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!

Check out the AZSBJJF’s newest sponsor, Proving Ground Kennels. This world class kennel not only breeds the finest European Dobermanns, but also offers specialized K9 services. Proving Ground offers basic obedience classes, but what really sets them apart is their personal protection program. The dogs of Proving Ground not only excel in the world of shows, but also in real, working environments, such as security and police K-9. For more information, visit www.provinggroundk9.com.

2010 Kids AZSBJJF Ranking Winners

2011 was another great year of tough and exciting competition. Here are the Top 5 Schools in the Kids and Adult Divisions:

KIDS DIVISION

1st – GD Jiu-Jitsu

2nd – MMA Lab

3rd – BJJ Revolution

4th – Gracie Humaita

5th – Yuma BJJ/Fabio Santos

ADULTS DIVSION

1st – GD Jiu-Jitsu

2nd – BJJ Revolution

3rd – JCBJJ

4th – Lopez Jiu-Jitsu

5th – Gracie Humaita

Click here to view the full rankings

With so many strong competitors in 2011, 2 more categories were added to the MVP Awards: Female MVP in the Kids and Adult Division. Here are your 2011 MVPs:

KIDS DIVISION

Male MVP – Damian Hosokawa (BJJ Revolution)

This was award was particularly difficult because there were 3 competitors who had won all 4 tournaments in the 2011 year. To decide who would receive the MVP Award, we looked into who had the most amount of matches. The 2 Honorable Mentions for this award are Alex Sandoval Jr. (BJJ Revolution) and Michael Sanchez (MWBJJ) who won all 4 tournaments in 2011 but both having 2 less matches than Damian.

Female MVP – Miranda Escobar (Rey Diogo/De Brazil)

Miranda won all 4 tournaments in 2011 with the majority of her matches being against boys.

ADULT DIVISION

Male MVP – Alex Centner (Lopez Jiu-Jitsu)

Alex was the only person to win 5 gold medals from competing at both his weight division and the absolute class.  

Female MVP – Maria Magana (JCBJJ)

Maria was the only person to win 6 medals, which include 3 golds, 2 silvers, and 1 bronze.  

The 7th AZ International Open of BJJ will take place on March 3rd & 4th at the Phoenix College (North Gym) located at 1202 W. Thomas Rd., Phoenix, AZ 8013.

Written by: Kristina Barlaan

Carlos Gracie, Godfather of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and creator of the Gracie Diet, was one of the first to bring the Acai berry from the Amazons in the north of Brazil to the beaches of Rio de Janeiro in the south in the 60′s. The Gracie food of choice before and after training, Acai soon became popular among surfers, capoeistas, and Jiu-Jitsu fighters. Today, Acai is now a staple of Brazilian beach culture, the Jiu-Jitsu lifestyle, and anyone seeking a healthy and active life.

The health benefits of Acai are countless, but some of its many attributes are its high concentration of antioxidants, essential amino acids, essential fatty acids, plant sterols, dietary fiber, and an array of vitamins and minerals. Acai is a superfood that helps keep your body and its systems healthy and happy. From increased energy, stamina levels, resistance to fatigue to improved digestion and a stonger immune system, anyone can feel the benefits from introducing Acai to their diet, especially those living active lifestyles such as the Jiu-Jitsu practitioner.

I had my first experience eating Acai at the 2008 World Jiu-Jitsu Championship. I was addicted with my very first spoonful. It was unlike anything I could compare it to. During the 4-day tournament, I consumed at least 20 bowls of the purple berry. After that, I was obsessed with finding where I could buy Acai so that I could make some at home, but to no result. I had to wait until the 2009 Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championship to get my next taste of Acai. It was at this time that I was informed by some Brazilians that the Acai here in the US was nothing compared to the Acai prepared in Brazil. I remember thinking that there couldn’t be THAT much of a difference. I was wrong.

My first bowl of Acai in Brazil was at the World renowned Bibi Sucos. I couldn’t believe how good it tasted. Thick with flavor, but not over-sweetened. The bowl filled me up, but didn’t make me feel heavy, plus I just felt like a had an extra bounce in my step. I knew that once I was back in the US, I would crave Acai until my next trip back to Brazil. I had tried many brands here in the US, but nothing has come close to the quality, consistency, and taste of the Acai I had in Brazil. Then I found Amazon Forest brand Acai.

High-quality, great tasting Acai, products comparable to the Acai I enjoyed in Brazil. I can have an Acai smoothie in the morning for breakfast right before training and then make myself another as a snack in the middle of the day. Amazon Forest Acai is also great right out the packet as a quick energy boost drink or as a frozen treat right out the freezer. Amazon Forest’s product line will soon also include Acai Kiosks in major malls around US, candies and jellies and even freshly caught and frozen fish and seafood from northern Brazil. You can learn more about Amazon Forest Cafe and their line of products by visiting their website at amazonforest.us or visiting their facebook page.

The 7th AZ International Open of BJJ will take place on March 3rd & 4th at the Phoenix College (North Gym) located at 1202 W. Thomas Rd., Phoenix, AZ 8013.

BLACK OPEN CLASS DIVISION is back! There will be a Black Belt Open class division paying $3000 in Prizes! First place winner will receive $2500, while the 2nd place will receive $500. BJJ Fans will enjoy a weekend of competition and watch high caliber black belt matches with some of the best competitors in the world. Last year,  Roberto “Tussa” Alencar(NM/Gracie Barra) defeated Bruno Bastos (TX/Nova Uniao)  in the final match of the 16 Men Bracket.

Registration will be available in January.

Source: www.graciemag.com

Last October 23 and 24, Phoenix, Arizona, hosted the 3rd Southwest Classic, a Jiu-Jitsu tournament that this year paid out trips to the 2012 European Open Championship to the winners of the two black belt divisions. Augusto “Tanquinho” Mendes and Marcel Fortuna won light and heavyweight absolutes, respectively.

In the team contest, Gustavo Dantas Jiu-Jitsu (GDJJ) took the first-place trophy, with BJJ Revolution winning the one for second, John Crouch JJ for third, Lopez JJ for fourth, and Gracie Humaita bringing in fifth.

And UFC lightweight contender Ben Henderson was also there to put in an appearance in the gi, winning double gold as a brown belt.

For complete results, click here.

Check out the highlights from the Jiu-Jitsu fest:

GD Jiu-Jitsu Events and the AZSBJJF is proud to present its newest sponsor: Zebra Mats. Zebra Mats’ premium mats and flooring systems are featured at high profile events and training facilities around the world. Their ultra tough cages, rings, bag racks and accessories are used and promoted by today’s most recognized fighters, and their complete facility design and installation services are inspired by the athletes that demand top notch performance. Learn more about Zebra Mats by visiting their website at http://www.zebramats.com