2008 PAN AM: VESUVIUS' SHORT RECAP

Guys,

Kron Gracie is so damn good it is hard to imagine. I watched him fight 6-7 times. Nobody lasted more than about 2 minutes. His set ups are awesome and his movement so precise, and quick it is machine-like.

And watching Rafael Lovato. Damn. The man is a master and a monster. The final match was so damn exciting, thousands of people never sat down for 10 minutes and the silence was punctuated by huge roars from the crowd. Lovato got caught in a NASTY triangle early and spent 2 minutes fighting out of it. Very late in the match he applied a Kimura that resulted in a rolling defense. Maybe 5 consecutive rolls around the mat with the kimura applied. Ultimately, a brilliant sweep in the final seconds to overcome a 1 point deficit and won the gold.

Tarsis Humphries fought Andre Galvao for the final. Tarsis excuted a brillant shoulder throw in the first 15 seconds. Galvao quickly recovered and went to work. Tarsis shoulder was injured at about 4 min with the score tied. Galvao takes the gold.

WOW!

Mark

+ HERE'S A VIDEO CLIP FROM 'THE FIGHTWORKS PODCAST' SHOWING 33 T-SHIRTS FROM THE PAN AMS. EACH SHIRT REPRESENTS A TEAM/GYM/BRAND. CHECK IT OUT. -LUKE

SHOUT OUT!!!

***NEW PIC***

Another bit of good news the following morning.

Nicolai 'The Geeza' Holt wins both his weight division + the absolute (purple-belt) almost submitting every opponent but otherwise dominating. A big congratulations to Nicolai, awesome performance!

Great representation of SEA at the Pan Ams this past weekend!

SHOUT OUT!!!

***NEW PICS***


I wake up this morning to receive great news from one of my teammates.

Mark 'Vesuvius' Simmerman wins gold for his weight division at the Pan Ams!!!! We all knew that Mark had it in him and he definitely paid his dues the months prior. I'm sure I speak for the rest of us in expressing how proud and happy we are for Mark. Congratulations!!!

-Luke

UPS & DOWNS

I don't know if it's anxiousness or a lack of patience but for as much progress I may be making, I can't help but get frustrated with myself from time to time. It may have little to do with the success/failures I have on the mat but just feeling the growing pains of learning. While at work I can't help but fixate on how to keep the guard or think what I did wrong that caused me to lose that armbar. At times I fear that I'm losing perspective on what my responsibilities are and that BJJ is taking over my life. Perhaps if you asked those who knew me, they may agree but only in jest. So then I begin to wonder if I'm getting a little burnt out or do I need to look at things with a fresh perspective and take a bit of the edge off of myself.

I used to swim competitively for over 10 years up through college. By my Freshman year I quit to focus on my studies (and party). By then, I had already burnt out on swimming but not cause college swimming was any harder than what I was used it. I just lost interest and wanted to put my energy towards other things that presented a new challenge. I had no interest in becoming an Olympic swimmer or spend a third of my college years in the pool. Now in BJJ-terms, perhaps 10+ years of swimming amounts to a black-belt besides finishing my high school career with State titles and championships under my belt. To say the least, I am proud of my accomplishments in swimming and appreciate what it gave me as far as discipline and to value hard work. Now this would have been a great time to start BJJ but that wouldn't come for another 7 years. I say it would have been a great time cause it probably would have saved me from a lot of vices.

Anyways, my point being is to recognize what you want from all of this. For some it might be to get the black-belt, for others it's about a journey and for some it's just a place to socialize and get fit. Outside of wanting to maliciously hurt people with BJJ, I don't see anything wrong with the reasons that bring you to the mat. I do think that if you can keep in perspective what you want and what your goals are, it shouldn't feel as though it's getting the better of you. I will admit I can get a little carried away and perhaps this blog is an extension of that but I'm an all-or-nothing kind of guy. BJJ doesn't pay my bills and it won't feed my family, that's not my career path. What it does is make me happy. I do these things cause it makes me happy and I want it to continue to do so. For as much effort I put into improving my jiu-jitsu, I should equally focus on nurturing the aspects of my life that will allow me to enjoy it. Family first, work second and the rest is just icing on the cake. I keep reminding myself of this when I get a little carried away and it helps.

Thanks for listening.

-Luke

9TH ALL JAPAN BJJ CHAMPIONSHIPS

I thought I'd hilite this event since it's one of the largest comps held in Japan. I have yet to visit or partake in any BJJFJ event but hope to in the near future. Once I get my membership card that is.

I will be at at the Copa De Hong Kong tournament, taking place on the same weekend, April 26-27. This comp also promises to pull in a strong crew of competitors as I'm sure it's a much easier trip to make than Japan. Hope to see you guys there.Fore more info on either tournament, please click:
ALL JAPAN BJJ CHAMPIONSHIPS
COPA DE HONG KONG 2

-Luke

AS OF LATE...

