Attention Coaches

All schools affiliated with the AZSBJJF operate under a certified team, with their lead instructor being promoted by a recognized Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt. We do not support unrecognized or self-promoted individuals in order to maintain our high standards within the BJJ practice.

The school directory is also a way to say thank you to the schools that consistently support the AZSBJJF and GDJJ Events. Starting on June 23rd, 2012, at the 2012 AZ State Championship, in order to receive free entry as a coach at all AZSBJJF/GDJJ Events, your school must be affiliated with AZSBJJF, local schools who are not consistently supporting the events with at least five competitors, will be removed from the school directory. Out of State schools must contact Gustavo@azsbjjf.com for coaches passes It’s mandatory for ALL competitors to include the name of their coach when registering for the tournament.

If a team has multiple schools competing under one name, coaches receive entry based on the number of students representing their specific school. For example, a school has a coach that has only four people competing, but is competing under a team with over twenty people. His name will not qualify for free entry as a coach since he has only four competitors.

The coach’s name will be at the door and the name cannot be replaced the day of the event. If a coach cannot attend the tournament, GDJJ Events needs to be notified by the correction day deadline. Here is the breakdown:

Schools with under five competitors – no free entry for coach

Schools with at least five competitors – 1 coach

Schools with 6 to 10 competitors – 2 coaches

Schools with 11 to 20 competitors – 3 coaches

Schools with over 20 competitors – 4 coaches

Schools interested in being featured at the website must contact gustavo@azsbjjf.com.

The 2012 AZ BJJ State Championship will take place on June 23rd & 24th at the Marcos de Niza High School, located at 6000 South Lakeshore Drive Tempe, AZ 85283

The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competition will offer kids, juveniles, Adult (Male and Female), Masters and Senior Divisions.

IMPORTANT: Registration will be closed for the Kids division after 280 competitors. Registration for Juveniles, Adults, Masters, seniors, and Women will be closed after 500 competitors.

GD Jiu-Jitsu Events will be offering FREE tournament T-Shirts to ALL competitors!

SPECTATOR FEES: Saturday $10, Sunday $10

Each competitor must fill out the registration form online. The Pre-registration fee is $70 for the adults and juveniles (16-17 yrs) or and $60 for the kids division until Monday, June 11th. After this date, $80 for adults and juveniles and, $70 for the kids.

REGISTER ONLINE NOW FOR 2012 AZ BJJ STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

All registrations must be received by Monday, June 18th by 11:59 pm. No registrations after this date. Registration fees are non-refundable. No exceptions.

The brackets will be released before the tournament. On Friday, June 22nd, the brackets will be available online at our website.

Adults Division – The tournament is single elimination. Medals will be awarded to the 1st place, 2nd place and 3rd place of each division. Athletes will not compete for the third place. Two bronze medals will be given

Kids Division – Every competitor will receive a 3 1/2″ medal. This is a single elimination tournament, but if the child loses in the semi-final, they will compete again. Top 4 are guaranteed in the podium.

The top 5 schools in the adult and kids division will receive team trophies.

If you have any questions on this tournament please email 2012azstate@registrationsupport.net or call toll free 855-490-8880.

The year 2012 has been a historical one thus far for women’s Jiu-Jitsu. With the addition of a masters division and one all for the brown and black belts, it’s clear to see that the women’s movement in Jiu-Jitsu is growing faster and stronger with every event. Leading a strong campaign for Jiu-Jitsu among the fairer sex, purple belt Kristina Barlaan, along with GD Jiu-Jitsu Events and the AZSBJJF, promoted the maiden Copa Bela: All Female Jiu-Jitsu Tournament on April 21. Arizona’s inaugural girls-only competition proved to be an inspiring and empowering event for the many ladies in attendance.

The first-ever Copa Bela begins.

“Today we gathered 36 women on the mat to compete. There may be some people out there who think that this number is small, but this is only the beginning of something beautiful and much bigger. When the IBJJF promoted the first Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championship, they didn’t even have 200 competitors and now there are close to 3,300. I’m focused on the future, and I beleive in steady progress. I want to give these women a well-organized event that follows the standards of the IBJJF. I’m not looking for 100 competitors right now. I’m looking to build the community over time, and when that happens, Copa Bela can gather hundreds of women,” stated the determined Barlaan.

To commemorate the occasion, the 1st Copa Bela started with a Commencement Ceremony in which all the competitors gathered on the mat area to be addressed for their dedication and love of the gentle art. For many, it was an emotional moment, especially for Luciana Dias, who was given a Special Recognition Award for pioneering women’s Jiu-Jitsu in Arizona. Taken by surprise by the award, Luciana, affectionally called Luka, gave a motivational speech, all the while fighting back the tears of joy that come from being validated and honored by your peers, friends, family, students, and aspiring champions:

“You don’t have to be just the stay-at-home Mom that cooks, cleans, and watches the children. You can be more, and Jiu-Jitsu let’s you do that.”

