Team VPF is the newest BJJ team in the Philippines. VPF is the former New Breed Ateneo branch which was headed by Ali Sulit. It was a bold move and decision for the people in the Ateneo branch to break away from New Breed but the decision was motivated by a greater passion and pursuit to reach higher levels of Jiu-jitsu and competition.
VPF is now organized and facilitated by Ali Sulit, Ralph Go and Carlo Peña. Their team has been off to a good start organizing the successful ROLL-A-PALOOZA Novice Grappling Championships (Oct. 12), the Mike Fowler Leg-Lock Seminar (Oct. 24) and the Dominação AbsoLUTA (Oct. 25 & 26).
"We knew that going out on our own was gonna be a big challenge, but that's exactly the reason why we're doing it. We live for the challenge. We look for goals to conquer. We want our Jiu-jitsu to have a purpose and to produce results. Being with New Breed all these years has been really good. New Breed is a good team with good people running it. However, we just came to a point where we realized that we wanted to go a different direction. My teammates and I will always keep close ties with our former team. We may carry a different flag now but we'll always be friends. Right now, we're just focusing on the next steps we need to take," said Ali Sulit with regards to going separate ways with New Breed Philippines and starting VPF.
Most recently, Team VPF won the Over-all Championship for both the GI and NO-GI events of the Dominação AbsoLUTA. We're gonna be hearing a LOT more from these guys during the coming months.
Just a reminder for the last big tournament in Southeast Asia before the year ends. -Luke 2008 Philippine BJJ Gi & NO Gi International December 6-7 at Mall of Asia.
Here's another blue-belt added to the ranks by Ralph Go and Ali Sulit at Team VPF. Here's the info from our friend Carlo Pena.-Luke
Skip Leido is Ralph Go's first promotee at Team VPF and our group's first "own" blue since Ralph received his brown belt from Aramaki-san a few months ago. Team VPF is the newest BJJ team in the Philippines, training at the Ateneo Judo Dojo, and will be sending a 3-man contingent to the Asian Championships next month in Japan.
Team VPF is the same group that organized tournaments such as Rollapalooza, Dominacao Absoluta and the Mike Fowler seminars in the Philippines and has launched the community site rollapalooza.tv
We have two more blue belt from our Academy graded by Prof. Daniel Charles last night. Now we have 3 blue,1 purple and 1 brown just arrived to Hong Kong this month.
Moreover, our Club will soon be 5 years old this Dec..To celebrate our Club 5 anniversary,we are proud to presents three Black Belt class every Mon. Weds. and Thurs. night from now on.
We welcome all overseas friends to train together whenever they stop by Hong Kong.
Lastly, congratulation to Fai and Wai, they truly worked hard for their blue belt.
Here they are, the results from both the gi & no-gi tournament from Manila. Thanks Carlo and Alex for the info. Be sure to check out Rollapalooza.TV -Luke
DAY 1 (NOGI): October 25, 2008
FEATHERWEIGHT Gold : Carlo Pena – Team VPF Silver : Jan Cortez – Team VPF Bronze: JR Santos - Team VPF
LIGHTWEIGHT Gold : Carlos Tiongson – Submission Sport Philippines Silver : Francis Uy - Submission Sport Philippines Bronze: Carl Sabeniano – Hybrid Yaw-Yan
MIDDLEWEIGHT Gold : Javier Mirelez – Purebred-Lloyd Irvin, Guam Silver : Michael Saniel – Team VPF Bronze: Claude Santos – Kamphuis-Fabricio
This happened a couple of weekends past but a lots been happening in Taiwan regarding MMA. It's especially excited to note that two buddies from Taiwan BJJ competed in what I believe to be their first MMA event. Big congrats to both James and Justin from Taiwan BJJ on their victories. Got some pics from both Gareth Griffiths and Nicholas Young. Thanks guys. Luke
from: Nicolas Young
Notice the SEABJJ shirt? REPRESENT!!!
from: Gareth GriffithsMingWu, a Taiwan-based MMA organisation, held its third event on Saturday 25, October at the Y17 venue in Taipei, Taiwan.
This was the first time that fights had taken place inside a cage. The fighters showed lots of heart as they put on a fantastic show for an enthusiastic crowd. MingWu's next event will be held in the middle of January. For more information, visithttp://www.mingwu.com.tw/en/profile.htm
Another site to check out with more info on the MingWu events and a 'making of' in the process:http://www.itsavideotv.com/
November 29, 2008 Where: Townsquare Cilandak, South Jakarta Registration/Weigh-Ins: 9:00 AM Technical Meeting: 10:00 AM Start Time: 11:00 AM
The Indonesian Grappling Federation is extending a cordial invitation to all martial artists to the 4th Indonesian Submission Championships on November 29, 2008 in Townsquare Cilandak, South Jakarta.