Lately I've been feeling a little beat-up with my work routine, training and entertaining out-of-town guests. I have to remind myself that I can't go 100% a 100% of the time, I'll just burn-out. There was a time, before I got married haha, that I was training 6 days a week. That lasted about a month and a half, hehe. Everything has it's time and we all have our responsibilities and priorities to keep straight. With that said, taking a day or two off training has not only helped me to recover physically, it's helped me to return to training with clarity.

Another thing that I've realized is that I've been fixated too much on the details of my notes and haven't really given myself the time to just take it one step at a time. It's a great exercise to hilight your weak points but you can't train everything at once. Pick and choose the areas that you want to work on and be just as specific with who you train with. It doesn't do much good to try a brand-spankin' new move on a guy that is the same level or better than you are. 'Oh, I just learned this great guard-pass, perhaps I'll go try it on Jacare.' By starting with a partner that is a lower level than you (skill-wise), you have more opportunity to practice what you want without having to think too much about defense. In time, as your confidence and timing improve it would make sense to begin applying it to higher belts or those equal to your skill.

Overall, I have to say that I am a very lucky guy as I have a spouse that understands my need for BJJ. On average I train 4 times a week with and additional private or open-mat session. I do however schedule it as much as I can while she is doing her own thing so that our free-time coincides with each other. It also helps that when I return from training, I am in the best mood ever. I may not have done well that day but just the time spent on the mat really helps my stress level and overall mood.

I guess my point here is to just take a moment to enjoy what you do so that the time and energy spent doesn't feel wasted. The majority of the time it may feel like a struggle but it's a part of your journey and in the end, we'll probably cherish the experience over the reward.

-Luke

***REMINDER: Don't forget this month will finish with the "Lordz of Pain" Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu/Grappling Tournament in Singapore. Also coming up this April: Copa De Hong Kong 2, John Will seminar and Fabricio Martins seminar. Please check the calendar for details. If I'm missing anything I'd appreciate the notice.

VESUVIUS REPORTS: DRYSDALE + TRAVERN SEMINAR

Guys,

I lucked out and was able to attend a super seminar put on by two BJJ greats here in Atlanta today. There were at least 45 guys in the seminar.

I leave for Los Angeles in the morning.

Cheers,
Mark

***Mark will be competing at the Pan Ams this coming week in California, USA. Looking to hear more from him about his experience and perhaps some pics as well.



















































You can also find an recent interview with Drysdale + Comprido at OnTheMat: http://www.onthemat.com/articles/BRASA_Interviews__Drysdale_and_Comprido_03_19_2008.html

And...another interview with Drysdale at The Fightworks Podcast: http://thefightworkspodcast.com/2008/02/24/105-robert-drysdale-adcc-absolute-division-champion/

JOHN WILL SEMINAR

Hello everyone,

This coming 27th April Sunday, John Will, BJJ black belt under the Machado brothers will again be in Singapore for a BJJ seminar. This marks the third time we are having John Will. His past 2 seminars were tremendously well-received. Talk about back by popular demand!

John Will, one of the first 12 non-Brazilians black belts in BJJ (the Dirty Dozen), has the ability to strip techniques to bare essentials. Practitioners of any level will definitely benefit immensely.

Don't miss it! Open to both local and overseas practitioners.

For enquiries and signing up, contact kreationjits@hotmail.com"

Thanks a lot,
Kreation JJ

*** Also, I'd like to hilite John's blog: http://bjj-australia.blogspot.com/ as well. It's got some cool insight on BJJ. -Luke

STEVE ROBERTO SEMINAR: QUEZON CITY, METRO MANILA

by: Ralph Go
Steve Roberto will be holding a seminar at the Judo Dojo Eagle Gym this coming Tuesday, March 25th @ 7pm. A Purebred-Loyd Irvin black-belt, Steve is the Vice champion of All Japan 2007. The seminar will focus on passing 1/2-guard and mount. The seminar is open to all gyms both local and overseas

Please text 0917 8925754 or email ralphgo11@yahoo.com if interested and to reserve your slot.

Location: 2/F Judo Dojo Blue Eagle Gym, Quezon City, Metro Manila
Date: Tuesday, March 25th @ 7pm
Fee: $40 USD per

KDT GI!!!

Just as the gi-poll ends, I get news that Vince has new info about the gis he's been working on. Check it out and be sure to share your thoughts via forum. -Luke

Hi all

I have finalized the KDT Kimono. They will be offered in WHITE only, lightweight goldweave (750gsm) and 500gsm cotton drill pants. The collar is sturdy and thick like Gameness with the jacket fitting like Atama (lots of room to move in the shoulders and lats). No back seam and tapered waistline. All seams are reinforced triple stitching where needed. Minimal logos on the kimono.

This is NOT the premium kimono but a mid-range for those not wanting to spend US$200+ or less than $50 for a cheap kimono which will fall apart or has a bad fit.

This is SHRINK TO FIT gi. Here I am wearing A3 after 1 wash and machine dried (heck, I can't wait around for the sun to do its work - I'm busy dammit!)

