it looked pretty cool. I’m sure my opponents were shaking in their gis when I snapped the custom mouthguard into place. Another reason for using a mouthguard, custom or not, is the ability to defend the choke better. The mouthguard allows you to clinch your teeth and lock your jaw into place to continue breathing without fear of chipping or damaging your teeth.

Speaking of damaged teeth, have you been to a dentist lately? It sucks. Not only does it hurt, it’s expensive. Spending $160 for something that will last you at least a year, depending on how often you roll and how well you take care of it, is a small investment to help keep you out of a dentist’s chair for anything other than a routine cleaning. I think EVERYONE who rolls should wear some sort of mouthguard, and I can also highly recommend the Damage Control Custom Fitted BJJ Mouthguard to anyone who likes his or her grill and wants to keep it.

VERDICT If you’re not wearing a mouthguard you should be, and the DC Custom Fitted works very well. It’s pricey versus a boiland-bite, but it performs perfectly.

Performance: Value: Overall:

4

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SixDigits Productions

KENNY JOHNSON’S BOLT WRESTLING DVD The White Bolt Series $47.99

boltwrestling.com

I

n the interest of full disclosure, we must inform you that Kenny Johnson, the author of this DVD being reviewed, is a regular contributor to the magazine and an all-around great guy.

Kenny Johnson is a well-respected and very experienced wrestler who’s competed at every level throughout his life. He’s coached many UFC fighters including BJ Penn, Jose Aldo, Anderson Silva, Lyoto Machida, and many others. He’s also a jiu-jitsu purple belt, and has the ability to identify and instruct wrestling techniques that can easily be adapted for use in jiujitsu and MMA. That’s why top guys go to Kenny when they have to work on their wrestling game. This is Kenny’s first DVD in his Bolt Wrestling System series.

WHAT IS BOLT WRESTLING? Bolt Wrestling is Kenny’s system of wrestling curriculum designed to teach wrestling to students by breaking down the levels of knowledge by “bolts,” similar to the “belts” we earn in jiu-jitsu. Color ranking is the same: white, blue, purple, brown, and black. The first installment, the White Bolt, is the first DVD that’s for wrestlers and coaches, and goes over all the basic techniques needed to form a solid foundation for any wrestler.

Along with the DVD and future DVDs, Kenny’s designed an entire curriculum that schools can use to add wrestling to their offering that’s standardized from school to school.

THE DVD First off, the production value of this video is amazing. The folks at SixDigits are wizards and the sound, video quality, graphics, transitions, etc. and rival, if not surpass, anything we’ve seen in the jiu-jitsu community. Make no mistake, this DVD is intended to teach wrestling to wrestlers, and it does that perfectly. Kenny has a natural speaking style that comes across clearly, and leaves you asking very few questions after each technique has been taught. It’s evident that Kenny’s been coaching for a while, and to wrestlers at different skill levels.

It truly is an art. Multiple angles and replays really sell each move; and the list of moves is extensive, from stance, tie-ups, takedowns, and more.

As I mentioned before, this is a video for wrestlers about wrestling. There’s very little mention about anything other than wrestling. It’s not tailored for jiu-jitsu, so keep that in mind. It will, however, give you a solid foundation on wrestling techniques, theories, and practices that you can easily adapt to your stand up game. The price is not bad at $47.99, considering the length (134 minutes) and in-depth knowledge being shared.

VERDICT Not specifically for jiu-jitsu, but provides a wealth of information that any jiu-jitsu player can instantly add to their stand up game.

4

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Four seems to be a popular number.

CONCLUSION

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break down

BREAK DOWN KNEEBAR words: MIKE VELEZ | photos: MIKE LEE

NE OF THE FIRST FINISHES WE LEARN AS A WHITE BELT IS THE BASIC ARMBAR. At that level it’s pretty common for your opponent to leave those arms out by his side and present the perfect target of opportunity. The mechanics of the kneebar are almost identical. But in IBJJF rules, competition kneebars aren’t legal until you reach brown and black belt. And although the mechanics of a kneebar and an armbar are very similar, the knee is not as forgiving as the elbow when it comes to injury. A properly executed kneebar will give your opponent just enough time to tap before injury. However, a kneebar performed with twisting, or reaping, can cause serious injury to him before he even knows he’s being injured. At most submission grappling tournaments (sometimes referred to as no-gi), the rules on kneebars are much more lax. Regardless of your level of experience, it’s important to have a well rounded knowledge of the art, and for that reason we’ve enlisted the help of black belt and rising MMA star Pedro Munhoz.

In this month’s Break Down, Pedro’s going to show us various ways to set your opponent up for a properly executed kneebar, but before we get into the set ups from different positions, let’s look at what it takes to properly execute the submission:

the PROPER EXECUTION Don’t rely on your hands to grab your opponent’s leg to execute the finish. Unlike an armbar where the target appendage (arm) is typically centered on your torso to execute, a well done kneebar will involve you bringing his targeted appendage (leg) to your side. Wrap your arm over the back of the target leg and wrap around it as if to choke the leg.

To give yourself more movement and options, don’t lie flat on the mat. Instead, post up on an elbow. This will allow your body more range of motion to execute the finish.

Like a nicely executed armbar, bring your knees together, squeezing

his thigh and holding it in place.

Also known as Pedro’s Revenge.

Grab the leg with both hands if you need to, in order to pull it up toward you so you have a point of contact above his knee, with either your groin or thigh. (A)

When all the keys are in place, all you have to do is turn away from your opponent, looking away. The twisting of your body will apply pressure to the knee and finish the move. (B) The actual finish is brought on by your thigh or groin applying pressure to his leg above his knee while you keep control of his lower leg and hyperextend the knee joint by causing it to go in an unnatural direction.

A

B

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Defending THE KNEEBAR W

hen you sense you’re falling prey to a knee bar attempt, do any of the following:

Push off on your opponent’s bottom so

their point of pressure (groin or thigh) goes below your knee joint.

Attempt to triangle your

targeted leg with your other leg, so the targeted leg is underneath the crook of your other knee.

IMPROPER KNEEBAR

Grab your opponent’s arm or arms so they can’t

fasten onto your targeted leg.