The Championships will be a great opportunity for all students of the grappling arts in South East Asia, including Jiu-Jitsu, Wrestling, Sambo, Judo and any other style of martial art to come together to compete and exchange techniques in a friendly and competitive environment. All styles of martial art are welcome to join this competition. The competition rules have been designed to encourage fast action and submissions. But also do not favor one style over another as points are awarded for positions and techniques from all of the aforementioned martial arts.
Submission grappling is the fastest growing martial art in the world and our mission is to promote and socialize submission grappling in Indonesia. The sport is highly competitive with the athlete demonstrating his techniques, abilities, and physical and psychological condition, with the objective of rendering his opponent into submission without the use of punching, kicking or any form of striking action. Valid moves are those which take an opponent to the ground, and neutralize, immobilize, and strangle him, or apply pressure on the large twisting joints.
Competitions are the lifeline of the sport and are the most important aspect for all those directly or indirectly involved. However, victory is not granted at any cost; fair-play is always the main guideline. Therefore, there are certain moves ruled illegal namely, biting, hair pulling, sticking fingers in the opponent's eyes, mouth or nose, striking the opponents genitalia, finger twisting, and any other move that gain an unfair advantage with the use of one's fists, feet, elbows or head.
Ethical behavior is what gives this sport credibility and security, which are indispensable factors in any sport. Through high standards of behavior, the sport has reached spectacular heights elsewhere in the world. Therefore, because submission grappling will one day soon become part of the greatest sporting show on earth, the Olympics, we need to promote submission grappling now as a sport in Indonesia.
With these thoughts in mind, we hope that you will come and support the 4th Indonesian Submission Championships on November 29, 2008 in Townsquare Cilandak, South Jakarta. PRIZE MONEY 1-3 Place Champions: Rp.4,000,000, Rp.2,000,000 & Rp.1,000,000 !!! 1-3 Place Absolute Division Champions: Rp.8,000,000, Rp.4,000,000 & Rp.2,000,000 !!!
PLEASE SEND IN APPLICATION FORMS BEFORE NOVEMBER 17.
Sincerely, INDONESIAN GRAPPLING FEDERATION Tel. +62.856.1808804Email: nikohan@gmail.com
With the new academy so close to being completed I'm confronted with the fact that I will be leaving one family to create another in a new space. While I have no trouble leaving the hour+ traffic rides to EMAC behind me, I will definitely miss the people, atmosphere and training. Of course I will continue to work with the guys on future projects, supporting each others' endeavors and tournaments. I guess what I'm commenting on is the sentimentality I have for the whole experience of training in a given space with a close knit group for a considerable amount of time. Outside of the traffic, there is nothing wrong with where I was training and no drama. Perhaps I've lucked out in moving to a city where BJJ is relatively young in comparison to other cities in Southeast Asia and politics play a very minor role here. It's just too damn small to be messing with politics. Plus, I'm not the only alumni of EMAC to be opening up their own place. My buddy Amps will be opening his own place with this brothers just outside of Bangkok in the Ramkamheang area. It's tentatively called '3 Monkeez' . I'll be sure to post more on their project when it's all ready.
As far as the communities in SEA, I see the Philippines representing the largest body of practitioners with a decent number of purples and now browns. Because of this, the tournaments they host bring in a healthy number of competitors and that's what we're looking to build in Thailand for this next year. The more we can do to promote BJJ, the better we can make SEA a desitination point for competitors and qualified instructors.
I am a happy camper since I got to return to training last night and today, received several DVDs that I had been expecting for some time. Now I'm sure I may be a part of the dwindling community of people that buy DVDs or CDs as apposed to downloading them but just can't help myself. So with my healthy collection of tournament footage and instructionals I hope to build a decent library for the academy, hehe. Without getting into the details we're heading into the home-stretch for the new academy.
Exciting stuff happening elsewhere with MMA Phuket and the Philippines' Dominacao Absoluta tournament. I've posted info on these already but am hoping to get more videos, pics and recap on the tournament. Not to forget that there was the Mike Fowler seminar on leglocks. So I will be posting those soon.
