NEW VIDS FORM TIGER MUAY THAI

Interview with 2x UFC Fighter Chad Reiner at Tiger Muay Thai & MMA training Camp Phuket, Thailand. 

UFC vet Roger Huerta holds a MMA Seminar at Tiger Muay Thai & MMA training Camp, Phuket, Thailand.

MARCOS ESCOBAR NOW 3RD-DEGREE BLACK-BELT

Marcos Escobar receives his 3rd degree black-belt from Ricardo Vieira & Castello Branco at Fight Zone Academy.

INTERVIEW W/ ROGER HUERTA

Sarah Bahous interviews UfC vet and MMA superstar Roger Huerta at Tiger Muay Thai & MMA Training Camp, Phuket, Thailand.

DEEP IN THE HOLIDAYS

Enjoying myself quite a bit in chilly NorCal with the family. Still plenty of holiday dinners ahead of me but am keeping in mind to moderate myself cause it'll have to be paid for when I return to the mats again. Was real fortunate to train under Garth Taylor at Kaijin MMA this past Wednesday in Santa Cruz, California. Special thanks to friends Michael Vann and Dave Solomon for getting me to and from San Jose. Wasn't able to get video of this visit but I did take some photos which I will post later. Garth and company have just left for Bangkok, Thailand and will be at Bangkok BJJ on January 9th for a seminar focusing on 'wrestling takedowns for the gi'. I thoroughly enjoyed my class with Garth and really appreciated his approach to jiu-jitsu. Every step had a real focus on positional control without giving your opponent opportunity to escape. Really steeped in the fundamentals of jiu-jitsu which is what I love. I highly recommend those that are in the area to attend this one. It's an open seminar. Also, if you're coming from out of town and would like to stay at the Golden Palace Hotel for this seminar, please contact me for a discounted rate at luke@bjj-asia.com.

Hope everyone is doing well and is partying safely. I had a wonderful Christmas with nice goodies for training when on the road. Not sure about you guys but the gear-bag has always been a problem for me. I've been using a climbing-bag which is supposed to hold climbing-rope but just got this nice backpack-duffle styled bag from Timbuk2 which is great. Also some dry-bags to keep my sweaty gi from ruining my tape and other personal effects and a super-towel.

Plenty more places for me to train while abroad and will keep everyone posted. Always down to update the calendar so please send me any new info.

-Luke

CALENDAR: 2009 INTO 2010

(24) Chad Reiner Seminar (TH) 
*info: HERE

(26) AOW 16  
*info: HERE

JANUARY (2010)

(9) Garth Taylor Seminar (TH)
*info: HERE 

(11) Legend FC (HK)
*info: HERE 

(16-17) 2009 Philippine BJJ Gi & NO Gi International Challenge (PH)
*info: HERE
*this event was postpone from December 2009 to January 2010

(27) Dave Menne seminar (TH)
*info: HERE 


(30) Kyle Kingsbury seminar (TH)
*info: HERE
 

FEBRUARY
(7) PRO Fighting 3- "Destiny vs. Demons"
*info: HERE 

(13) Nicolas Gregoriades Seminar (TH)
*info: HERE


(13) Marianas Open (Guam)
*info: groundzerotumon@hotmail.com  


MARCH
(26) Juliano Prado seminar (TH)
*host: Tiger Muay Thai 



(27) Nevertap Asia Tournament (TH)
*host: Tiger Muay Thai




NOVEMBER
(20) Indonesian Submission Championships

HI ALL

Just got to the US last night and it's damn chilly in NorCal. My blood has definitely thinned out these past couple of years but it's nice to trade the Bangkok air for the crisp and cold. Most gyms are hitting the holiday schedule with fewer classes but I'm sure that won't stop the hardcore guys/gals from sneaking in. Like I said, I will continue to post while on vacation/holiday but it won't be as regular as when I'm in Asia.

Santa has promised me a video camera so hopefully that'll bring more videos on the places I visit and train at while away.

Again, want to thank everyone for the words of congratulations. It's a wonderful accomplishment to end the year with.

Don't get too soft on the training cause there's plenty of events kicking in the new year this January in the Philippines.

THANK YOU & HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO EVERYONE!!!