I'm 178cm (5"10"-ish) and around 170lbs, 77kg. The kimono weighs in about 2.5kg and I can afford to wash and machine dry it to shrink a few more times before it stops shrinking (I'm estimating another 3 times).

Let me know your thoughts based on the pictures.

I'll be marketing them at RM259.99 / US$ 81.00 when the stock arrives. Place your orders asap. Thank you!

SHARE YOUR COMMENTS OR MAKE REQUEST VIA BJJ-ASIA BLOG.

POLL RESULTS!!!

Here are the final results of BJJ-ASIA's first poll on 'What is your favorite gi brand?' With 113 votes, ATAMA is the most popular brand in Southeast Asia. Just short 6 votes, Koral comes in 2nd place and Keiko in 3rd. Thanks to everyone who participated in the poll.

Again, the reasons one person likes this brand over the other can be quite subjective but what I hope this information helps me to understand better is how we as a community are being marketed to and to improve upon the choices we have. KDT in Malaysia have been working to produce their own gi and several clubs in China are using their local resources to produce gis as well. It's something to think about.

I'm doing my own research and own several brands (Atama, Koral, Keiko, KF, HCK, Faixa Preta, Ouano). A number of them need to be retired and it's these gis that I donate to the club for visitors to wear or on the occasion someone forgets their own. Speaking of, the JJFJ have a charity program that takes used gis for under-privleged children training jiu-jitu. If you're interested, check it out HERE. I believe there are more charity programs involving BJJ but will post those later. -Luke

Koral	31 (27%)
Atama	37 (32%)
Keiko	19 (16%)
Gameness	16 (14%)
Mizuno	6 (5%)
HCK	6 (5%)
Vulkan	13 (11%)
other	18 (15%)

BJJ ON SCREEN

Earlier I had written about the first time I had scene jiu-jitsu on screen but wasn't aware of it at the time. I'm referring to Lethal Weapon and the final fight scene between Mel Gibson and Gary Busey. Anyways, our good friend Nick posted some vids on the forum and I thought I'd share these on the blog. Please make your way to the BJJ-ASIA FORUM to discuss amongst yourselves. Hoping this will incite some discussion. -Luke

LETHAL WEAPON


JAMES CAGNEY DOES JUDO

TONY EDUARDO LIMA

interview by: Stanley Tam
Professor Tony can you tell us something about your background and how you got started in BJJ?
I was born in Florianopolis, Brazil. At the time of my childhood the Gracie brothers Rilion and Crolin had just moved to my town to open up an academy. One of Rilion’s students at the time was a family friend and convinced my father to introduce me to Jiu-Jitsu. My father always liked BJJ and saw it as a great opportunity to motivate me to start training with Rilion. After my first class I knew Jiu-Jitsu would be a part of my life forever.

How long did it take for you to get your black belt?
I started training when I was 12 years old and received my Black Belt at the age of 23.

What are some of your notable competition wins?
Some of my notable wins would have to be, 7 X South Brazilian Champ, South American Black Belt Champ, 2 X Worlds Mundials bronze medalist, ADCC 2005 first Brazilian trial champ.

You have trained with many members of the Gracie family such as Rilion, Renzo, Ralph and Roger. How do their styles of BJJ differ?
They are all highly technical fighters and very tough. It think the only difference would be their body type. Roger is a very big guy with a great foundation in BJJ. So, he is really a hard guy to beat, that’s why he is the number one competitor in the world.

Why did you decide to come to Shanghai, China?
My friend Ryan Melchiano was moving back here to Shanghai and convinced me to travel with him. I knew Shanghai was a very modern city with a lot of opportunities but I didn’t know how the growth of BJJ was in Asia. I also have a good friend in Beijing, Pedro “Bebe” Schmall. He is training the fighters from AOW and he really motivated me to move out here.

What do you think of Shanghai so far?
So far Shanghai is an amazing city. I see a great future for the sport of BJJ.

Your friend Bebe Johnson came to Shanghai to train and hang out with us this weekend. Can you tell us a little about your relationship with him?
Bebe is a great friend that I met in Brazil. We trained together for many years and he is a Royler Gracie Black Belt. He has a really technical style and he is also a strong guy. Those things together make for a great fighter. I enjoy training with Bebe because he is a nice guy that helps to push me hard.

BJJ is obviously a very young sport/art in China, how do you see BJJ progressing and do you think it will become as popular as it has become in the US?
I strongly feel that once you start training BJJ you fall in love with it. This has been happening all over the world. So, I don’t see China as being any different. The people just need to be exposed to it, then they will realize how great of a sport/martial art it really is.
What advice would you give to a new student when choosing a BJJ academy or teacher?
Make sure that they are a member of the IBJJF. The IBJJF really helps to organize BJJ through out the world and sets a standard for all gyms to follow.

Can you tell us what your requirements are for students to progress form white to blue belt, blue to purple belt and all the way to black belt?
BJJ is a very competitive sport. Everyone is trying to get better to obtain the next belt, but I wouldn’t get fixated with that thought. I think if you train hard, you are motivated and really enjoy BJJ then the belts will come naturally. To earn a belt is a combination of Training Time, Technique Level and Sparring progress.