NAME: Ethan Day INSTRUCTOR: brown-belt from Renato Tavares (www.renatotavaresbjj.com) ORIGINAL TEAM: Kansas City BJJ SCHOOL IN SEA: Shanghai BJJ WEBSITE:www.shanghaibjj.com Hometown: Jackson, Tennessee (USA) ACCOMPLISHMENTS: NAGA Champion, Level III US Army Combatives PERSONAL HISTORY: Started training BJJ in 1999. TIME OF STAY: Undetermined SPONSORS:www.triumphunited.com, www.titlemma.com
Every full moon Tiger Muay Thai promotes a camp BBQ featuring amateur MMA, Boxing, Muay Thai, and Grappling fights. These events have become legendary amongst participants and are growing monthly in popularity. Anyone wishing to participate in an amateur MMA fight is encouraged to email MMA Phuket instructor Ray Elbe Magicalray@aol.com.
Jonas Brandustun Vs. Wiktor Svennson in a grappling rematch. Those of you who attended the FBT BJJ-Sub grappling open might remember their first match where Wiktor won a highly contested match against Jonas in the finals of their absolute division. Watch as Jonas pulls of the surprise flying armbar submission 30 seconds into the match!
Irishman Damion Vs. Canadian Tyler
Canadian Jeff Vs. Aussie Jai in what was EASILY fight of the night. Both of these heavyweights came out looking to brawl and impressed the crowd with their best Forrest Griffin/Stephan Bonner impersonations. Congrats to both guys for leaving their souls in the cage.
With nearly 35 participants including notable UFC fighters Jon Fitch and Brodie Farber in attendance, Gracie Barra Black Belt Tony Eduardo spent 2 hours covering intermediate to advanced Nogi grappling techniques. Following the seminar Professor Eduardo awarded MMA Phuket fighters Wiktor Svennson and Andreas Hesselback BJJ promotions to the rank of Blue Belt. Wiktor recently won the advanced division at the FBT BJJ-Sub grappling tournament while Andreas has won several regional events as well. Both promotions where well deserved. Tony Eduardo is expected to extend his stay at MMA Phuket until late December early January.
from: Takamasa Watanabe (President of Axis Jiu-Jitsu Academy, JP)
TheJJFJ(Jiu-Jitsu Federation of Japan) is very pleased to announce that we will behosting the Asia Trials for the Abu Dhabi'sWORLD PROFESSIONAL JIU-JITSU CHAMPIONSHIP. The first professional World Cup on April 24 to 26th of 2009. The Asia Trila is set for March 1st, 2009 in Japan.
We would like to invite all of your best athletes to compete and maybe even win a cash price or a fight ticket to Abu Dhabi to compete at the World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship. For details on the event, please check out: http://www.jjfj.org/info/second.php?contents_id=n48fdc3ffa80dd&lang=e
I'll be away for a couple of days with no access to the computer. I've promised my wife to take a break and head out of town with her to the beach. It'll be good to get some color on this beached-whale of a body, JK.
Getting back to my previous post on missing training. I will say that I have a lot of different interests and hobbies but at the same time I have many different responsibilities at work and not all in one place. So when it comes to my own time, there's usually only room for one. These days I'm not much of a party-er even though I don't mind cutting-loose every once in a while. My days now basically consist of family, work and training. I'm sure there are a lot of guys out there living the jiu-jitsu lifestyle or some version of it with not much else to worry about except training and chasing girls. To each their own, if you can do it, awesome. When it comes down to it I've got nothing to complain about as things are really coming together on all fronts.
ROLLAPALOOZA.TV is the dedicated site for the organizers of DOMINACAO ABSOLUTA where all the info can be found on their upcoming event. I think it's a great advancement as each group of organizers are working to make their event the best it can be with online-registration and open resource for information. So check it out, I'm sure this will be a sick event.
"What have I missed?!" What new technique, sequence, transition, mat-time, funny joke, academy gossip or funny happenstance did I miss by not being there? Can it be healthy to be feeling this type of withdrawal? When I'm at the office I've actually caught myself looking at my watch and thinking, "Yeah, they're just about done with the warm-up, probably finishing things off with 20 burpees and star-jumps." Then a half an hour rolls by and I check again, "Yup, probably got to learn some new detail to that cool sweep we learned last week, sigh." By the time I'm driving home it's all done and there's no hope for me to drop in for just a quick roll.
I'm sure this runs true for a lot of you when I say training becomes a huge part of your life and takes even more of your time. So much so that when you do have to take a break for whatever reason, you forget about what else you could be doing besides training. It would far healthier to say, "Wow, I can do all these others things!" or "Everything has it's time and we have to be balanced." And you may fool yourself into thinking it and saying those words aloud to your love-ones that are enjoying your company but deep down our heads are back at the academy.