When finishing a kneebar, simply pulling

back on your opponent’s leg with both arms is not good enough. He can simply grab one of your arms, pull back, and escape the position.

That’s why it’s much better to trap the leg underneath your arm.

Turn your targeted leg to the outside, away from your center,

look to lock something else up or escape as he attempts to reposition.

Breakdown - Kneebar digital.indd 2

Kenny’s having fun, don’t let that face fool you.

In most of the finishes

that Pedro’s going to show you, you’ll notice that his near side leg is bent, with just his knee crossing the leg. If you get into a position where this leg is extended, be sure that your foot is always on your opponent’s hip, or outside of his other leg. If your foot crosses over, between his legs, you will be disqualified for reaping the knee.

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break down

GETTING TO THE KNEEBAR FROM BUTTERFLY GUARD TOP

Step 2 Next, lower your level further and reach in to control your opponent’s upper body at the collar.

This is a transition step. If you’re doing no-gi you don’t need to grab anything, just put your right hand on his chest to control him from sitting up to clinch.

Step 1 Standing over your opponent, look to bring one of your legs between his legs. In this case, Pedro controls his opponent’s left knee, and brings his right leg in between his opponent’s legs.

Step 3 Now, squat lower and pull his right leg up and over your left thigh, bringing his leg to your hip.

Step 5 As you shift your weight to the mat, and dropping to the side of your opponent, cup the back of his right foot with your left hand. Failing to do this will give him an opportunity to cross his feet, greatly reducing your odds of getting a proper hold of that leg.

Step 6

Step 4 d ard, move your right han Bring your right knee forw your th Wi nt. one opp r you of to the mat, to the right e mat, bring your right kne right hand basing on the d. han t righ r you r nea mat over his hip and to the

With your right knee on the mat, drop your right hip to the mat as well, bringing his foot along with you. Base with your right elbow on the mat and quickly wrap your left arm over the back of his right leg.

Step 7

Knee bar’s can be nasty.

With control of his right leg and a pressure point above his knee, in this case your thigh follow the keys in the breakdown: look to your side and apply pressure to the knee to finish.

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break down Step 2

FROM BUTTERFLY BOTTOM

Drop back and to your right, and lift your opponent with your right leg inside his, as if you’re going to a basic butterfly sweep. At this point, you’re banking on the fact that he’s going to sprawl out to defend the sweep. If he does, then move to Step 3. If he doesn’t, sprawl out and defend then go ahead and continue the turn and finish the sweep.

Step 1 Starting from a seated butterfly guard, control your opponent’s right wrist, reach around to his back with your right hand, and grab the belt .

Step 3

Step 4

As soon as he sprawls out to avoid the sweep let go of his belt with your right hand and pass it underneath his leg and your right leg.

Use your right leg as a point to push off against him and spin in place on your back to your left. As soon as you can, grab his left leg to help you rotate around to do it. Your opponent will be forced forward to the mat. When you finish this step your right leg will be between his legs and your left leg will be on the outside of his left leg.

KEY POINTS

Step 5

It shouldn’t bend that way.

At this point, refer to the basics of the kneebar.

Note the position of his kneecap. It should be above your crotch or thigh. Now hook his foot under your arm. Lastly, on this step squeeze your legs together to capture his leg in place.

It’s easy to bait others with

Step 6 Finally, base up a bit with your right elbow on the mat and rotate your upper body to look over your right shoulder to finish the kneebar.

this technique.

You can go for the sweep half heartedly a few times so they know what’s coming.

Eventually, your opponent will definitely base out to avoid the sweep and will give you the space necessary to snake underneath him.

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FROM GUARD PASS

For this one Pedro is in Kenny’s open guard and goes for the pass. Pedro gets his left leg around Kenny’s right and is getting ready to pass his other leg.

Step 1 Squatting down, grab a hold of your opponent’s right leg near the knee with your left hand and grab a hold of his left foot with your right hand. Push down and up on that leg of his, bringing his knee to his chest.

Step 2 As soon as his foot clears your legs, pull it back and up over your right leg close to your hip. As soon as it’s on your hip, bring both of your hands over the top of his knee onto his thigh and hold that leg tight over yours.

Step 3 With your left hand, grab a hold of his left-side gi lapel, and rotate your body slightly to your right so you’re off to the side of him a bit. Keep his right leg against your body, but let go of the grip you had on the knee with your right arm. Bring your arm under his leg below the calf.

Step 4 Continue the rotation, dropping your left knee to the side of his body and pressuring forward as if you’re going to go into side control.

Step 5 Drive forward across his body so you reach the mat with your right hand and head, and continue to grip the gi with your left hand. At this point, you’ll have control of his right leg.

Step 6 Bring your left knee along with you when you have that forward momentum, it should be up and over your opponent’s right side. Continue bringing that knee up and over. Bring that left knee up towards your opponent’s groin so the inside of your left thigh is against the inside of his right thigh.

Step 8 Now to finish, hold onto the leg with your left hand then pass your right arm up and over the back of the leg. Bring your body up off the mat so his leg is in line with you, and thrust your pelvis out to apply pressure and finish.

Step 7 This is a painful read.

Wrap both of your arms around the back of his right leg and hug. You might be able to finish at this point, but at the very least you can use this moment to briefly stabilize the position.

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break down

FROM SIDE CONTROL This technique is very similar to the set up from open guard.

Step 1 From side control, give your opponent enough room to turn into you and get his left leg up between your hip and him. If he doesn’t give you the leg just go ahead and grab it by the back of the knee and pull it in against your hip.

Step 2 Continue to control your opponent’s upper body with your right hand. You can use pressure on his collar or shoulders, but work quickly to disallow his escape. While controlling the upper body pop your left knee up with your foot on the mat.

Slide your left hand down to his foot to hold it tight still on your hip.

Step 3

Step 4

Once you have his leg stretched out and against your hip, move from controlling his upper body to grabbing a hold of his right leg at the knee.

Quickly stand on your left foot and drag your right knee over his left hip so your knee passes over his leg and below his crotch.

Step 5

Step 6 Slide your left elbow underneath you to post up on that elbow, and turn your head and upper body to your left. This movement will exert enough pressure on the knee to finish.

