On July 22nd-25th, the 2010 Rio International Open and International Master and Senior Championship took place at the Tijuca Tennis Club in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Although only represeted by 4 competitors, Arizona fighters did not fail to give Brazil, and the World, an outstanding display of dominant Jiu-Jitsu by winning 7 medals, 6 being GOLD. Here are the full results:

Black Belt:

Wellington “Megaton” Dias (Gracie Humaita) – Senior 2 Feather and Absolute Champion
Gustavo Dantas (Nova Uniao) - Senior 1 Feather Champion

Purple Belt:

Mackenzie Dern (Gracie Humaita) - Adult Feather and Absolute Champion

Blue Belt:

Kristina Barlaan (Nova Uniao) – Adult Feather Champion and Absolute Bronze Medalist

The GD JIU-JITSU Events in association with the Arizona State Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (AZSBJJF) is proud to announce the 2010 Arizona BJJ State Championship. The competition will take place on October 16 & 17 at the Westwood High School located at 945 W. 8th St. in Mesa, AZ 85201.

Gracie Mag will be covering the event.

The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competition will offer kids, juvenile, Adult (Male and Female), Master, and Senior Divisions, plus two Black Belt Open Classes, Open Light (167.5 lbs and under) and Open Heavy (Over 167.5 lbs). The winner of each Open division will receive a ticket to the 2011 European BJJ Championship in Lisbon, Portugal. An additional ticket will be awarded to the Raffle Winner of the Divison Champions (Juvenile-Senior, White-Black, Male and Female)*. All Kids Division competitors will receive a Raffle Ticket to win a Nintendo Wii, regardless of win or loss.

*Restrictions apply. Please read the tournament website for FULL details.

IMPORTANT: Registration will be closed for the Kids division after 200 competitors. Registration for Juveniles, Adults, Masters, seniors, and Women will be closed after 450 competitors.

GD Jiu-Jitsu Events will be offering FREE tournament T-Shirts to ALL competitors who Pre-Register for the tournament by the PRE-REGISTRATION DEADLINE on October 8th @ 11:59 PM. Competitors registered AFTER this time will NOT receive a T-Shirt.Each competitor must fill out the registration form online. The Pre-registration fee is $55 for the adults and juveniles (16-17 yrs) and $45 for the kids division until October 8th. After this date, $65 for adults and juveniles and, $55 for the kids.

All registrations must be received by Tuesday, October 12th by 11:59 pm. No registrations after this date. Registration fees are non-refundable. No exceptions.

Full info available @ http://strongvon.com/southwestbjj2

Bruno Bastos won the Black Belt Open

The 2010 AZ Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu State Championship took place in Mesa on June 26 & 27 at the Westwood High School Gym. With a total of 534 competitors, the event attracted competitors from all over the State, plus competitors from CA, NV, NM, TX, NY, OR, MI, HI, UT and Mexico. With $1000 on the line for the Black Belt Open Division, sponsored by Waltz Construction, World Class competitors stepped to the challenge, with Bruno Bastos being the victor.

Day 1

Kids Division

The Kids kicked off the weekend’s action with 180 competitors in attendance. The 2010 AZ State Championship was the first time ever the AZSBJJF introduced the Exhibition Match Bracket, which would give kids who would otherwise not compete, a chance to display their skills for their friends, families, and fans filling the bleachers of the gymnasium. Even children who weighed in over their weight limit or were alone in their bracket had an opportunity to shine. Here are the

Kids Team results:

1st - MMA Lab 88 points
2nd - Lion’s Den 86 points
3rd – Relson Gracie 47 points
4th – Siege MMA/Lotus Club 44 points
5th - GD Jiu-Jitsu 42 points

Christopher Broadnax (Blue) vs Issac Doederlein (White)

After the Kids cleared the mat, the stage was set for the Adults to start making their mark. The Blue belt division offered many spectacular battles, being the largest of the Colored belt divisions. The Standout of the Blue belts was Jason Gross (Siege MMA/Lotus Club) who won the Heavy division and then defeated Joshua Young (Rey Diogo/De Brazil) to win the Open Class. A match worthy of World-Class status, the highly anticipated re-match of World Champion Issac Doederlein (Megaton) against Pan-Am Champion Christoper Broadnax (GD Jiu-Jitsu) was an aggressive and technical showdown. The two young and talented athletes faced each other in the Finals of the Feather division at the 5th AZ Open with Doederlein being victorious, but in this weekend’s re-match, Broadnax was able to secure the Gold with a last second sweep.