A buddy of mine e-mailed me today and filled me in on some of the stuff that went down this past week. His e-mail began with, "Oh man, you missed an awesome class last night." Shooting pangs of jealously rolled through me as my fists boiled with hot-blood. Not really but I was freakin' jealous cause I could use the opportunity to decompress.
I guess it's in these moments that you take yourself out of the routine that you really notice how much jiu-jitsu has effected you. Especially for those who've really caught the bug. And whether it's speaking with a newbie-internet-black-belt or a seasoned veteran, we all have our ups and downs. Today it may be working that's forced me to take a time out but who knows, in the future it could be the coming of a child, old-body healing slowly or whatever. I have faith that I'll get back to training soon enough with a new appreciation for my time there with my friends and teammates.
Entries must be submitted at the Ateneo Judo Dojo, 2/F Blue Eagle Gym, Ateneo de Manila University, Loyola Heights, Quezon City any day this week starting Monday, October 20, 2008 from 7PM to 9PM. Deadline for submission of entries and payment is 9PM, Thursday, October 23, 2008.
Any cases of consideration can be made by e-mailing hardstepping@yahoo.com before this Wednesday, October 22, 2008.
Haven't been able to train this week and probably won't till next. It's a combination of work and several other projects thrown into the mix. It's bound to happen from time to time but man do I miss training. At some point I'm sure my wife will beg me to go cause my mood after not training for a while just goes down hill.
A lot of things in the works. To break up the office grind I've been putting some designs together for new patches and t-shirts. Some I'll post but others you'll have to come and train to check'em out here in Bangkok.
The construction of the new academy has been a daily thing with me, visiting in the morning and then again after work. Just back and forth with changes and corrections. We're so close but it's better to get things right then rush into it and have to live with a mistake that can't be fixed. I've been pretty good about posting pics on the BKK/BJJ blog so check things out there. For those that took part in the Saturday morning open-mats, you'll be really amazed at the amount of change that has taken place in just a month. While the planning and construction of the present space has only taken 2 months, I have been planning for a new academy for almost 2 years and it's gone through a lot of changes in size and scale. Even though much smaller than originally planned, I couldn't be happier with how things are going and what it will be in a matter of a couple of weeks. I'm very much focused in making this a non-affiliated school to maximize the potential for the people we get to train and exchange ideas with. Bangkok is a great destination city so I know we will have plenty of visitors coming through and looking to train.
My travel schedule is starting to take shape and it looks as though the Bangkok tournament will be my last for this year. A number of teammates will be traveling to Japan soon and I will be in the US during that time. I wish them and all of you the best of luck at these big events. I'm crazy jealous that you're all going but maybe next year. Another set of tourneys that I'm sad to be missing are the ones in the Philippines. To all you guys putting those together, best of luck and hope to see you guys soon.
Thanks to everyone that has been submitting interviews and updates. It's your participation that keeps things interesting on BJJ-ASIA.
Makoto Aramaki and Kowloon Jiu-Jitsu have decided to part ways since this September with Aramaki-san's participation in the Bangkok tournament. The parting is due to the club's interest in maintaining it's collective ownership and group direction. Both parties remain to be friends and continue to support each others activities. Kowloon JJ will continue to host guest black-belt instructors while Aramaki-san will continue to instruct jiu-jitsu in Hong Kong.If you're interested in training with Aramaki-san, he can be found at Impakt, along with a tentative schedule at the Tai Kok Tsui Sports Centre. Check out the info below.
Place: Tai Kok Tsui sports centre Fee: (1 class):50HKD
Oct. 14th(Tue) 21:00-23:00 Activity room large 18th(Sat) 18:00-20:00 Activity room small 21th(Tue) 21:00-23:00 Activity room large 25th(Sat) 18:00-20:00 Activity room small 28th(Tue) 21:00-23:00 Activity room large
Tai Kok Tsui sports centre Address : 5-7/F., Tai Kok Tsui Municipal Services Building,63 Fuk Tsun Street, Tai Kok Tsui, KowloonTel : 2393 1084 Makoto Aramaki(852)69771230
The newest edition the Shanghai BJJ team, Ethan Day shares a bit his background and how he come to China. A BJJ brown-belt, he will be instructing both the BJJ and MMA progam in Shanghai. Thanks to Ryan for putting this one together for us. -LukeCan you tell us something about your background and how you got started in BJJ? My dad was a cop when I was younger and he used to box and do karate so I grew up around martial arts and was always really interested in training. I trained in other martial arts when I was younger but didn't start bjj until I was 19. I was severely hurt playing American Football one year before I started doing bjj so my first four years of training were very difficult because I had pins and a rod in my left leg and underwent multiple surgeries keeping me off the mat for several months at a time. I stuck with it though and BJJ was a big part of my full recovery and has been in my life ever sense the first day I stepped foot on the mat.