Nowadays people are always talking about “old school” BJJ and “new school” BJJ, do you think there is such a thing and what are your thoughts on it?
I don’t believe there is such a thing. It goes against the philosophy of BJJ. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was founded on being open minded. That’s why and how the Gracie family was able to develop it. They allowed this collaboration of students to build and manipulate a new Jiu-jitsu. So, by saying this is new or old school BJJ sounds inappropriate.

What is your advice for students wanting to excel in BJJ?
You need to train with your body, mind and heart. You have to dedicate yourself.

Do you think it is necessary for students to compete in order to be competent at BJJ?
No, people that compete enjoy more the sport aspect of BJJ, but that doesn’t mean that you are any better of a fighter. There are some great fighters out there that just don’t enjoy competing and some that do.

Any closing remarks?
We are all going to be fighting in Copa de Hong Kong next month. So, I hope all my student from Shanghai BJJ Academy have a good time and enjoy our trip to another city. For all the other fighters out there, I hope you can make it to HK and support BJJ in Asia.

DAVID MAMET'S 'RED BELT'

This ain't new but thought I'd post it since it's the first time that I know of where jiu-jitsu is the star of the film, well perhaps co-star. The first time I saw jiu-jitsu on film was Lethal Weapon where Mel Gibson's character triangles Gary Busey in the final fight scene.

The Fightworks Podcast interviews the writer/director David Mamet: HERE

'Red Belt' trailer

BLOG NEWS

I thought I'd reflect on my recent resolution to take class notes as a means of mapping my progress and increase my focus during training.

I recently watched this instructional DVD a friend of mine had lent me and the person made an analogy of the investment we make in going to school (college) and the steps we take to retain the knowledge given. So in either case, we are paying for the education, facilities and program set by the institution/instructor. It would make sense that most students in preparation for the final exam would take notes or somehow record the information so that it can be reviewed at a later date. I think the same goes for learning BJJ. It's not my intention to memorize 1000's of techniques when only a handful will apply to my game. What I would like to happen is to build a library of references so that I can reflect on aspects of my 'game' and how it applies to the overall concepts of jiu-jitsu. These concepts would include: posture, push-pull, leverage, weight-distribution, etc. From these concepts, how do I build a strategy of attack/defense, gluing together the techniques that work for me, what constitutes my 'A' game.

Another thing I've come to find while taking notes and reviewing them for the following class is that it helps me to map my mistakes when rolling with my teammates. These are the guys that will ultimately push you to be better. They're the ones that have clued into your game and will eventually learn to stop your 'infamous kimura from side-control.' Taking quick notes on what person 'X' got you with the last time will help you check that problem and hopefully keep you clear of making the same mistake. It's a win win situation cause we're all here to make each other better.

I've been guilty of training without a focused agenda, just to relieve some stress and get a decent workout. I know there are a lot of guys out there that have little interest in competition. And hey, that's fine if that's what you want. Competition and the preparation involved is not easy. Besides the skill level, you've got athleticism, chance, environment, reffing and the crowd all taking part as elements that will effect the outcome. For me it's the opportunity to test myself outside of my comfort zone and how I'm able to control myself and the person I am fighting. Perhaps for me, it's the competition that serves as the final exam.

So I am more than willing to constructively prepare myself by taking the extra 20-30 minutes after class to jot down the details that's going to help me later. It may also be that I'm far from my college days and as the responsibilities stack up, I have to take a more active role in my progress. If you've read this far, thanks for entertaining my rambling. -Luke

OTHER NEWS:
Well, we've reached my goal of having over 100 voters for the gi-poll. Atama has kept strong throughout so far and we have just another 3 days left. Thanks again to everyone who participated.

I also want to wish one of my good teammates the best of luck as Mark 'Vesuvius' Simmerman just left for the US and will be competing at the Pan Ams next week. He's been training very hard the past few months and I'm sure he will do well. GO VESUVIUS!!!!

If you haven't check it out yet, I just posted the interview with Mauricio 'Tinguinha' Mariano. He is the one that made the spider-guard what it is today and has continued to develop a game from this position, releasing a number of instructional DVDs. I'd had the great opportunity to train at his school while in LA last year and hope to have him in Asia soon.

MAURICIO 'TINGUINHA' MARIANO

More and more these days BJJ black-belts from all over are coming through Southeast Asia for a number of reasons. From vacation to work, it's usually be a limited exchange of e-mails that we get to hear about their visit/passing through. So when I heard that some individuals were working on getting Mauricio 'Tinguinha' Mariano here in Asia, I jumped at the opportunity to ask him a few questions and hopefully provide an introduction to those that may not know him.

For those who aren't familiar with you, could you share a bit of your background with us? Where are you from? When and how did you start to train BJJ? Who did you study under and when did you receive your black-belt?

I am from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I started training more than 20 years ago. Before I started training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu I was training Judo and my older brother introduced me to BJJ. Then I fell in love with the art and am training till this day. I trained under Carlos Gracie Jr. and I was promoted a black belt in 1996.