It seeems that besides competing against an opponent, Copa Bela provided a number of women the opportunity to compete against and overcome the obstacles in their lives. For some, it would be their first time competing. For others, it would be their first time winning a match and becoming a champion:

“This tournament has been a dream come true. I had five matches today, and this is my first time ever winning a match, winning my weight division, and being in the finals of the absolute. To make it even more perfect is the fact that I also get to share the podium with my daughter!” exclaims blue belt and mother of five Seta Reupenny (Relson Gracie).

The highlight of Copa Bela was the world class competition in the brown/black absolute division for a $1000 payout. In the first semifinal match-up, black belt Sophia Drysdale (Drysdale BJJ) faced young Brown belt Mackenzie Dern (Gracie Humaita), with Mackenzie securing her spot in the finals via toe hold. On the other side of the bracket, newly promoted black belt Tammy Griego (Gracie Barra NM) matched up against the smaller Tracey Goodell (Atos). Although the underdog in the face-off, Tracey earned her victory with an advantage over the heavyweight. The final match, between Mackenzie and Tracey, proved to be a technical battle, with each fighting for grips and dominant position. With an exchange of positions and submissions, Mackenzie was crowned the champion by racking up four advantage points.

Standouts:

Alicia Sandoval and Nana Hosokawa both won their weight (medium heavy and light feather) and the absolute in the purple and blue belt divisions, respectively. Their wins helped secure BJJ Revolution top spot on the podium.

Team Results:
1st BJJ Revolution
2nd Relson Gracie
3rd Nova Uniao

Click here for full results

April 21st
Westwood High School
945 W. 8th St.
Mesa, AZ 85201 

Spectator fee: $10

Schedule

9:00 am – Open Doors

10:00 am – White Belt
All Kindergarten 1 & 2
Pre-Teen 1 – Light Feather and feather (male)

10:30 am – White Belt
Pre-Teen 1 – Feather (female) to Ultra Heavy
Pre-Teen 2 – Rooster

11:00 am – White Belt
Pre-Teen 2 – Light feather (male) to Ultra Heavy
Jr. Teen – Rooster

11:30 am – White Belt
Jr. Teen – Light Feather to Ultra Heavy
Teen – Rooster to Ultra Heavy

12:00 am – Grey and Yellow belts
All Pre-Teen 1
Pre-Teen 2 – Rooster to Feather

12:30 pm – Grey/Yellow belts
Pre-Teen – Light to Ultra Heavy
All Jr. Teen

1:00 pm – Grey/Yellow belts (Teen) and Orange/Green (All ages)

Spectator Fee for the 1st Copa Bela after 1:00pm, $5.

2:00 pm – 1^st Copa Bela Commencement Ceremony
A welcoming speech to commemorate Arizona’s inaugural all women Jiu-Jitsu tournament and to give recognition to the women participating in creating a legacy for women’s Jiu-Jitsu. The presence of ALL Copa Bela competitors in the competition area is kindly requested.

2:30 pm – 1^st Copa Bela
All White, Blue and Purple belts

3:00 pm – Brown/Black Absolute

3:30 pm – Blue and Purple Belt

BRACKETS AVAILABLE AT HTTP://WWW.GDJJEVENTS.COM

Chris Lopez, GD, Alvaro Mansor and Megaton at the 2010 at the Certification Course

Rules and Referees Seminar with Professor Alvaro Mansor

Sunday, March 25th @ 10 am

Professor Alvaro Mansor, 4th Degree Black Belt and the Director of Referees for the Confederation of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation, will be giving a seminar on the interpretation and application of the Official IBJJF Standard Rules for Jiu-Jitsu matches. The seminar will be open to all belt levels and is a great opportunity to get perspective on the judging process of IBJJF Referees. The fee for the seminar is $60 and all participants will receive an Official IBJJF Referee Course Completion Certificate at the end of the seminar. For more information, contact Megaton @ (602) 841-9779

10am to 12pm – 1st part
12pm to 1pm – lunch break
1pm to 3pm – 2nd part

Hosted by AZSBJJF President Wellington “Megaton” Dias

Location:

10433 N. 32nd St.

Phoenix, AZ 85028

(602) 841-9779

GD Jiu-Jitsu Events is set for the 4th installation of the Arizona Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Kids Cup on April 21, 2012 at the Westwood High School located at 945 W. 8th St. in Mesa, AZ 85201. The 4th Kids Cup will offer Kids (4-15) divisions only, allowing the next generation of Jiu-Jitsu to take center stage in a fun and family oriented environment. The AZ Kids Cup was SOLD OUT last year, so registration was closed early. Don’t wait until the last minute to register! Registration will be closed for the 4th Kids Cup after 300 competitors.