How long have you been training for? I have been training for a little over 8 and 1/2 years and currently am a brown belt under Renato Tavares from American Top Team
Tell us about your competition history. I have competed about 25 times and medaled around 20 times. Most of the tournaments I’ve competed in were regional events gi, no gi, and in judo. Some of the bigger tournaments that I have participated in include NAGA and the Arnold Classic in the U.S and the America Golden Cup, the Mundials, and the World Cup in Brazil. I also won my MMA debut by submission.
You have trained with many notable instructors and fighters over the years; can you share some of your training highlights with the readers? I trained for 3 years under Gracie Barra black belt Daniel Montanha when he lived in my city. Montanha moved away from my city to open GB Miami and Suyan Quieroz, a black belt from BTT opened a school and eventually I started training with him. Suyan was going home to Brazil for a visit and around the same time I moved to Brazil to train at BTT. This was in 2005 during the heated rivalry with Chute Boxe and the training was very intense. I got the opportunity to train with all of the famous fighters and great teachers at BTT. Suyan moved to the Asia (UAE) to teach jiu jitsu for five years with Carlos Santos so when I returned to the states I was promoted to brown belt by his friend Professor Renato Tavares, who is an excellent teacher. Since I was promoted to brown belt, I've trained extensively under Dustin "Clean" Denes who is a world-class instructor and Leonardo Pecanha who's a former bjj world champion and very good friend of mine. Dustin moved into my area for a year to teach and Leo comes to stay with me when he has fights in the U.S. In 2006, I spent a year training active duty Army soldiers in Combatives at Fort Riley, Kansas. I am a level III certified U.S. Army Combatives instructor and still do Combatives training from time to time. While I was at Ft. Riley I received very good training at Combative Sports Center which is a top regional MMA/BJJ school founded by the Ft. Riley Combatives coaches. Also, I wouldn't be anywhere without all the great training I've gotten over the years from everyone at Kansas City BJJ which is my home town academy.
Why did you decide to come to Shanghai, China? I was working for Title Boxing back in the states and between projects at work and traveling to boxing related events, I wasn't spending as much time on the mats as I would have liked. When the opportunity to teach and train full time came up I jumped on it. I also just received my Master’s degree in International Business back in the U.S. and I want to look into business opportunities here in China.
What do you think of Shanghai so far? Shanghai is by far the biggest city I have ever lived in. Originally, I'm from a small city in Tennessee (USA) of about 10,000 people but have lived in bigger cities since then. I'm still adjusting to the pace of life but I like the lifestyle that I have here and the opportunities that Shanghai provides. Shanghai is a very big city with a lot of things to do at any time of the day
While in the US, you had a full time job but still managed to teach, train and compete regularly. Most people who train in BJJ also have family, work and other commitments, do you have any advice on how these people can keep up with the rigorous demands of training? It's really difficult to find time to train when you are working long days and have a family at home. I think BJJ is a great balance to a hectic schedule because besides being an excellent hobby for self defense it is also one of the best activities you can involve yourself in for fitness, stress relief, and comrodary. When you’re on the mat all of the problems from the day disappear. When your done training your tired and feel like you've accomplished something for yourself. It's a great way to wrap things up and get a fresh slate for tomorrow.
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? The U.S. has a very sports oriented culture as does Europe, Australia, Brazil, and Japan. In order for BJJ to see the same popularity in China as it has in other countries I think China must keep the Olympic fever for sports and I think this is happening. Right now is the perfect time for BJJ to get the exposure it needs to attract Chinese people to the sport. Once people in China try BJJ they will be hooked just like people in the U.S
What is your advice for wanting to excel in BJJ? Find a qualified credible instructor that can trace their roots back to the Gracie family and start training in the gi. Technique is everything so pay attention to the details. Also, don't skip on rolling. Rolling is very important. The best cardio for bjj is training BJJ. Competing can help you excel as well.
Do you think it is necessary for students to compete in order to be competent at BJJ? It is not necessary to compete in tournaments. Many people train bjj for fun, comrodary, fitness, self-defense, and never plan on competing. The head instructor at Renzo Gracie's in NYC is one of the best BJJ teachers in the World and he doesn't compete. His name is John Danaher and he is a black belt.