Jason Gross won the Adult Blue/Heavy and the Open

Day 2

Ben Henderson won the middle and the Open Purple

The 2nd day of the State Championship would start with the Purple, Brown, and Black belts. After Saturday’s showing from the Blue belts, Sunday was expected to offer match-ups that would highlight the whole weekend. The Standout of the Purple belts was WEC Champion, Ben Henderson (MMA Lab), who displayed his athletism by taking the Gold in the Middleweight division and submitting Ryan Heilman (GD Jiu-Jitsu) with a footlock in the Open Class.

Marcelo Nunes won the Brown Super Heavy and the Open

Coming from Brazil, Marcelo Nunes (Drysdale BJJ) had only been in the US for less than a week to visit and train with his instructor, Robert Drysdale, in Las Vegas. The Robert Drysdale pupil had an outstanding showing, winning both the Super Heavy and the Open Class in the Brown belt division, defeating Sal Flores (BJJ Revolution) in the finals. In the Black belt division, UFC Veteran, Hermes Franca (Team Hermes Franca) submitted Jay Pages (Ruffhouse) to claim the Middleweight title. Closing out the weekend was the White belts. Being the Champion of the Adult, Lightweight division would be no easy task as it was the largest bracket of the tournament with 26 competitors. Danny Hilton (Northern AZ MMA) had 5 matches and submitted his opponent, Aaron Wilson (Nava BJJ/Tigers Lair) with a guillotine to win the Title.

Hermes Franca won the Middle Weight Black Belt

Here are the Adult Team Results :

Team results:

1st - GD Jiu-Jitsu 249 points
2nd - MMA Lab 119 points
3rd - Rey Diogo/De Brazil 92 points
4th - Ruffhouse 74 points
5th - Megaton 64 points

Full results available at http://strongvon.com/azstate2010/

Adult Team Results

Bruno Bastos in Action at the Worlds (Top)

With a $1000 cash prize on the line, it’s no wonder the Adult Black Belt Open Class at the 2010 Arizona Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu State Championship is attracting top athletes from around the Nation. So far, the sought after title and its $1000 prize is being pursued by notable competitors such as Nova Uniao stand-out and 2010 World Championship Super-Heavy Semi-Finalist, Bruno Bastos from Texas, 5th Arizona International Open Ultra-Heavy Champion,Guybson Sa (S.A.S./East West MMA) from New York, and 2010 Pan Jiu-Jitsu Master Open Class Champion and 2009 Arizona Master Open Class Champion, Arizona representative Carlos Farias (Lion’s Den/ Roberto Traven). Another well recognized athlete geared to compete is UFC Veteran Hermes Franca (Team Hermes Franca), who, although will not be contending for the cash prize, will be flying from Oregon for his chance to claim the Master Middleweight title. Registration for the 2010 AZ BJJ State Championship closes Wednesday, June 23rd @ 11:59pm and is expected to reach its full capacity of 650 competitors.

For more information or to register please visit http://strongvon.com/azstate2010

Our New sponsor Midwestern Meats

The AZSBJJF is happy to announce its latest sponsor, Midwestern Meats. Midwestern Meats will be catering at the 2010 AZ BJJ State Championship, selling high-quality and delicious food to competitors and spectators alike. The locally based business has a fully-stocked meat shop as well as a family restaurant and bakery. Midwestern Meats is your one-stop shop for wholesome, hearty, healthy, and satisfying food for any lifestyle. Here’s a little more info on the Arizona native business:

Twenty years and two generations of hard work, dedication, and family pride began in 1990 when Roger McConnell opened Midwestern Meats in a rented space in Mesa, Arizona. Offering only the best quality of corn-fed Iowa beef and personal customer service, the little meat shop soon gained popularity and expanded to include a scratch bakery and comfort-food style restaurant. By 1996, the company outgrew its rented space, building its own 11,000 square-foot location. In 1999, Roger handed the reins of Midwestern Meats to his son, Rod McConnell, who became Vice President and General Manager. An avid sports fan, Rod expanded the business by starting an athletic division in 2008, Midwestern Fitness, offering portioned-control meals to fitness, bodybuilding and sports athletes. Not one to rest on his laurels, Rod continued his expansion but this time on the internet. In 2009, Megameatstore.com was launched with little fanfare and promotions. However, customer loyalty and word-of-mouth created just enough buzz that soon megameatstore.com was slowly but surely getting hits and orders online.

Midwestern Meats
4308 E Main St
Mesa, AZ 85205

New Weigh-In Policies and Procedures for the Kids Division (4-15 yrs):

This year, the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF), the World’s leader and authority on BJJ, promoted their very first Kids Jiu-Jitsu tournament in the US, the 2010 Pan Kids Jiu-Jitsu Championship. Since the AZSBJJF base its tournaments on their guidelines, the AZSBJJF has decided to adopt their policy and procedure for Kids competitors that don’t make weight, are registered in the wrong division, or have no matches in their registered bracket. Here is the breakdown:

Parents MUST be able to provide a copy of their child’s Birth Certificate to allow Mat Coordinators to verify that the competitor is in the correct age category. Copy of Birth Certificate MUST be presented when the child weighs in.

If a child weighs in over their weight limit, is registered in the wrong division, or have no matches in their registered bracket (chose not to move in age/weight/gender or alone in bracket) they will NOT compete in their division. However, they will still receive a chance to compete in a separate bracket where they will be matched-up accordingly (belt, age, gender and weight) against another competitor in the same situation. These matches will be exhibition only. Win or lose, they will receive a participation medal and certificate and no points will be awarded towards their team.

During the tournament, any mistakes on the brackets that were not corrected on the check-day (Thursday, June 24th) will lead to immediate disqualification. NO CHANGES WILL BE MADE AFTER THE REGISTRATION CHECK DATE!

Every athlete will be given an opportunity of AT LEAST one match. There will be a designated Mat Coordinator responsible for setting up matches in cases of only one competitor in the bracket or disqualified competitors, upon coaches, parents, and organization approval. These matches will be EXHIBITION ONLY and no points will be awarded towards their team.

Common Example # 1:

If a child is alone in their bracket, they will receive a Gold Medal, but no points will be awarded towards their team. They may then check-in with the Exhibition Match Coordinator.

Common Example #2:

a) If there are only two competitors in a bracket and Child A does not make weight, Child A will be disqualified. Child B will be awarded the win, receiving a Gold Medal AND 9 points for their team. Both Child A and B will be moved to the Exhibition Match Coordinator.

b) If there are only two competitors in a bracket and Child A makes weight, but their opponent is a “no show”, Child A will be awarded the win, receiving a Gold Medal AND 9 points for their team. Child A may then check-in with the Exhibition Match Coordinator.

Common Example #3:

In the case of a regular bracket (3 or more competitors) and Child A does not make weight (or is registered in the wrong division) Child A will be disqualified. Their opponent, Child B, will then advance to the next round. Child A may then check-in with the Exhibition Match Coordinator.

Important Notes regarding KIDS Skill levels:

White and Grey Belts Will Compete in the SAME division. Yellow, Orange and Green belts may be combined in the case that there are not enough competitors in those divisions.

ATTENTION PARENTS!

We don’t guarantee that all kids will have more than one match. If the kid loses in the semi finals, they will compete for the third place to have an extra match. When there are only two kids in the division, they will compete in a best-of-three system. Divisions or weight classes are subject to change. GD Jiu-Jitsu Events does NOT offer refunds.

To Coaches and Parents

This event intends to bring the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu values and moral codes to the young generations by introducing the young athletes to the competition experience in a healthy family orientated environment. In order to keep a nice and respectful atmosphere during the competition, the cooperation of the coaches, parents and staff is needed and appreciated, any misconduct during the event such as aggressive language from supporters towards other competitors, coaches, family members, staff or others won’t be tolerated.