Thanks everyone for the kind words on the promotion. I believe things work out when it's the right time and am excited for this new challenge in my jiu-jitsu-journey. All I can say is that I'm very fortunate to have the support of my teammates, my instructors and family.

2009 has been a whirlind of events for me with the production of BJJ-ASIA kimonos, 2009 Thailand Open, Tinguinha SEA tour, Bangkok BJJ, work and family. One of the greatest things to happen is the birth of my son this past June. More than anything it's helped define the decisions I am making today. Jiu-jitsu is a means of bettering ourselves both physically and mentally. Together I have a better understanding of what I aim to represent both on and off the mat.

Want to wish everyone a wonderful holiday season and a very happy new year. My family and I will be away for a few weeks on holiday/business. Will be doing as much reporting as I can on the places I visit and will continue to keep the blog updated as best I can while on the road. 2010 looks to be even busier but in a good way, haha.

Thanks everyone and be safe!

Luke

SHOUT OUT TO ME

Today's a very proud day as I was just awarded my purple-belt from Prof Kayoom after a grueling 3-hour test. The exam showed what I had accomplished over the 5+ years of training jiu-jitsu but also showed to me what I need to improve on both on and off the mat. I want to thank all my teammates and students that have helped me by coming in week-in, week-out. Allowing me the opportunity to train with such an awesome group of guys/gals. I especially want to thank teammates Seb and Phil for their constant encouragement, early morning training sessions and friendship. Nothing is easy with Prof Kayoom but it only makes it that much sweeter cause you've earned it. Thank you

-Luke

WWW.BKKBJJ.COM

JOHN FRANKL JJ: NEW PURPLES & BROWNS IN KOREA!!!

Thanks to Todd and Paul for alerting me to this one and providing the vids. I sware, this has got to be the longest belt-whipping I've seen. Great to see things growing in Korea with a handful of brown-belts coming up under John Frankl. -Luke

Brown Belts:

• Myung-Hoon Choi.  He is the chief instructor at the flagship school of John Frankl Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (JFBJJ) located in Apgujung. (http://cafe.daum.net/jfbjj)
  
• Ji-young Kim.  He teaches at a JFBJJ-affiliate in another part of Seoul, Korea. (http://cafe.daum.net/ratelbjj)
• Duk-young Jang. He is a professional MMA fighter and teaches at his own JFBJJ-affiliate in another part of Seoul.  He will be moving the location of his school to a different part of Seoul, next week. (http://cafe.daum.net/TBJJ)

We celebrated the 10th anniversary of BJJ in Korea this year. I have so far only promoted one black belt--he was my first student here, and has stuck with it the whole time. But I am also happy to now have 5 brown belts--2 of whom are getting pretty close. 

-John Frankl (taken from MMA UG)

WWW.CAFE.DAUM.NET/JFBJJ

BJJ-ASIA KIMONOS: SALES UPDATE

Just two more days before the special sales price ends on the BJJ-ASIA Kimonos 'series 1' ($60/65 USD).

After Dec. 18, all orders will be shipped from Asia at $120/125 USD, this includes postage to all major destinations.

Please note:

*WHITE A3: SOLD OUT
*BLUE A3: SOLD OUT

JEM WRIGHT: AUTHOR OF NEW 'GIRLS AND BJJ IN SEA' BLOG

Jem has been a long-time teammate and friend of mine since moving to Bangkok. She's currently a blue-belt in BJJ but has fought Muay Thai professionally having dedicated over a year to just training and fighting. I believe 7-fights in total and at one of those she dislocated her shoulder 3x times but kept going, popping it back in, hunting for the body-shots, haha. Doesn't hurt to have a BJJ black-belt and Muay Thai champion for a husband. Even so, Jem stands her own and has a real passion for jiu-jitsu.

She's recently began writing a blog for the ladies out there in Southeast Asia and I wanted to be sure everyone checks it out. There will be a lot of firsts for the community in Southeast Asia since we're still relatively young but that's the exciting part. We get to make it how we see fit and I believe we're all in this to make ourselves and those around us better people.

WWW.GIRLSINBJJSEA.BLOGSPOT.COM

CHIANG MAI BJJ: UPDATE

Since Prof Schmall's return to Thailand things have been very busy in Chiang Mai; new location, equipment, mats and new environment. Gracie Humaita black-belt Pedro Schmall sends us this recent pic of their no-gi group.