Any closing remarks? I'm just thankful for the opportunity to be in China doing what I love to do everyday. I hope to meet a lot of new friends while I'm here and anyone that wants to train while in shanghai feel free to stop by Shanghai BJJ. Thanks.
BJJ CAMP & SEMINAR - 14-16 November 2008 To anyone interest in improving their BJJ skills. All levels welcome. Space are limited so book early to avoid disappointment.3 BJJ BLACK-BELTS!!!
- REGISTRATION - * MYR2500 (individual) * MYR2300 (2-4 pax book same time) * MYR2000 (5 or more pax book same time) * MYR1500 (companion - non participating of camp)
- PRICES INCLUDING - * 3 days - 2 nights, Twin sharing bases * Full BJJ Camp & Seminar * All inclusive Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner * Return Ferry Transfer from Lumut to Pangkor Island Resort * Certificate to all Participants.
Hello fellow grapplers and martial artists, here are the final weight divisions for the Dominacao AbsoLuta GI and NO-GI competitions.
Gi weight classes for WHITE and BLUE belts (weigh-in w/ gi on): Featherweight: 139.9 and below Lightweight: 140 - 159.9 lbs. Middleweight: 160 - 179.9 lbs. Cruiserweight: 180 - 199.9 lbs. Heavyweight: 200 lbs. and over
Gi weight classes for PURPLE belts: Light: 174.9 lbs. and below Heavy: 175 lbs. and over
Nogi weight classes for BASIC and ADVANCED divisions: Featherweight: 139.9 and below Lightweight: 140 - 159.9 lbs. Middleweight: 160 - 179.9 lbs. Cruiserweight: 180 - 199.9 lbs. Heavyweight: 200 lbs. and over
Colored belts and experienced grapplers are urged to register for the ADVANCED divisions but the organizers will not be strict with what skill level you register in, so it is basically your prerogative to select where you want to compete. BASIC, we would hope, is for the NOVICE grapplers and the ADVANCED division is for those who wish to challenge themselves.
Junior divisions for those born 1991 and later: one division, except in the case of an oversized competitor, where we will split into two weight divisions for safety of the smaller players.
For female competitors: one division, except in the case of an oversized competitor, where we will split into two weight divisions for safety of the smaller players.
We're very excited to be able to put up an event like this and we hope to have more in the future to help promote the local grappling and also the MMA scene. Official registration forms and deadlines will be up anytime this weekend.
We'd like to thank ALL THE TEAMS who supported our last ROLLAPALOOZA tournament and those who plan to join this tournament - this is a good chance to expose our local grapplers on a different stage.
Thanks also to: LEVEL-UP GAMES FOKAI INDUSTRIES SM SUPERMALLS ADMU GAMENESS ON THE MAT NU107.5 GRASSHOPPER GUAM GZ FIGHT SHOP mikefowlertv.com YAMATODAMASHII ADIDAS MARTIAL ARTS UNO MAG EASTWOOD APARTMENTS NYKO MACA PRODIGY and EVERYONE who made this possible.
It's always great to hear about the success and growth of any school in the area. So it's a definite pleasure to announce the expanded schedule for Kreation Jiu-Jitsu in Singapore. Currently the program is headed by BJJ black-belt, Cristiano Carvalho and purple-belts, Sul and Kon. They recently hosted a seminar by Gustavo Machado and continue to bring in exciting guests throughout the year. Be sure to check'm out when in Singapore.
Monday - MMA Tuesday - GI (new) Wednesday - No Gi Saturday - GI
Makoto Ikuta will be giving a seminar at Kowloon Jiu-Jitsu this coming November 2nd. Ikuta-san is coming from Nagoya, Japan representing Trust BJJ. A comp-styled sparring session will follow the seminar with everyone having an opportunity to match up with the black-belt.
If you're not familiar with Ikuta-san, he fought Andre Galvao in the opening round of the black-belt tournament at Copa De Hong Kong this past April. No one has been able to pass Ikuta-san's guard since his blue-belt and the same went for Galvao but leave it to world champion to finish with the choke, hehe.
These are the results from the recent beginner's tournament in the Philippines, "ROLL-A-PALOOZA", supported by all the major clubs.
submitted by: Ralph Go
WOMEN'S OPEN DIVISION: Gold: May Masuda - Gracie Barra Phils. Silver: Cookie Pido - New Breed Phils. Bronze: Em Matias - Kamphuis-Fabricio
MEN'S WEIGHT DIVISIONS Roster Weight: Gold: Alvin Ramirez - Yaw-Yan Buhawi Silver: Alain Nadal - Kamphuis-Fabricio Bronze: Paolo de Luna - New Breed Phils.