In the early days of your bjj career, what was your training routine like? What was training and competing like in those days?

I always was very serious about my training. I pretty much trained twice a day. And did conditioning training two times a week. The training was very competitive because at that time all the top guys from Carlos Gracie Jr.'s school were training under the same roof. Competition is pretty much like today but the only difference I would say is that there are more competitors today.

You've made quite a name for yourself with the development and popularization of the 'spider-guard'. Could you tell us a bit of how this came about?

I started training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu really young and I never went to the kids classes I started straight in the Adults classes I always would end up in the bottom for being smaller and skinny and I could not keep my guard closed because my legs were too weak comparing to those guys so I had to adapt my game to train with bigger and stronger opponents. And the spider guard ended up happening naturally, it was pretty much a surviving situation, with time I started specializing and developing new techniques on the spider guard game.

Over time, has this changed for you and how do you see your game develop?

Every technique has a defense and every defense has a counter attack. So my game keeps always improving cause there is always someone with a defense for my attacks and because of that I have to find a way to counter those defenses. It never stops, it's always evolving.

You recently got back into competition in the 2007 Mundials, held in California, USA. Please share with us your experience and impression of today's jiu-jitsu.

I was out of the competitions for four years, I had been solely dedicated to my school and my students but when I heard the Mundial was going to be held here in California I felt that fire come right back. I fought the World championship in Brazil before and I always had a chance to have a good performance having a second and third place so I felt it was a good competition to return. It was a good feeling to be back to the tournament environment even though I felt my timing was off because the lack of competing for so many years, the level of the fighters is incredibly high and I had a chance to fight twice, won my first and lost my second and that was a good feeling.

Do you plan to compete again this year?

I do have plans to compete but I have some projects to finish before so it will depend how is going to pan out.

Outside of Brazil, the United States has the largest BJJ scene. In comparison, BJJ is relatively new to Southeast Asia and I'm curious to know if you have an advice for those who are just getting started and for those who have been training for some time already.

My advice is not just train but be a BJJ student, try to understand the philosophy behind the techniques. Jiu-Jitsu is a very technical martial art and to fully understand it requires dedication. The good thing is that today you have easier access to the techniques, through books, dvds, online... Those would be good tools to have access even if you are far from the popular BJJ places and that is the big difference from some time ago.

More specifically, for those in situations where they don't have a higher-belt to instruct them and only their sparring partners (white/blue belts), what would you suggest to for them to focus on? How can they maintain a positive progression in BJJ?

It is possible, my suggestion for those people would be to train smart you can just go to the school and roll but they need to follow a plan, drill the techniques, do specific training from specific positions and situations, train the points in which they are weaker in the games and a lot of mat time.

Besides teaching, what plans do you have for the coming year?

My plans for this year is coming out with new dvds, pretty soon we will be realing 2 or 3 more, I plan to an instructional book, also a seminars tour outside of the US and I would love to go to Asia. I have some other projects and hopefully everything will be happening this year.

Thank you for taking the time to chat with us, is there anything you'd like to say to the readers out there in Southeast Asia?

Thank you for the opportunity, I love Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and it is great to see the BJJ martial art being spread all over the world so it is very nice to see it getting to Southeast Asia and I look forward to be able to go do a seminar there some day. If anyone has any questions you can contact me at tinguinha@yahoo.com or you can get more info at www.bjjoc.com

I'd like to thank Tinguinha for taking the time to answer our questions + both Danny & Phil for getting me in touch with the man himself. -Luke

TMT'S RAY ELBE

by: Tiger Muay Thai













Tiger Muay Thai grappling/mma instructor, and Juliano Prado purple belt
Ray Elbe has returned from a 5 week visit in the states. While
stateside Ray competed 3 times, once in the gi, once nogi, and once in
MMA.

Headlining the Pro/Amaeture Fighting Frontier Days, Ray fought in Cody
City Wyoming. He beat US Armed Forces combative instructor Matt Johnson
in the 2nd round via armbar.

http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?search=yes&EventID=6704

Ray won Alessio Silva's 2nd annual Gi Grappling tournament capturing
gold in the 194lbs and under purple belt division.

*See Attachment; Left to Right Juliano Prado, Ray Elbe, Giva Santana*

Following Ray's impressive Gi competition, he was featured in former
WEC LW Champion Cory Cass's annual Fight Lab Submission Grappling
Tournament- held inTemecula California. Ray won Gold in the advanced
division, competing in both the 185lbs and 205lbs division. It was
bitter sweetness for Elbe, who after a day of competition was unable to
perfect the triple crown when he was submitted in the absolute finals
against WEC veteran/ Dan Henderson trained fighter Fernando Gonzalez.