Also, GD Jiu-Jitsu Events and the AZSBJJF are proud to announce the 1st Copa Bela: All Female Jiu-Jitsu Tournament, Arizona’s first Women’s only Jiu-Jitsu tournament! The 1st Copa Bela will take place immediately after the 4th Kids Cup on April 21, 2012 at the Westwood High School located at 945 W. 8th St. in Mesa, AZ 85201. The 1st Copa Bela will offer female Juvenile (16-17) and Adult (18+) divisions only. With the help of the Inspire: All Female Open Mats organized by Gustavo Dantas Purple belt, Kristina Barlaan, the female Jiu-Jitsu community in Arizona has seen a huge growth over the past year. The 1st Copa Bela will not only be a competition, but also a celebration of female Jiu-Jitsu around the Nation.

A major attraction to the inaugural Copa Bela will be the BROWN/BLACK OPEN CLASS DIVISION which will pay $1000 to the Champion! BJJ Fans will enjoy a weekend of competition and watch high caliber female Brown/Black belt matches with some of the best competitors in the world.

For more information about the 4th AZ Kids Cup and 1st Copa Bela or to register, please visit www.gdjjevents.com.

http://www.graciemag.com/en/2012/03/formiga-claims-2500-prize-in-arizona/

With the 7th edition of Gustavo Dantas’ Arizona International Open offering up a total of $3000 dollars in prizes for its black belt absolute division, it was bound to attract some formidable athletes from all different areas. Amongst these competitors were names such as Clark Gracie, Marcel Fortuna, Ryan Beauregard, Augusto Moizinho, Carlos Farias, Michael Westbrook, and of course the big winner of the day, Rafael “Formiga” Barbosa.

“Formiga” with his big check / Photo: Many Weapons

“Formiga” had quite the journey to face 2011 Southwest Classic champion, Marcel Fortuna, in the finals. Flying in all the way from Boston, the Soul Fighters athlete had to face the largest opponent in the division, first round, Carlos Farias. “Formiga” had a very tough time trying to work with the much larger Farias. In the end Barbosa narrowly pulled off the win, with Farias losing points for stalling. The next round brought about another challenge in last year’s middle weight Worlds bronze medalist, Clark Gracie. “Formiga” accepted the challenge and passed with flying colors; defeating Gracie with an overwhelming score of 10-2.

On the opposite end of the bracket Marcel Fortuna began his march to the finals with a first-round bye, leaving him to face the winner of Augusto Moizinho and Ryan Beauregard in the semifinals. The lighter Moizinho managed to pull off the upset, defeating Beauregard on points. Once the next round came up, the much smaller Augusto put in a great effort against the esteemed Fortuna, but size seemed to be too much of a factor, with Fortuna eventually catching an armbar.

With the finals set, the entire Phoenix College gym sat on edge to await and see the winner of the coveted absolute division. Knowing he had to overcome a large size advantage, “Formiga” came in tough against Fortuna, bringing the action, not only managing to secure a sweep, but also following through on the back to beat the favorite 6-0.

Although losing, Fortuna did not go home empty handed; second place collecting $500. Not to forget the grand champion, “Formiga” seemed very grateful and is sure to put his $2500 prize to good use after leaving the fast growing Arizona Jiu-Jitsu scene.

Click here for the complete results.

by Ryan Heilman

Gustavo Dantas held the seventh installment of the Arizona International Open on March 3 and 4, delivering another successful tournament to the Jiu-Jitsu scene. Reaching 650 competitiors, the Nova União black belt showed why his events are so highly regarded. Not only did Gustavo put on a $3000 pro division for the black belts, but he allowed the community’s lower belts a golden opportunity to have some fun and showcase their skills.

UFC champion Ben Henderson suited up and kicking back the way he likes best: competing in the gi / Photo: Many Weapons

At the brown belt level, fans in Arizona got a chance to see a couple of pro MMA fighters at work. Newly crowned UFC lightweight champion Ben “Smooth” Henderson (JCBJJ) took home some gold with the only middleweight matchup of the division. Henderson also managed to take third place in the open class, losing in the semifinals. The big winner at brown belt, though, was former Bellator fighter Jacob McClintock (GD Jiu-Jitsu), who grabbed a hold of the open weight gold, defeating Daniel Grippaudo (BJJ Revolution) in the final and submitting all of his opponents in the absolute. McClintock hopped back into the action following a short break from BJJ competition.