Super Featherweight: Gold: Resty Pandy - McLaren MMA Gym Silver: Gian Dee - Ateneo Judo / New Breed Phils. Bronze: Gerald Go - New Breed Phils. Bronze: Pinggoy Danguilan - Sprawl MMA
Featherweight: Gold: Carl Sabeniano - Hybrid Yaw-Yan Silver: Raymond Varilla - Gracie Barra Phils. Bronze: Michael Rubio - McLaren MMA Gym Bronze: Reggie Cruz - JMC MMA
Lightweight: Gold: Luis Nazareno - New Breed Phils. / Ateneo Judo Silver: Ricky Gamboa - New Breed Phils. Bronze: Adrian Guggenheim - New Breed Phils. Bronze: Bryan Bartolome - Lords Gym
Middleweight: Gold: Angelito Lazarito - Fight Club Silver: Kyle Kapunan - Gracie Barra Phils. Bronze: Henson Gosiaco - New Breed Phils. Bronze: Lean Cadut - Kamphuis-Fabricio
Medium Heavyweight: Gold: Isaiah Ordiz - Kamphuis-Fabricio Silver: Erwin Nolido - New Breed Phils. Bronze: Iven Go - New Breed Phils. Bronze: Kaith Vallecer - Kamphuis-Fabricio
Heavyweight: Gold: Lemuel Basa - New Breed Phils. Silver: Roman Pido - New Breed Phils. Bronze: Wene Balhon - Kamphuis-Fabricio
Super Heavyweight: Gold: Kendrick Tan - Kamphuis-Fabricio Silver: Jess Balmaceda - Kamphuis-Fabricio
SPECIAL AWARDS: Fastest Submission: Alvin Ramirez - Yaw-Yan Buhawi (28 seconds) Most Technical Submission: Carl Sabeniano - Hybrid Yaw-Yan (Gogo-Plata)
CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU ALL!!! See you at the Dominacao Absoluta!
October 24, 2008 at the Ateneo Judo Dojo, 2/F Blue Eagle Gym, ADMU.
*Seminar topic - Leg locks. *Open to all practitioners from all teams.
Seminar starts at 7pm, but seminar attendees are requested to be present at the venue by 630pm if possible.
Cost: $50 only
BJJ Black-Belt Mike Fowler will cover leg lock basics, positioning and grips, set-ups, finishes, combinations, specific sequences, "the ways to break an ankle", counters and re-counters, etc. all in great detail. Limited slots available so please reserve yours as soon as possible. Please e-mail hardstepping@yahoo.com for inquiries and reservations.
A big thanks to Tiago Afonso and Sara Farr for putting this interview together. Tiago is the man behind Macau BJJ, a very strong team as we saw in Hong Kong this past April. Thanks guys! -Luke
interview by: Tiago Afonso Thank you very much for doing this interview with us. Before we start, congrats on another World title, in which this year more than 400 black belts competed. It is a great honour for us and for our readers to speak with you here today. Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Name and age? I am Bruno Bastos and I am 28 years old.
How long have you been practicing BJJ for? I have been practicing BJJ for 18 years now. I started in 1990.
Where did you start and who was/is your Professor? I started with Professor Neury Gomes, with whom I trained for a year and a half, then I trained another year with Professor Ailson Brites and I then finally landed in the hands of Professor Wendell Alexander, while I was still an orange belt, and who then guided me to becoming a black belt. Also, I can not leave Professor Andre Pederneiras unmentioned.
Which where the most memorable fights in your career? And which titles are your most memorable? Against Xande Ribeiro at the absolute final of the Estadual do Rio in 2000. We were still purple belts, and he had won the semi-finals of his weight category by passing the guard. The final of the absolute was my tenth fight of the day, because it was all on the same day. I won 4x3 with a sweep. The titles that are the most memorable are the World CBJJO 2007 and CBJJE 2008, it couldn’t be any different.