Below are a few video links to Ray's performance in Temecula
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ppzKdliwTUQ
http://youtube.com/watch?v=2Nq9BMHPXU4
http://youtube.com/watch?v=bN_uZVSGM7k
http://youtube.com/watch?v=lQ3GVlqtjC0

HONG KONG: JAB MMA + BTT BLACK-BELT

AMENDMENT: I want to make a correction about this post regarding Xandinho's presence in Hong Kong along with BTT's involvement. Kylin BJJ and Jab MMA have integrated themselves as a single team and represent BTT in Hong Kong. According to Thomas Fan, Xandinho who is a Ze Marcello black-belt will be leading all Kylin BJJ members and will be teaching on a long term basis.

I apologize for the misunderstanding. Thanks Thomas for the correction.

Jab's press release for Prof. Xandinho:
ULTIMATE FIGHTER TRAINS IN HONG KONG
Fresh off the plane from Brazil, Alexandre "Xandinho" Izidro comes to Hong
Kong to lead the latest ultimate fighting craze - Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ).
As the only black belt in town and current World Cage Warrior Champion,
Alexandre is using mixed martial arts gym, JAB as his training ground for
future fights in Asia.

Alexandre is one of the top fighters in his profession being listed as one
of the professors of the Brazilian Top 10; he is also a member of one of the
world's largest mixed martial arts Brazilian Jiu Jitsu organizations, the
Brazilian Top Team (BTT). He has been the World Cage Warrior Champion for
the past three years, has had 13 professional fights under his belt and
intends to compete in Macau and other tournaments in Asia whilst being based
in Hong Kong.

His first fight will be the International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Open
Tournament, Copa De Hong Kong 2 on April 26-27, 2008.

Alexandre "Xandinho" Izidro said: "I am really excited to be in Hong Kong
and I'm really looking forward to my first fight. A lot of martial arts have
been born out of Asia and it's great to be here to represent the Brazilian
Top Team; I can't wait to get in the ring."

Being a much more evolved version of regular Jiu Jitsu or Judo, BJJ is a
combination of stand and ground fighting that focuses on grappling. There
are two different types of grappling tournaments - gi (opponents wear robes)
and no-gi (opponents are either bare chest or wear a rash vest).

Opponents are crowned champion upon submission or through the point system.
Submission is grouped into two methods - joint locks and choke holds - and
is indicated verbally or by tap out - tapping the opponent, mat or
themselves several times. The maximum a fight can run on to is five rounds
of five minutes.

The sport is ranked by belt starting with white, blue, purple, brown, black
and ending in red. On top of being ranked by belt, stripes or Dan can be
awarded at the instructor's discretion, which is based on noticeable
improvement or tournament victories. It is standard for a student to receive
four stripes before being promoted to the next rank. Alexandre is 3rd Dan
black belt.

Andrew Wong Kee, managing director at JAB said: "We are really pleased that
Alexandre has chosen to train at the gym it's not everyday you get to see
one of the best mixed martial arts fighters in action on a daily basis."

For more information about JAB please visit www.jabmma.com or call 28516684
for details of the mixed martial art classes that are open to the public.

Submission: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LteV0bVbahY

MMA: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zumY9kOITbc

TRANING MMA: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zumY9kOITbc

jiu jitsu: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gPSKdlaoxQ

I received news from a couple of sources that there is a new black-belt in Hong Kong, teaching at Jab MMA. I've included the gym's link to the HK section. Check out Kei's blog with pics and video of Prof. Xandinho from BTT.
http://samulime.blogspot.com/2008/03/prof-xandinho-blazlian-top-team-black.html

PEDRO SAUER SEMINAR PICS!!!

donated by: Chet QuintWe have two sets of pics and some added news from the seminar. Besides it being a great opportunity and honor to host Prof. Sauer, some congratulations is in order. During his stay, Pedro promoted long time student, Jeff Olsen to Black Belt (the first Black Belt promoted here in China). You can also see in both sets of pics, Xu Ai Hui, China's first female blue-belt.



donated by: Danny HathiramaniThis past week Pedro Sauer was in Beijing to give a seminar, hosted by Chet Quint. Our friend Danny was kind enough to share some pics he had taken along with a quote: "basic basic basic....good basic = good jiu jitsu".

BLOG NEWS: TAKING NOTES

For whatever reason I never did a consistent job of taking notes from class or even a seminar. I have been training for 3+ years now. For me, I'm a visual learner and I've very good at understanding things spatially once I've seen it once or twice. That's not to say that I have everything I've ever seen memorized like a robot but it doesn't take long before I get the hang of it.

About two weeks ago I took it upon myself to start writing things down. I first started with a list of questions that I plan on asking after class or questions that would come up after training but didn't get a chance to bring it up with my coach. This list is ever growing and I don't imagine it'll every run dry. From there, I began to document specific techniques that I have found work for me. Techniques that make up my 'A' game. Written in detail with as many contingencies that I can think of but not going too far from the agenda. Thirdly, and perhaps the most time consuming, is the class notes. I now write a BJJ class journal that have notes from each class I attend, including the technique of the day, new questions + what I can remember when rolling with my teammates. What I did wrong, how I could improve and what I did well.