The AZSBJJF can now be found on You Tube. Currently, the AZSBJJF YouTube Channel features several videos addressing and explaining the IBJJF Rules and Regulations used for all AZSBJJF tournaments. Parents, competitors, instructors, and coaches should take the time to watch these videos, as it will help in the preparation for future competitions following IBJJF guidelines.

Click here for the AZSBJJF Youtube channel

Chris Lopez, Gustavo Dantas, Alvaro Mansur and "Megaton" at the IBJJF Referee's clinic on March 2010

Aaron Simpson picking the raffle winner

So far in 2010, GD Jiu-Jitsu Events has been able to raise 444 lbs of food to the United Food bank, which is responsible for distributing your food donations to over 240 agencies such as churches, youth and senior programs, crisis centers, and soup kitchens. Held during 2 tournaments this year, the 5th AZ International Open, and the 2nd AZ Kids Cup , your food donations helped to feed not just the hungry, but the many people in need in our community. With the help of UFC Fighters, Aaron Simpson and Jesse Forbes, 444 pounds of food was raised, which equates to 341 meals put onto the tables of people who are struggling in our neighborhoods. GD Jiu-Jitsu Events hopes to continue working with the United Food Bank and donate even more food in 2010. Last  year we raised 523 lbs of food, which equates to 409 meals. Your next opportunity to donate food will be during the 2010 AZ Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu State Championship at Westwood High School in Mesa, AZ on June 26th & 27th, 2010. For every 5 items that you donate, you will receive a raffle ticket, to have a chance to win a prize and help out your community.

UFC Fighters Aaron Simpson and Jesse Forbes supporting the Food Drive

From: www.graciemag.com

Jiu-Jitsu’s loyal subjects have gotten used to the idea the martial art will only make it to the Olympics once it has conquered the world, TV and children the planet over.

Hogwash. GRACIEMAG positions itself and wagers the path points in the opposite direction. It’s by conquering the world, kids and TV that the sport will inevitably make it to the Olympic Games one day. Slowly but surely, with perseverance.

We make this assertion after rereading the latest GRACIEMAG cover story. Jiu-Jitsu, at least in Abu Dhabi, has come to power at the hands of Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, the brother of black belt Tahnoon bin Zayed.

What is the princes’ view of Jiu-Jitsu? What are their thoughts on the sport? How can that change the lives of practitioners and competitors like absolute champion Claudio Calasans, who overcame Bráulio Estima? Find out in GRACIEMAG.


Proof the art has reached universal status can be found in this issue. From Abu Dhabi our director traveled to New York and California non-stop. He witnessed an MMA champion in action at Claudio França’s American Cup, and much more. In New York he confirmed how JT Torres will be the next big American Jiu-Jitsu star. Find out why.

The June issue offers up heaps of lessons. The most potent (and at times comical) of which came from WEC champion José Aldo, who explains how having his bed float like a boat during a flood influenced the way he plays Jiu-Jitsu.

In Training Program, five-time world champion Robson Moura pulls out the stops in his demonstration of how to raise the technical bar of your Jiu-Jitsu’s sweeps and passes with the help of our GMA Josef Cobra.

In the article on nutrition we address the issue of red meat, a food despised by Helio Gracie and, nowadays, by a number of MMA champions. Will you have a helping or pass?

There’s also the story of one tough nurse, new Ginástica Natural exercises, what Jiu-Jitsu fighters can learn from the nature of a peculiar predator, and a test with 35 multiple-choice questions for you to test your knowledge of theory – and – Why not? – practice.

To wrap things up, Martin Rooney teaches an old-fashioned workout he does with a bar anywhere, at the gym or at the beach.

Indeed, this month GRACIEMAG offers up an issue that goes from the luxury of royal palaces to the simplicity and free-flowing style of a red belt. The one who has everything to gain from it is the reader, whatever their belt may be.

Check out the promo video of the 2010 AZ BJJ State Championship produced by Many Weapons.