It’s all in the finish.

Bring his leg behind your right arm and wrap your arm around the leg so it’s secured and tight against your body.

As soon as your knee has crossed his crotch squeeze your knees together and fall back to your left side onto the mat. Be sure to bring that left leg of his along with you.

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SINGLE LEG COUNTER Step 1 If your opponent shoots in for a single leg and gets a hold of your right leg, it’s important to not allow him to clear your leg.

You want to fight to keep your right leg between his legs. Don’t let him clear to the front or side.

Step 2 With him controlling your right leg, quickly wrap your right hand around the back of his left arm for control. Lean forward and to your left, and place your left hand on the mat if needed for stability.

Step 3 As you lean forward, bring your left leg around and behind his right leg. In a continuous movement kick your left leg forward against the back of his lower left leg and at the same time, apply pressure backward with your right leg causing him to sit back on the mat. In order for this technique to work, you have to get your left leg deep behind him so it’s actually the front of your thigh that’s making contact with his leg.

Step 5 Now bring his left leg under your right arm, wrapping your arm around the leg.

Step 6

KEY POINTS It’s important to note that this technique is much more difficult if your opponent going for the takedown is a reader of JJM. If he is, then he’d know not to put his head down on the takedown attempt. So, if his head is up and firmly against your chest, you’ll need to add in a step and shove his head down to give you enough time and space to perform the technique.

Breakdown - Kneebar digital.indd 7

Yeah, that’s a tough one.

Post to your left elbow, and look over your left shoulder and finish.

Step 4 As you’re falling back, grab a hold of his left leg with your left hand. Cup your hand around the back of his ankle for control. At this time, also work your right foot from between his legs to over the front of his right hip. If you keep your foot between his legs and finish, you’ll be DQ’d in a jiu-jitsu tournament for reaping the knee, crossing your leg over the knee.

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medic

What a

PAIN IN

THE NECK… OR IS IT? words: DR. JOHN PARK

RAINING IN GRAPPLING SPORTS MEANS WE WILL EVENTUALLY ENCOUNTER SOME SORT OF NECK INJURY. Whether it’s from getting stacked in the guard or from getting submitted in a guillotine choke, neck injuries are an inevitable part of the whole training experience. Fortunately, most neck injuries that occur from training and competition in jiu-jitsu are minor and usually self-limiting. However, a trauma to the neck does not automatically equate to just neck pain. The most common injury to the neck are sprains and strains, but sometimes there are other injuries stemming from the neck that present as pain going down the arms including stingers or burners, and disc bulges or herniations.

ANATOMY OF THE CERVICAL SPINE T

he neck, or cervical spine, is made up of seven vertebrae, six intervertebral discs, and eight pairs of cervical nerves.

Supporting these structures are the ligaments, tendons, and muscles that allow for movement while providing stability at the same time.

STENOCLEIDOMASTOID

LEVATOR SCAPUEA

LONGUS CAPITIS

SCALENES LONGUS COLLI

There’s gold in them thar teeth!

TRAPEZIUS

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CERVICAL SPRAINS AND STRAINS SPRAINS ARE INJURIES TO THE LIGAMENTS

(connective tissues that hold the bones together) while strains are injuries to the muscles. These types of injuries usually resolve within a few weeks with a little rest, anti-inflammatory medication, intermittent ice, and a few modifications to training. A common mechanism of injury for cervical sprains and strains is getting stacked while fighting in the guard. The sudden forceful flexion of the head and neck that occurs can damage the soft tissues in the neck including the ligaments, joint capsule, and muscles. As the shearing force is applied when the chin is forced towards the chest, the resultant microtears in the interspinal ligaments and splenius muscles are what cause the pain. What we usually feel as an aftermath is localized pain that worsens with movement and contraction of the neck muscles.

STINGERS AND BURNERS Stingers, or burners, are something most wrestlers are familiar with. This injury occurs when the head and neck has been stretched sideways towards one shoulder and away from the other. Takedowns, with resultant falls that cause a grappler to land on one side of the head and shoulder, often lead to stingers.

One side of the neck is severely compressed while the other side is stretched to its limit.

The cervical nerves that exit the neck form an interconnected network of nerves that run

down the arm referred to as the brachial plexus.

A compression, or stretching of the nerves, causes a stinging or burning sensation that can travel all the way down the arm and into the fingers. It is also common to experience some weakness in the arms and hands along with a tingling or numb sensation.

Fortunately, the symptoms of a stinger usually only last a few minutes and resolve quickly with few residual side effects. However, the

mechanism of injury for a stinger usually also causes a sprain/strain injury as well. Most BJJ athletes who experience a stinger will usually feel the pain of the stretch and trauma to the ligaments and muscles long after the burning and stinging sensations have resolved. With a little time and rest, the pain of both the stinger and sprain/strain injury should resolve as long as there is no further trauma.

A strong neck is pretty important. Check out Issue 1 for neck strengthening exercises.

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medic

DISC BULGES AND HERNIATIONS

W

ear and tear from hours spent on the mat eventually leads to breakdown of the structures in the neck, especially the intervertebral discs. The six intervertebral discs found in the neck act as shock absorbers and spacers for the vertebrae.

Over time, and with normal aging, it is natural for the discs to degenerate. The soft center of the disc loses its hydration, and the outer layers of cartilage can start to crack and fissure. Normal disc degeneration usually precedes a bulge or herniation in the neck.

When a cervical disc bulges (think of an underinflated tire that bulges outward) it can put pressure on a cervical nerve, which can be felt as neck pain, but also as numbness and tingling in the arm, forearm, and hand.

In more severe cases, a disc can also herniate, in which the soft center leaks outward and pinches the nerve.

The symptoms of a disc bulge or herniation usually last much longer than a stinger, and in more severe cases can lead to weakness, loss of sensation, and muscle atrophy in the upper extremity. It is also common to experience pain in the shoulder and shoulder blade region from a pinched or irritated cervical nerve. It is not uncommon for BJJ athletes to mistake the symptoms of a disc bulge or herniation for a shoulder injury.

Damaged discs can be very painful and cause other problems with your ability to move properly aside from the direct pain.