I was fortunate enough to learn from Prof Schmall before his teaching stint in China. I highly recommend anyone in that part of Thailand to take full advantage of training with such a talented individual. Prof's history under both Carlson Gracie and Royler Gracie speaks volumes.

CHIANG MAI BJJ (facebook)

PROF PEDRO SCHMALL

SHOUT OUT: RAY ELBE MEDALS @ GRAPPLER'S QUEST

Over 1,400 competitors showed up for the Dec. 12th "World Series of Grappling" presented by Grappler's Quest in Las Vegas.  I entered the advanced Nogi division, and won a Bronze medal.  I lost to the tournament champion Stephen Martinez of Milinia Jiu Jitsu by a score of 3-0. -Ray

SHBJJ: NEW LOCATION!!!

Shanghai Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (SHBJJ) opens new space, over 400m2 total and 200m2 of mat space. The Shanghai Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Academy is the premier academy for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Shanghai China, and now also the largest. Starting January 1, there will be more classes opening such as, Self-Defense, kettle bell training, US Army combatives and more BJJ classes.

INTERVIEW / LEGEND FC'S MICHAEL HASKAMP & CHRIS POLLAK

Today's interview is with Legend FC's creators/producers, Michael Haskamp & Chris Pollak. A unique opportunity to hear the concepts that have lead these two gentlemen to bring MMA to Hong Kong with a focus in cooperation and incorporation of HK's deep martial arts history. -Luke

For those who aren't familiar with Legend FC, please share with us its history and aim for Hong Kong and potentially all of Southeast Asia.

The idea for an MMA organization based in Hong Kong came from a conversation we had last spring, when we were talking about how Hong Kong – one of the world’s great cities and home to so much martial arts history – has such a strong martial arts community but no MMA tournament of its own. And so we decided to organize one.

Our goal is to give the Asia-Pacific’s best MMA athletes a platform on which to showcase their abilities and develop their skills. In the process, we want to raise the profile of MMA as a sport and give these men the credit and recognition they deserve as some of the most hard-working, talented competitors in the sporting world.

What do you feel differentiates Legend from other MMA promotions in Asia outside of Japan?

We are fans of all of the other MMA promotions in the region, and go to their shows when we can. From our perspective, this sport has enormous growth potential, and the more opportunities athletes have to earn a living from their hard training, the better they will get, and the better MMA will be to watch. For our part, we are focused entirely on building awareness of MMA in Hong Kong as an ethical, professional, world-class sport.

On the website you reference Bruce Lee's influence in martial arts and what may have evolved to become MMA as we know it today. How do you see events like this affecting the more traditional martial arts community in Asia? Is there opposition or acceptance?

We often refer to Bruce Lee because he was one of the pioneers of the idea of incorporating the most effective techniques from a range of martial arts in order to develop the most powerful integrated system – the “style of no style,” as he referred to it.

The response from the traditional martial arts community has been positive since most people understand that the development of MMA in Asia will be beneficial to the overall martial arts community. As people become more interested in MMA as spectators, a desire to actually learn and engage in the martial arts will naturally follow for many of them.

Very few people will ever have first-hand experience organizing such an event. What do you see as the major challenges to overcome?

Our largest challenge is Hong Kong’s low awareness of MMA. We have a long road ahead of us in terms of building a reputation for MMA here as an international professional sport on par with football and rugby, but that is exactly what we aim to achieve.

Do you feel there are any stigmas about MMA and its fighters that you would look to change or promote to this new public?

As the readers of BJJ Asia know, the sport earned a bad reputation in the US in the 1990’s for marketing itself as a “no holds barred” competition in the early years, among other missteps.  Fortunately for us, because no one has previously organized a professional MMA event in Hong Kong, we have the opportunity (along with the rest of Hong Kong’s martial arts community) to help build the sport’s reputation from the beginning among the people of Hong Kong, who are not yet familiar with the sport. For our part, we hope that we can establish the sport’s reputation as one conducted under a strict set of rules to maximize athlete safety; as a contest between high-level professional athletes; and as a new and exciting sport with broad appeal.

What do you look for in the competitors you have in your events? Is there a specific criteria and how does one go about securing a fight-card spot at Legend FC?