I've been doing this now for about two weeks and what it has made me realize is that there is so much that I miss. I do this not with the aim of memorizing 1000 techniques but more to hilight what I can do to improve, hilight the mistakes I am making while rolling and to map my own progress in how I've come to understand the concepts of jiu-jitsu.

I will admit it takes a bit of discipline to write these things down and in a way that you can understand reading them months later. I've put it all in a word document cause there's no way I'm going to transcribe hand written notes to another document, ughh. It takes about 20 minutes of my day, depending on the details I include. The other thing is that I make time. I don't have ample time to kill as I have several jobs & responsibilities as I'm sure we all do. (besides this blog) But if you're aim is to improve at a consistent level, I would highly recommend taking notes for yourself. If you're paying for classes, wouldn't it make sense to get the most you can from the experience?

OTHER NEWS:
Less than a week to go before the gi-poll ends. My hope is that we reach at least 100 votes so tell your friends!

-Luke

2008 PHILIPPINE NATIONAL BJJ CHAMPIONSHIPS

Purple Belt Results/Videos
Written by PinoyMMA Team
Thursday, 28 February 2008

We will have pics, more videos, and the full results for both Gi and No-Gi in the days to come; but for now, here are the results from the Purple Belt division.

We have also included some videos of matches we found on YouTube.

Kevin Hindriks (KMA), Jerome Lepiten (Gracie Barra), Ralph Go (New Breed), Dhan Samson (New Breed), Pichon Garcia (Gracie Barra), and Ariel Valenova (New Breed) competed in the lightweight division. Ralph Go took gold, Pichon Garcia silver, and Kevin Hindriks took bronze, defeating Ariel Valenova.

In the 1st round:

Hindriks defeated Samson. Garcia got a by.


Lepiten defeated Valenova. Go got a by.


In the second round:

Garcia defeated Hindriks.


Go defeated Lepiten.


Finals:

Go defeated Garcia.


For more info go to www.pinoymma.com

WWW.ICOMPETE.ORG + WWW.GIREVIEWS.COM

While listening to this past week's fightworks podcast, I heard about this free online database-site for tournaments in the US/Canada/International. So I was excited to check it out since it's been an eye-opening experience for me in learning of all the events going on in Southeast Asia. Unfortunately, when I clicked on Asia (Japan, Korea, China & Thailand) there was nothing posted. Of course this is a new site and it's just getting started, just like BJJ-ASIA this past September. Again, to help promote all of us here I will update the site with what I have but I encourage everyone to check it out. This doesn't mean that I will stop updating the calendar here, it's just another avenue for exposure and promotion of our events. *note: I have made a request to the site that they add more countries to represent SEA.

Another element that I quite like is that for those of us that travel, we can check the area we are going to for upcoming events. Perhaps there's a seminar in the next town or a local tournament the weekend you are visiting your sister in (?)wherever.

link: http://icompete.org/

Other news, the Pedro Sauer seminar took place this past weekend in Beijing. Unfortunately video was not allowed but anyone who attended, please send your pics here so I can post for everyone to see. It doesn't have to be a live-action shot, just you and Prof. Sauer would be great. Write a quick sentence of your experience.

9 Days left for the gi-poll and still Atama is in the lead! Nothing against Atama, I have two myself. It's cool to see what everyone likes and if you're interested in putting your opinions online, check out this site: http://gireviews.com/. I've posted on this site my thoughts on several gis that I have owned and just like BJJ-ASIA, the more people share, the better the site can be. This is for those of you, myself included, that geek-out on all things BJJ. Of course this gi or that gi won't make me a better fighter but it's an interest I have.

I'd also like to see more participation on the forum about ideas for upcoming articles, interviews, or general ramblings. Other than the few guest authors here, it's just my voice so let's here what you guys have to say about things.