HOW CAN YOU TELL IF YOU HAVE A DISC PINCHING A NERVE? Test yourself.

Bakody’s test is a simple orthopedic procedure that provides relief for the arm pain and upper extremity numbness or tingling associated with a herniated disc. Raise the affected arm, bend the elbow and place the hand on the head. If this position causes the upper extremity symptoms to disappear, it is referred to as a positive Bakody’s sign and indicates there is a pinched nerve in the neck.

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medic

CISES FOR When to See THE DOCTOR EXER K INJURIES So, when is it appropriate to get your neck evaluated by a physician? Any time you experience severe pain in your neck after a trauma. It is important to rule out possible cervical spine fractures or dislocations, so x-rays are a good start. If you experience pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness in the arms and hands that persists for more than a few days, an evaluation should always be performed. A sports physician or chiropractor should be able to determine whether you have a cervical disc bulge or herniation based on a focused history and physical evaluation. An MRI may be performed to confirm if there is damage to the disc and if there is any spinal cord or nerve root impingement.

NEC 1.

Isometric exercises can be performed using manual resistance or a belt. Use your hand and push your head into it using mild resistance in all directions. Hold the contraction for up to 10-15 seconds and perform several reps throughout the day. As the symptoms improve, you can add resistance and start using your jiu-jitsu belt to wrap around your head for resistance.

2.

Ball retractions and resistance exercises: Place a small beach ball behind your head.

Push the base of your head into the ball and hold for 10-15 seconds. As the discomfort subsides, you can go through a full range of motion with resistance in all directions. Start with 2 sets of 10 reps leading up to 3 sets of 15 reps in all directions.

WHAT TO DO

Dr. John H Park Progressive Spinal & Sports Rehab www.ProSpineRehab.com

Since most neck injuries, including the symptoms related to a cervical disc bulge and herniation, improve over time, rest and the avoidance of re-injury is the best recipe for recovery. Whether it’s a cervical sprain/strain or a stinger, most BJJ athletes will benefit from conservative treatments, including physical therapy, massage, and physiotherapy modalities like electrical stimulation, ultrasound, and traction. Chiropractic adjustments can also be beneficial when the symptoms become less acute. Once an evaluation has been performed, and an accurate diagnosis has been made, a few exercises to improve range of motion followed by strengthening exercises can be initiated.

3.

Manual resistance applied by a partner through a full range of motion should be performed when there is normal range of movement in all directions without pain.

Getting back on the mat too soon can delay the healing process and set you up for further injuries. Time is a much better healer than any doctor is, so letting your body heal itself is critical. Additionally, poor postures and improper seated ergonomics can delay the healing process.

Sitting for long periods of time with your head and neck stooped forward at the computer compresses the discs and places prolonged stress on the neck and shoulder muscles. Frequent breaks to do cervical range of motion exercises and simple stretches will make recovery happen faster. Not being able to get some rolling time in due to injury can be more than just a pain in the neck if you let it.

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defined

JIU-JITSU

DEFINED Terms A-B words: STAFF

Ankle Pick: An offensive move, usually performed during a take down where a combatant grabs his opponent’s ankle and pulls it toward himself in an attempt to bring the opponent to the ground. Typically performed as a single leg take down from standing.

Americana: Also known as a “Key Lock,” the Americana is a shoulder lock that causes flexion in the shoulder and elbow. The targeted arm is extended at the shoulder with a right angle bend at the elbow and the palm facing upward. The aggressor places one arm under the target’s bicep, with the other arm

grabbing the target wrist. The aggressor brings the hand of the arm under the bicep to his own wrist and slides the target arm down towards his lower body, the entire time maintaining at least a 90º angle at the elbow.

This movement will finish the technique (check out the Break Down in issue 4 on the Americana).

Arm Locks: Any single or double joint lock involving the elbow or shoulder joints.

Arm Drag: A technique used aggressively or as a counter to control your opponent’s position by securing one of his arms and “dragging” it into you, or across your body so that his back is to you.

Arte Suave: Portuguese for “Gentle Art” a term used to described Brazilian Jiu JItsu.

BJJ: Acronym for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

We’ll let you guess which letters are coming next time.

Back Door: A term used to describe an escape or counter move that results in the person on the bottom position getting to their opponent’s back, often times with movement through the opponent’s legs.

ARMBAR: T

he granddaddy of all joint submissions. Any arm lock that hyperextends the elbow.

The armbar is typically performed with the attacker perpendicular to this target’s body with one of the target’s arms extended outward, between the legs of the aggressor. The aggressor places both legs over the front of the target and positions the target arm so the elbow is above the aggressor’s groin. The move is executed when the aggressor pulls back on the arm while applying force below the elbow as well, in an effort to hyperextend the elbow joint.

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BACK MOUNT:

A

dominant position where one combatant is behind the other and controlling his movement.

For scoring, the person on the back must get both legs (hooks) in front of the opponent’s legs, without crossing them, for at least three seconds while also controlling his upper body.

Although it doesn’t qualify for points being awarded, the combatant on the back can also triangle his legs for a body triangle to control the back mount.

Base: A term used to describe a combatant’s ability to hold a particular top position or while in another’s guard. Someone that’s characterized as having a strong base is difficult to sweep or move.

Baseball Choke: Sometimes called a “Bat Choke,” this is a collar choke given its name because the position of your hands resemble the same type of placement you would have if you were gripping a baseball bat.

BRIDGE: A

lso known as an “Upa.” While under someone’s mount, a bridge occurs when the person on bottom lifts his hips off the mat and pushes off with his feet and shoulders.

The bridge is often followed with a twist or other movement to foster the escape.

Body Lock: A clinch where the aggressor has his arms wrapped and joined around an opponent, one or both of the opponent’s arms can be pinned against his body. The relative position of the two can vary, but for jiu jitsu typically the aggressor has his arms wrapped just above his opponent’s hips. This is a strong position to have and usually leads to a takedown.

Butterfly Guard: A form of open guard where the person on the bottom has both of his ankles hooked in between the legs of his opponent, and has control of the upper body to some degree using his arms. It’s a transitional guard, usually leading to a sweep from the bottom because of the power being able to be harnessed from the legs.