For you, what distinguishes BJJ from other martial arts and why did you choose BJJ over any other martial arts? I think Jiu-jitsu is the complete system. It offers more self-defence options in a forced fight, whether you’re mugged or pushed. I chose BJJ because I liked judo, but when I went to watch a judo class, I was already doing Jiu-jitsu, and even though I was still a child, it fascinated me that [with BJJ] even after grounding my opponent I could still continue fighting until I submitted him. What ability, in your opinion, should a Jiu-jitsuer develop the most (flexibility, strength, pure technique or others?) All abilities should be developed equally. Every athlete or individual who does it as a sport has to be complete. This also applies to anything else in life, not just Jiu-jitsu. Do you practice any sports aside from Jiu-jitsu (surf, yoga, football, etc)?And which do you think most completes Jiu-jitsu? Because I am Brazilian, I play football but only on very special occasions, since I am not good at it… (laughs)… Apart from that, I only practice sports that complete my Jiu-jitsu, like judo, wrestling and sometimes Muay Thai to relax. I also do my own physical preparation and Pilates to complement. Which is your favourite technique to submit your opponent on the matt? Arm lock, “mata-leao”, triangle, etc…? Although I am a relatively heavy athlete, with my weight ranging around 95Kg, I really like doing flying arm-bars and flying triangles. I think these are two beautiful moves when done right.
Any advice for anyone who just started BJJ? Or for anyone who aspires to come as far as you have? There is no mystery. All you need is a lot of training, dedication, perseverance and to never give up. I don’t think I have natural abilities for fighting, but I work on it and that is how I have been successful. Do you think BJJ should be structured differently? Have fewer federations? Are there too many politics and too much rivalry that are not always healthy? I am not going to go into federations’ merits because that is politics, and unfortunately politics moves the world of sports. But I really admire the work Carlão Santos is doing in Abu Dhabi. He is professionalizing Jiu-jitsu and wants to come up with a World series… And I think that is the right way. What do you think of the general association of BJJ to Absolute MMA? Positive or negative? Positive, because the public and fighters know that to be successful you need Jiu-jitsu, and the world’s best [athletes] know Jiu-jitsu.
Do you plan on continue fighting absolute? Maybe one day making it to UFC? I plan on getting back to the MMA circuit in the second half of next year. I think I am having a good moment in Jiu-jitsu and have to make the most of it. In the first semester next year there is the ADCC and Jiu-Jitsu Mundial. After that I want to go back to the MMA circuit and try my luck there too, because it’s completely different. I would be a white belt again. UFC is any MMA fighter’s dream. Who are your favourite Jiu-jitsu and MMA fighters? I will only speak about the recent ones, or else I could go on forever… (laughs)… Jiu-jitsu: Xande Ribeiro and Andre Galvao are the best at the moment, for me. They’re the most complete, and winning either one would be a complicated achievement, but I will try... (laughs). In MMA: Minotauto, Fedor, Wand and Couture are legends, so I will say Anderson Silva, BJ Penn and Georges St Pierre, who I enjoy watching the most. He beats the punchers, knocks the wrestlers and submits grapplers. He is sensational!
In which three countries apart from Brazil is BJJ most developed, in your opinion? The first is the US, of course, which is selecting the best teachers and taking them there. They also organize a number of tournaments and pay well. For all this, the US has obtained great results in all belt categories, in both gi and no-gi.In second, Japan, that has seen black belts get to the finals at world tournaments in recent years. It's only a question of time before a Japanese is ranked black belt World Champion.After these two, there are a lot of countries in "dispute" for third best.
Do you have plans to develop BJJ "beyond borders" with a school of your own or one from Nova Uniao? I do have plans, and things are heading in that direction. It's one of my dreams to have my own school, with my training methodology, since everyone teaches the way they think is best. Obviously, my schools will represent Nova Uniao. We can never forget where we came from. That's one of the biggest steps towards success. An example of this is Saulo Ribeiro who teaches in San Diego in the US, where he has his own school but never fails to represent his Professor Royler Gracie. That is a great example.Things are heading in that direction [for me], and that's what I aim for.
Tell us a little bit about your friend black belt Daniel Charles who now teaches in Macau and Hong Kong. He's a mate that works very hard towards his goals. He is an excellent trainer, even though he is newer at Jiu-Jitsu than I am. He helped me a lot during the Nova Uniao Training Camps, which are usually held before World Championships. I like him a lot and hope he has great success in Macau and Hong Kong and anywhere else he may go.
Would you like to one day visit the "galera" here in Asia? Of course. To travel to Asia is one of my dreams. It's the crib for martial arts. Japan, China… Would be too good. I would like to visit places where Samurais used to live in the past.I hope to be there soon. Invite me! (laughs)…OSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS (Translation by Sara Farr) If you would like to contact Bruno Bastos or any of Nova União’s World Champion Black Belts for seminars in Asia, please send an email to: info@macaubjj.com.
Team VPF is the newest BJJ team in the Philippines. VPF is the former New Breed Ateneo branch which was headed by Ali Sulit. It was a bold move and decision for the people in the Ateneo branch to break away from New Breed but the decision was motivated by a greater passion and pursuit to reach higher levels of Jiu-jitsu and competition.