-Luke

PHILIPPINE NATIONAL GRAPPLING CHALLENGE 2008

Sunday, 02 March 2008

Women's Division G-Macaca - New Breed S-Jona Baquillas - Team Fabricio B-Em Matias - Team Fabricio B-Katherine Choy - Team Fabricio Men's Basic Under 62 G-Joseph Chua - Submission Sport/Fabricio S-Alvin Orille - Sprawl/Fabricio B-Mac Cunanan - Team Fabricio Men's Basic 62.1-69 kg G-Macky Siazon - New Breed S-Carl Sabeniano - Hybrid Yaw Yan B-Mike Vergel - Alliance/Fabricio B-Jeffrey Cornelio - Hybrid Yaw Yan Men's Basic 69.1-76 kg G-Jag Tang - Team Fabricio S-Dennis Eala - Team Fabricio B-Jose Rongavilla - Team Fabricio B-Ramonito Fortich - New Breed Men's Basic 76.1-85 kg G-Adolf Vidal - Alliance/Fabricio S-Carrito Go - Submission Sport/Fabricio B-Manny Jimenez - Team Fabricio B-Gilbert Ombao - Team Fabricio Men's Basic Over 85 kg G-Mike Carpenter - Gracie Barra S-Richie Lazaro - Team Fabricio B-Mike Paulate - Alliance/Fabricio B-Edison Uy - Team Fabricio Men's Intermediate Under 62 G-Jan Vincent Cortez - New Breed S-Justin Jalandoni - Gracie Barra Men's Intermediate 62.1-69 kg G-Mike Banayad - Alliance/Fabricio S-Benjo Penzon - Alliance/Fabricio B-Carlos Tiongson - Alliance/Fabricio Men's Intermediate 69.1-76 kg G-Gully Go - New Breed S-Beon Jan Won Men's Intermediate 76.1-85 kg G-Froilan Sarenas - Team Fabricio S-Chris Angarita - Baret Yoshida B-Carlos Bergante - New Breed B-Chris Hernandez - Submission Sport/Fabricio Men's Intermediate Over 85 kg G-Joe Reyes - New Breed S-Lionel Zamora Masters Over 76 kg G-Noel Eric Ang Masters Absolute G-Gully Go - New Breed S-Noel Eric Ang - Team Fabricio B-Dennis Eala - Team Fabricio B-Beon Jan Won - Team Fabricio Advanced Under 76 kg G-Ralph Go - New Breed S-Kevin Hindriks - Team Fabricio Advanced Over 76 kg G-Ryan Bates - Gracie Barra S-TJ Sulit - New Breed B-Allan Co - Gracie Barra B-Ali Sulit - New Breed Men's Basic Absolute G-Mike Carpenter - Gracie Barra S-Jag Tang - Team Fabricio B-Lemuel Basa - New Breed B-Macky Siazon - New Breed Men's Intermediate Absolute G-Mike Banayad - Alliance/Fabricio S-Lionel Zamora - Team Fabricio B-Justin Jalandoni - Gracie Barra B-Carlos Mascardo - Gracie Barra Advanced Absolute G-TJ Sulit - New Breed S-Ali Sulit - New Breed B-Allan Co - Gracie Barra B-Richard Lasprilla - Gracie Barra

BRAZILIAN TOP TEAM: HONG KONG

by: Thomas FanNews from Kylin Bjj in Hong Kong

There has been some recent development in regards to Bjj advancement here in Hong Kong. I am happy to announce that our Team will be officially affiliated with BRAZILIAN TOP TEAM (BTT) under the direction of our current Black Belt professor Ze Marcello of BTT Europe.

An official BTT representative- Alexandre 'Xandinho' Izidro is here in Hong Kong for a long term bases. Alexandre is a Black Belt of Ze Marcello and also a MMA fighter who have competed successfully in Brazil, UK and Europe ( He was the former Cage warriors FC Champion at 70kg). He will be looking to compete professionally in BJJ / MMA throughout the Asia region.

To further advance our team to the next level, we have integrated with JAB MMA STUDIOwww.jabmma.com) where Xandinho will be running classes here in Hong Kong.

Anyone in the region interested in Xandinho competing in their event should contact us via:

mail@kylin-bjjhk.com and / or admin@jabmma.com

some links of Xandinho in action:

Submission: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LteV0bVbahY
MMA: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zumY9kOITbc

Sherdog : http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?FighterID=8123

PROF. RICARDO LIBORIO

This past weekend we had the great pleasure of hosting Prof. Ricardo Liborio here in Bangkok, Thailand. For those who are not familiar with the man, he is one of the first BJJ Mundial champions and voted 'most technical' fighter of 1996. He took gold in his weight division and took silver in the absolute to another teammate. A Carlson Gracie black-belt, he co-founded Brazilian Top Team and is now the founder and head-instructor to American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida (USA).

In town on business, he took the time to hold a seminar with the gi. Coincidentally, our coach Adam Kayoom had trained under Liborio while living in Brazil 7 years ago. It was great to see their reunion and the many stories that followed. The techniques given were solid and tight. We were able to get into some of the smaller details of what we've been working on the past month which was great. At the end, a good number of us had a chance to roll with him and feel 'real' pressure. It's the kind of pressure where you find it hard to breathe and you invite him to pass your guard, just to get some relief. The funny thing is he kept saying that he's getting to be an old man but I tell you this. His cross-choke, his armbar and darce did not feel old what-so-ever. Watching him roll is like watching a clinic of basic but technically precise jiu-jitsu. My all time favorite is his knee-slide-pass.

Off the mat we had a great time hanging out and showing Liborio a bit of Bangkok. A very humble and easy going guy, you can sometimes forget that you're hanging out with someone who's had such a tremendous influence in both BJJ/MMA. Another thing that was great about the experience is that he never holds back. Throughout the entire time he was here, he was always down to share his thoughts, tips and experiences with us.

Even though he's left, he promises to be back with plans of a stronger ATT presence in Asia. So, we may potentially be hosting future seminars from some of the best in BJJ/MMA.

I want to give a special thanks to Pedro Schmall who made this possible. To my two organizational buddies, Mark 'Vesuvius' Simmerman and Niti, thank you. And of course to Prof. Liborio. We had a wonderful time hosting you and we hope to see you again soon. Thank you.

-Luke