See, it’s like holding a bat.

Belt System: as with most martial arts, jiu jitsu uses a belt ranking system to signify varying levels of technical knowledge and practical skill. In the adult ranks, the order progresses from white, to blue, to purple, to brown, to black, to coral (red and black), to red.

Some schools promote rank through a subjective evaluation of skills and technique, while others promote through a specific evaluation involving a specific test for each belt or degree. Degrees are given through each belt process. From white through brown a new belt is awarded on the 5th degree. At black, coral is awarded at the 7th degree, and red is awarded at the 9th degree.

Breakfall: A technique used to dissipate and distribute the force of a fall to the mat.

This is typically done by slapping your palm, or foot down onto the mat and exhaling upon impact to loosen the body and avoid injury.

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STRENGTH & CONDITIONING

EXPLODE WITH

INTERVAL TRAINING WORDS: Jeremy Reid

I

NTERVAL TRAINING HAS BEEN GAINING POPULARITY OVER THE RECENT YEARS AS AN EFFICIENT FORM OF CONDITIONING FOR COMBAT SPORT ATHLETES. However, over time people seem to have focused on the crazy exercises that make people throw up and therefore, have missed the point of this great training tool. The goal of interval training is to train and tax each of the body’s three energy systems. Interval training is also referred to as metabolic training, circuit training, HIIT, and a number of other terms nowadays. While interval training can include a vast array of exercises and prescriptions, I will focus on the basics of what interval training is, so you can understand and create your own interval training program. At the core, interval training involves performing an activity at a certain intensity (usually very high) for a specific period of time, followed by a specific amount of recovery (recovery could be complete rest or a lower intensity). It is a great tool for burning off body fat as well as increasing conditioning. When applied correctly, interval training will take your jiu-jitsu conditioning to a new level.

All systems are go.

ENERGY SYSTEMS

Your body has three basic energy systems used to create energy for mechanical work.

While all three are always “on” and working, during different activities the contribution of each will either increase or decrease to meet energy demands. The contribution of each depends largely on the intensity and duration of the activity. The three energy systems are the ATP-PC immediate energy system, nonoxidative or anaerobic energy systems, and oxidative or aerobic energy systems. To fully understand how and why interval training is effective we must understand exactly what is going on inside each of these energy systems. ATP-PC, also referred to as the phosphagen system, is the primary energy system at the onset of exercise and during short-term max effort activities, usually lasting 10 seconds or less. Activities include short sprints, jumps, shooting for a takedown, exploding for the sweep, etc. After 10 seconds our anaerobic system starts to take over. The anaerobic energy system is the predominant energy system for high intensity activities lasting 20 seconds to 1 or 2 minutes. It is arguably the most dominant energy system in a jiu-jitsu match due to the repetitive high intensity bursts lasting 30 seconds to a minute. Our anaerobic system uses a metabolic process called glycolysis to provide energy. Glycolysis involves the breakdown of glycogen to be converted to energy. Glycogen is a term for the stored form of carbohydrate inside the body. This is why you must pay attention to your carbohydrate intake, especially around your training sessions. After one or two minutes we start to see the aerobic energy system start to take over. The aerobic energy system is the primary energy system used in low intensity and long duration activities. The aerobic energy system is the only energy system that uses oxygen. This makes it capable of creating large amounts of energy; however, because of its dependence on oxygen, this energy production takes a long time. Since Jiu-jitsu matches last longer than a few minutes, there is a strong aerobic contribution. However, due to the bursts of high intensity actions in a match, the anaerobic system is extremely active, with the aerobic system’s primary role to be recovery between bursts and matches. This seems to fit perfectly with interval training as that is what the aerobic system’s role is in interval training.

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ANAEROBIC THRESHOLD

One of the most important concepts when talking about jiu-jitsu conditioning and interval training is your anaerobic threshold. The anaerobic threshold, or lactate threshold, as it is also referred to, is essentially the crossover point between anaerobic and aerobic metabolism. At this point, the body cannot clear metabolic byproducts effectively. This physiological process occurs when pyruvate—an intermediate product of anaerobic metabolism—is produced faster than it can be used aerobically.

This unused pyruvate splits into lactate (lactic acid) and positively charged hydrogen ions; continued exercise above the anaerobic threshold results in accumulation of these ions—acidosis— causing exhaustion and intramuscular pain. So, what does that mean for you? This is the point where you “hit the wall” and it seems as though your body no longer wants to listen to your brain.

Since jiu-jitsu relies heavily on both anaerobic and aerobic energy systems, it is very common for this anaerobic threshold to be reached. But there is good news; we can increase our anaerobic threshold. How? Yup, interval training! By using interval training appropriately we can effectively increase our anaerobic threshold. This means you can work harder and longer during a match without hitting that wall.

Yeah that guy looks exhausted.

EPOC

session, much the same as you catching your breath after a 40 yard sprint except on a much larger level. It’s almost like your body continues to “workout” after your workout ends. In fact, some studies show EPOC to last as long as 16 to 48 hours post exercise! So why is this good?

Well, for a few reasons. One, this has a huge

effect on increasing your conditioning, but it also has a huge effect on fat burning. EPOC is accompanied by an elevated consumption of fuel.

In response, fat stores are broken down and free fatty acids are released into the blood to replenish fuel stores. EPOC is one of the main reasons why interval training is extremely effective.

Strength and Conditioning9.indd 2

Photos on this page were shot by Mike Calimbas.

Another reason interval training is so beneficial is due to EPOC. EPOC, or excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, is a term used to describe the increased rate of oxygen intake following strenuous activity intended to erase the body’s “oxygen debt.” What is referred to as “oxygen debt” is anaerobic energy expenditure. Anaerobic means “without oxygen,” so when our body is working primarily on our anaerobic energy systems, we are working without oxygen.

Well, when that work ceases, our bodies have some catching up to do. We then need oxygen to attempt to return our bodies to a resting homeostatic state. This oxygen is used in hormone balancing, replenishment of fuel stores, cellular repair, and anabolism. EPOC replenishes the phosphagen system. New ATP is synthesized and some of this ATP donates phosphate groups to creatine until ATP and creatine levels are back to resting state levels again. EPOC is also used to oxidize lactic acid. Lactic acid is produced during exercise and then travels via the blood stream to the kidneys, cardiac muscle, and liver.