In the purple belt division, a pair from GD Jiu-Jitsu reigned supreme. Issa Able and Daniel Hampton won the middleweight and medium heavy divisions, respectively, and then went on to close out the open weight division; Hampton conceding the top spot to Able. The one to really take note of in the blue belt division was 17-year-old Adrian Nez from team Megaton. Nez marched all the way to the lightweight final to submit Nava BJJ’s Aaron Wilson with an ankle lock. As if not quite satisfied with the gold from his division, young Adrian entered the absolute. Although a lightweight, Nez did extemely well, making it, again, to the final. This time leaving with a silver medal, losing to the ultra heavyweight champ, Alex Centner (Lopez BJJ), by wrist lock. Also at blue, representing the females, was Maria Magna (JCBJJ). Magna, UFC champion Ben Henderson’s girlfriend, managed to win the women’s absolute, despite being a light featherweight. Magna defeated middleweight champ Kayla Reupenny from Relson Gracie in the open weight final.

The sheer numbers combined with the raw talent that GD Jiu-Jitsu Events attracts to tournaments is just a testament to the growing popularity of these functions; showing that Jiu-Jitsu in Arizona is here to stay.

Full info at http://www.gdjjevents.com

Final Schedule

We will be running 6 mats. Please arrive at least 30 minutes before your division starts

Saturday March 3rd, 2012

Spectator Fee: $10

KIDS

9:00 am – Doors Open
10:00 am – White Belts, Kindergarten and Pre-Teen
10:30 am – White Belts, Jr. Teen
11:00 am – White Belt Teen, Grey/Yellow Belt, Kindergarten and Pre-Teen
11:30 am – Yellow Belt Jr. Teen
11:50 am – Yellow Belt Teen
12:30 pm – All orange and green belts

ADULTS

2:30 pm – Blue Belts Adult Male (Rooster to Medium Heavy)
3:30 pm – Blue Belt Adult Male (Heavy to Ultra), Blue Belt Master
4:00 pm – Blue Belt Senior
4:30 pm – Blue Belt Female, Blue Belt Juvenile
4:45 pm – All Open Classes (In the order: Adult male, Master, Senior, female and Juvenile)
6:00 pm – Tournament ends

Sunday March 4th, 2012

Spectator Fee: $10

9:00 am – Doors Open
10:00 am – Purple Belt Adult (male and female), Purple Belt Master
10:30 am – Purple Belt Senior, All Brown Belt divisions
11:00 am – Adult Male White Belt (Rooster to Light)
11:30 am – Adult Male White Belt (Middle to Ultra Heavy)
12:00 pm – Purple, Brown and Black Belt Open Classes. Black Belt Master and Senior. Juvenile White Belt (Rooster to light)
12:30 pm – Juvenile White Belt (Middle and up)
1:00 pm – Adult Female White Belt, White Belt Masters
1:30 pm – White Belt Senior
2:30 pm – Tournament Ends

PARKING INFO

The North Parking lot (Thomas and 11th ave.) is closer to the North Gym.

Registrations for the Blue (Juvenile, Adult, Master, and Senior), Purple and Brown Belt Open Divisions will take place at the end of each division. Only 2 competitors per school allowed! For the blue & purple adult/open, the same IBJJF System will be used, only the top 4 of each division can compete in the open class. NO OPEN CLASS FOR THE WHITE BELT DIVISION.

AZSBJJF’s Sponsor, Staley Performance, located inside the Arizona Grand Resort in Phoenix is offering $300 discount of the 2 for 1 Local Live and rare retreat with Chad Waterbury. Please use coupon “AZSBJJF”.

Come learn from one of the greatest coaches in the industry.  Chad Waterbury is a neurophysiologist and author whose unique training methods are used by a wide range of athletes, bodybuilders, figure models, and fitness enthusiasts of all ages and from all walks of life. He was the director of strength and conditioning at the Rickson Gracie International Jiu Jitsu Center in West Los Angeles and now works with professional fighters, celebrities and non-athletes one-on-one.

This Hands on seminar will cover the unique exercise sequence Waterbury uses to develop rate of force development for MMA athletes using three scientific training strategies. Progressions from novice to advanced will be covered.

Participants will also learn the shortcomings with the common nutritional strategies, and how to fix them. Meal timing, intermittent fasting, workout nutrition, and supplementation will be covered.

Waterbury will outline the 7 essential body weight exercises an MMA fighter or power athlete should master. Progressions for each exercise will challenge even the strongest athletes. This hands-on session will transform your views on what it means to have full body power and mobility.

Sign up now!