An increased amount of oxygen is necessary to convert the lactic acid back to pyruvic acid at these locations. Another use of EPOC is to fuel the body’s increased metabolism from the increase in body temperature which occurs during the training session. Essentially, think of it as your body “catching its breath” after a hard training

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STRENGTH & CONDITIONING

Work to REST RATIO

Mike’s been testing a Versa Climber for a few months now. Look for a full review in the next issue.

When creating your interval training program, the most important aspect is going to be your work to rest ratios. This refers to the ratio of the amount of work time to the amount of recovery time. For example, if you are doing 15 second sprints with 45 seconds of recovery you will have a 1:3 work to rest ratio. If you are doing 1 minute hard with 30 seconds of recovery then you will have a 2:1 work to rest ratio. The most important thing when creating an interval training program is to have your work to rest ratios match up with your goals and the appropriate energy systems. If you want to work on your explosive bursts, then a 1:1 or 2:1 ratio would not be effective, you would be better off using a 1:6 ratio to match your goals. So, when creating your interval training program, pick out which energy system you feel you need or want to work on the most and create your work to rest ratios based on that energy system. I have included some sample programs you can follow, but the beauty of interval training is that there are an unlimited number of possible combinations and programs. Therefore, I will include the basics for guidelines for creating your own program to fit your needs. A 1:6 ratio with max effort activities lasting 5-15 seconds is best for training the immediate energy system. For the anaerobic energy system it can be anywhere in the 2:1 to 1:4 range with high intensity activities lasting 20 seconds to 2 minutes. For training the aerobic energy system to aid in recovery, I suggest a range of 3:1 to 1:1 utilizing moderate to moderately high activities lasting 1-2 minutes or longer with lower intensity active recovery periods.

GET OFF THE TREADMILL!

Sample PROGRAMS

B

R

ut I hate running, do I have to do sprints? No, that is actually one of the best things about interval training. Since we are training the energy systems, you can use it with pretty much any exercise or activity you can think of. In fact, as far as jiu-jitsu conditioning goes, I prefer whole body conditioning. What I mean is that while you are running, only your lower body is significantly active and using large amounts of energy. During a match, your ENTIRE body is active and requires energy. This is a main reason why you see guys who can run miles at a time sucking wind after only a few minutes of rolling. This is why I always suggest using activities where your entire body is working (or at least most of it).

My favorite activities for interval training are swimming, rowing, and the Versaclimber. They all are extremely demanding on the entire body, much like jiu-jitsu. And for those of you who have never done sprints on a Versaclimber, go do a few and you will see what I mean.

Now, I’m not saying you can’t or shouldn’t do regular sprints. They are also effective and best of all, can be done almost anywhere. I am simply stating that you don’t need to be a runner to get the benefits out of interval training.

emember, these are just some sample programs. Feel free to substitute activities or adjust times as needed.

IMMEDIATE ENERGY SYSTEM (improve explosive bursts): 50 yard sprint

5 times w/30sec

s

rest

20 yard sprint

5 times w/ 15sec

rest

s

10 yard sprint

5 times w/10 sec

rest

s

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AEROBIC ENERGY SYSTEM (recovery between matchmeinsg):(can Swim

u want) use any stroke yo ce pa ate er 2 laps mod ce pa rd ha 1 lap

es Repeat 3 tim

1 lap moderate 1 lap hard

es Repeat 2 tim

2 laps moderate 1 lap hard

es Repeat 3 tim

BIC ANAEROLD O THRESHonna suck): (this is ogn rowing machine “tabata”effort X 20sec MA st re c se 10

times Repeat 8 l

4 mins tota

ANAERO ENERGY BIC SYSTEM (increase intensity during matches): On Vers aclimber

It’s an ideal work out for jiu-jitsu athletes.

30sec hard 60sec slow

Repeat tw ic

45sec hard 90sec slow

e

Repeat tw ic

60sec hard 60 slow

e

Rest and reverse fo r second se t

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feature

2012

IBJJF

WORLDS

The 2012 Worlds Championships bring all the excitement, suspense, and drama of a Brazilian soap opera… words: DEB BLYTHE photos: VARIOUS

John Cooper leads us off.

HEN WORLD-CLASS JIU-JITSU ATHLETES FLY IN FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD TO TAKE PART IN AN ANNUAL PRESTIGIOUS JIU-JITSU TOURNAMENT TOTED AS THE BIGGEST EVENT OF THE YEAR, YOU KNOW IT’S GOING TO BE EXCITING. You understand the skill level is going to be unparalleled, that you’re going to see things you’ve never seen before, and that the blood, sweat, and tears left on the mats after each match is going to leave you with a new level of comprehension about the sport you never had before. And if the stars are aligned just right, you may get to see first-hand the differences that exist between rival teams, athletes, and referees across the four-day period. It’s as if the days spent at the event are the on-set antics of a Brazilian soap opera, with all the “family” squabbles, heated words, celebrations, chanting, and singing, all in Portuguese. For the average American, it can be hard to keep up. Good thing there are so many hand gestures, dancing bodies in the stands, tears of victory and defeat on and off the mats, angry and elated faces, and obvious body languages being displayed that it seems like closed captioning is available to you during the show. And what is this show you ask? It’s THE WORLDS JIUJITSU CHAMPIONSHIP! And in this regard, the 2012 Worlds definitely did not disappoint. Here are some highlights from the event along with photos from some of the most talented photographers in the sport:

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Watch th e

Eye Rafael Men des works ha rd to get around Cobrinha during the final.

The most intense jiu-jitsu on the planet is waged at the Worlds.

JOHN COOP PHOTO SPRER EAD

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ER JASON BOULANG PHOTO SPREAD

MARCUS “BUCHECHA” ALMEIDA

Photo: Mik

Buchecha’s final open match against Leo Nogueira was another over the top bout. Leo defeated Buchecha in their super heavy final at the 2011 Worlds on a referee’s decision, but then at the Abu Dhabi Trials in Brazil, Buchecha beat Leo 9-2. “I’d never had a ref ’s decision before in my life and I lost it,” Buchecha laughs of his 2011 Worlds experience, “But Leo was better than me that day, so I can’t feel bad about it.” The 2012 Worlds was the third time they fought, and it went down to the wire, with Buchecha pulling out the win in the last 15 seconds. ”I tried to submit him the whole fight, but he had a really good defense,” Buchecha says, “I knew it was going to be a really tough match, but I didn’t expect it to be that close.” Buchecha is now fully aware that, as the current double gold black belt world champion, he has a big target on his back. “I’ve never felt this way before,” he laughs, “I’ve always looked at the other guys like that, but now they’re looking at me! I’m the guy they want to beat.” Buchecha has won double gold at the Worlds in every belt from blue to black, but doesn’t feel like he “has” to win again, even though he’d like to. “I fight because I love to fight,” he says, “I will always do my best, and if everything goes right, I will keep winning.”

e Calimba s

CheckMat black belt Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida reigned supreme at the 2012 Worlds.

Buchecha took gold in his ultra heavy division after defeating Leonardo Leite with an armbar in the final. He then accomplished the unimaginable when he defeated Rodolfo Vieira in an uberexciting absolute match, only to then work his way to the finals against Leonardo Nogueira, which he also won, making him a double gold medal winner for the day. “In my opinion, my match against Rodolfo was the best of my life,” Buchecha reflects. In fact, it’s being touted as one of the best matches in Worlds history. Buchecha fought Rodolfo at the 2011 Worlds and got caught in an armbar. At the 2012 Worlds, Rodolfo almost caught him again, but this time there was no tapping out. Buchecha says, “Rodolfo and I are friends, but we really fight and I like that. We’re always looking for submissions. I don’t like fighting people who stall on me. With Rodolfo I always know it’s going to be a good fight.” At 22 years of age, Buchecha says, “We are young so we can fight like 10 more finals over the years!”

Buchecha is a stud!

GABI GARCIA

Alliance Jiu-Jitsu black belt Gabi Garcia pulled a hat trick at the Worlds, winning both her division and the open class, making her a three time double gold black belt Worlds medal winner. At the 2012 Worlds, Gabi topped Tammy Griego in the heavy weight division final and then took on Luiza Monteiro in the absolute final. Gabi ultimately defeated Luiza making her a double gold winner for the day. Afterwards, an elated Gabi gushed, “I feel like Roger Gracie! He’s always been my idol and now I’ve matched his record!” Gabi, of course, is referring to Roger’s historical and magical Worlds black belt double gold “three-peat,” which she had just “re-peated” in the female category.

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2012

IBJJF ORLDS

Worlds Coverage.indd 4

Put me in coach.

W

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feature

KENNY JEWEL PHOTO SPREAD

r is...

And the Winne es after hearebrat Rafael Mendes cel it decision on ing the judges spl Cobrinha. al riv er ov his win

Text Boo k

How low can you go?

After a leng thy grip fig ht Xande Ribeiro perf orms the pe rfect flyinging ar mbar on Rob erto “Tussa” Ale ncar in the semifinal.

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2012

IBJJF ORLDS W

The Othe

r Side

“Cobra!�

after seeing is in shock Cobrinha went n io is al dec t that the fin y he though ll ia it In . l lookagainst him ti n u ch at his m that it was o judges. the other tw at er ov g in

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feature

ANDRE’ GALVAO

Legendary Jiu-Jitsu black belt Andre’ Galvao is best known for his World Champion status and ADCC wins. He will now also be remembered for the scene he caused at the 2012 Worlds. Andre’s emotions got the better of him when a referee deducted a point from his purple belt, Denilson Bischiliari, during his feather finals match that cost Denilson the gold medal. Andre’ jumped the railing to make his case to the referee. Alvaro Mansor, the IBJJF Referees’ Director, tried to restrain him and calm him down. Alvaro was eventually able to coax him back over the barrier, but Andre’, who was still beside himself, circled around to the other side of the mat area and continued his tirade. With tears in his eyes, an extremely frustrated Andre’ did his best to plead his case to the referee only to ultimately be ejected from the Long Beach pyramid, not just as a coach, but he was banned as a competitor at the 2012 Worlds as well, which was a hard pill to swallow since he was considered a favorite in both his division and the absolute. Andre’ showed great class in the aftermath of the incident, taking full responsibility for his actions and apologizing for them, even after he pleaded to be allowed to compete, but was denied. Since then he has humbly called upon the IBJJF to have three referees at every finals match, at all belt levels, in the future to mitigate any similar errors like this from happening again.

That’s the grill.

2012

IBJJF ORLDS W

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MIKE COLIMBAS PHOTO SPREAD

Emotions

R

un Wild Andre Galva o lo is bared from ses his cool and competition .

MG watching the action.

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feature

2012

IBJJF ORLDS W

JOAO GABRIEL ROCHA Yeah, the photos don’t match the story. That’s what happens with you give the photos free reign.

Joao Gabriel Rocha of Soul Fighters claimed double gold at the 2012 Worlds, in his brown belt super heavy division and in the absolute.

With all the media hype about the brown belts coming into the tournament, Joao was somewhat lost in the shuffle as names like DJ, Felipe, Renato, Orlando, Benny, and Gianni were thrown around, even though Joao won his heavy weight division at the Worlds last year and pulled a bronze in the open class. At the 2012 Worlds, Joao won six of his eight matches by submission and won not one, but two gold medals, taking his super heavy division and then defeating Romulo Barral’s student, Felipe Pena in the absolute finals. One of the funniest things about Joao is that he looks just like Marcus Buchecha and so, rumblings of, “how’s this guy fighting in both the brown and black belt divisions?” could be heard all around the pyramid. Joao experienced this as well when some fans asked to take pictures with him, and then said, “Thank you, Buchecha!”

Good thing Joao has a good sense of humor!

And what’s not to be happy about? He’s the 2012 double gold brown belt Worlds Champion!

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KRISTEN PHOTO SPMENDEZ READ

Too Late

Penny Tho mas tries bu t with not enough tim e and is defe ated by Fernanda M azzeli by po ints in the Fi nal.

MACKENZIE DERN

safe to say that many valuable lessons were learned that day. Out of Kenzie’s seven matches in both her division and the absolute, she won four by toe hold and the other three by choke.

“I would have been happy however I won, but because I got a submission in each of my fights, it made me feel even better about my wins,” she says. Kenzie has now won the Gi Worlds six times in her division and once in the absolute, 2012 being her first year as an absolute World Champion. Not bad for a girl who’s not even old enough to get into a bar!

KEENAN CORNELIUS

It’s not often that a purple belt makes so much “noise” in Jiu-Jitsu, he’s considered one of the greatest athletes at the Worlds, but Lloyd Irvin’s Keenan Cornelius did that and was that this year.

Everyone was talking about Keenan’s potential

“Grand Slam” victory at the 2012 Worlds. He was seeking his fourth middle weight and absolute consecutive wins after already grabbing double gold at the 2012 Europeans, the 2012 Pan Americans, and the 2012 Brazilian Nationals, but he had to get through the illustrious Miyao Brothers at the 2012 Worlds to do it. Keenan fought 10 matches in his weight and the open class, and had submissions in 8 of them. His absolute final against Paulo Miyao was a close and exciting one with Keenan winning by just an advantage, earning him double gold at the tournament and giving him his yearned for Grand Slam victory. With his Lloyd Irvin teammates hoisting an emotional Keenan up on their shoulders, they chanted, “USA! USA! USA!” to put the world on notice that the Americans are here to stay.

Worlds Coverage.indd 10

Who’s the first America to win a Worlds at black belt?

Mackenzie Dern is a name that’s been thrown around a lot over the years. She’s the daughter of the infamous black belt, Megaton Dias and has won the Worlds numerous times from juvenile to present. At 20 years old, the Gracie Humaita brown belt competed in the feather division at the 2012 Worlds. This was her sixth Worlds appearance. Kenzie met up with Tatiana Nascimento in the feather final and defeated her, taking gold in her division. She then had four fights in the absolute, facing off against Gracie Humaita teammate Carol Vidal in the final. Instead of closing out the bracket, the two decided to fight it out for gold. “Carol is a great girl and she deserves all the best in her Jiu-Jitsu career,” Kenzie says, “We decided to have a normal fight since we both thought we deserved the absolute title. We agreed that there would be no hard feelings since we both worked hard to get there.” Kenzie ultimately defeated Carol with a toe hold to take gold in the open class.

There were some harsh words and a few tears after the match, but it was about the coaching that occurred during the match, and not any bad blood between the athletes. As one can imagine, it can be difficult for one coach to instruct two students who are fighting each other at the same time, especially at a tournament as important as the Worlds, so looking back, it’s probably

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success

John Anthony “MAGOO” Villarruel HERE WAS A TIME WHEN EVERYONE CALLED HIM “BIG JOHN.” ALTHOUGH HE WAS A DIMINUTIVE “BIG JOHN,” HE WEIGHED IN AT 280LBS, WHICH MIGHT NOT BE BAD IF YOU WERE A SEVENFOOTER. John did martial arts for most of his life, but stopped a few years and ended up at 280lbs. He had high blood pressure, was in a pre-diabetes state, and was depressed. At one visit, his doctor told him that if he wasn›t serious enough to do something about his weight, he needed to find another doctor. “He said he didn’t want to waste his time or mine if I wasn›t going to lose the weight,” John says. That’s some tough love! So, John went to a BJJ school in San Jose, California. That’s where he met his current instructor Claudio Franca for the first time. He encouraged John to sign up and train at his own pace.

BEFORE

STATS Weight Before: 280lbs Weight Current: 170lbs Height: 5’ 7” Age: 40 Home Town: Gilroy Home School: Claudio Franca BJJ Instructor: Claudio Franca Rank: Brown Belt

Gilroy is known for their annual Garlic Festival.

John lost a significant amount of weight the first year of training. Then he had a back injury that required surgery. “I needed a discectomy on my lower back,” John says, “I ended up gaining weight and my depression came back.”

Luckily, he was encouraged by his instructor to go back and just watch class. He started to show up and just stretch. Eventually, he was able to slowly get back to training just six months after surgery.

It›s been years since “Big John” started training and he’s still rolling. “I’ve been maintaining a weight of 170lbs for the last five years!” John exclaims. On top of that accomplishment he has competed in Jiu-Jitsu every year since the back surgery. In December 2011 John received his brown belt and opened a BJJ school (www.

GilroyBJJ.com) with his good friend and BJJ world champion (brown belt at the time), Carlos Melo. John also maintains a day job as an office manager for a large insurance firm.

AFTER

How did you get into jiu-jitsu? —I got into Jiu-jitsu because a friend of mine recommended it. I went in thinking, “I can do this - I have a black belt in another martial art (Kuk Sul Do).” I was wrong. LOL. I then realized how much I didn’t know about groundwork that day. I was hooked after that.

How often do you train? —I am on the mat five days a week.

What else do you do for physical fitness? —I jog two days a week and lift weights two days a week.

Have you changed your diet and how? —Oh, yes! I tend to eat more salads, oats, and poultry. I use to eat Big Macs and Whoppers. I realized that fast food could kill you fast.

What›s the best thing about your life change? —The best thing about this

lifestyle change is I’m able to play with my kids.

I was a true couch potato before Jiu-jitsu. I was always tired and didn’t feel like exercising.

Now my children go with me to my BJJ school and participate. It’s a great feeling having your children active and playing with you. I now live by these words: “Train to live, Live to train.”

BJJ has enabled me to live a full life.

Advice for someone looking to change their lifestyle with jiu-jitsu?

—My advice is: be like Nike and Just Do It. It’s that simple. It will change your life and you will want to give back. I believe in giving back.

Jiu-jitsu gave me a new lease on life. My good friend Carlos Melo and I opened our Jiu-jitsu school (Gilroy BJJ) in hopes to give back what Jiu-jitsu gave us - a healthy lifestyle.

Have a story on how jiu-jitsu has changed your life? Tell us about it at: feedback@ jiujitsumag.com.

114 | Jiu-Jitsu Magazine

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