As avid MMA fans, we make matches that we are excited to watch. We look for tough competitors with aggressive fighting styles. We attempt to create dynamic, balanced bouts where the competitors are well-matched against one another. All other things being equal, we would sooner have an athlete with fewer wins but most of them by knockout or submission than someone with a better record whose victories come primarily via judges’ decision.

While MMA experience is important, we also look at athletes who have a strong competitive background in other martial arts and who have made the crossover to MMA more recently. We’re constantly looking for new talent, so athletes interested in competing at Legend should contact us through our website with an introduction, their stats (e.g. height, weight, etc.), a link to their Sherdog record, and links to video footage of them in competition for us to get a sense of their skills.

Is there anything you'd like to share with the readers of BJJ-ASIA?

Yes…buy your tickets to the event! January 11, 2010, at Star Hall in Kowloon Bay – tickets are available now through HK Ticketing (www.hkticketing.com) and Tom Lee music stores.

SHOYOROLL ALL-ISLAND JIU-JITSU CHAMPIONSHIP

NICOLAS GREGORIADES SEMINAR @ BANGKOK BJJ

Nicolas Gregoriades, a Roger Gracie black-belt & author of Jiu-Jitsu Brotherhood, will be at Bangkok BJJ this February 2010. As one of the leading instructors out of the UK, Nicolas will share with us his approach to the gi.

date: February 13, 2010

time: 10am-1pm

seminar fee: 1000 baht

info: luke@bjj-asia.com

ABOUT:

Nicolas Gregoriades is the main author and founder of the Jiu-Jitsu Brotherhood. He is widely regarded as one of the best jiu-jitsu teachers working today. He combines deep conceptual and technical knowledge with an effective teaching style to ensure all his students learn efficiently and enjoyably.

Nicolas began training in judo when he was seven years old and continued with this until he was 15. He restarted training in martial arts when he discovered submission grappling. In 2004 he moved to London and began training in the gi with his instructor, Roger Gracie. In 2008 Roger awarded him the black belt.

He is currently head instructor for Jiu-Jitsu at the Budokwai in London. He also teaches at the Roger Gracie Academy in Notting Hill.

His jiu-jitsu and grappling titles include:

Paris Open Champion (2006)                       
London Open Champion (2005)
ADDC-UK Champion (2006)
South African National Grappling Champion (2005)
Grappler of the Year - France (2007)
Gracie Invitational Champion (2006, 2007)
Absolute Submission Fighting Winner (2008, 2009)
British Open Grappling Champion (2009)

“Nic is an excellent teacher and fighter who understands jiu-jitsu on a deep level. I trust him to teach the art to the hundreds of students at my academy.” - Roger Gracie – 6 times Black Belt World Champio

“My view of Jiu-Jitsu is different to most. To me, it is a tool that I use to learn more about myself. My main training approach is to combine conceptual understanding with technical knowledge. Jiu-Jitsu is more than just learning a bunch of set moves. It’s about discovering the most efficient approach to many aspects of life, including nutrition, movement and human interaction.” - Nicolas Gregoriades

GARTH TAYLOR SEMINAR @ BANGKOK BJJ

Garth Taylor, Claudio Franca black-belt and ADCC/MMA veteran, will be at Bangkok BJJ this coming January 2010. Arriving via Santa Cruz, California & Kaijin MMA (www.kaijinmma.com). Garth will share with us his wealth of knowledge focusing on 'wrestling-takedowns with the gi'.

UPDATE!!! DATES HAVE BEEN CHANGED:

date: January 9th, 2010

time: 10am-1pm
seminar fee: 1000 baht (space limited)

info: luke@bjj-asia.com

Garth Taylor:
Garth Taylor may be the most highly decorated non-Brazilian black belt in the world. Garth received his black belt from Master Claudio Franca in 2000 and has medaled at every belt level IN BRAZIL at the World Championships (Mundials). If you are new to the world of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, that means he competed with ALL the Brazilians at every level of competition. Garth is also a five-time US Open gold medalist in his weight and the open-weight. Probably his most recognizable achievements are Garth’s successes as an Abu Dhabi competitor. Garth has multiple wins over former UFC heavyweight champions Ricco Rodriguez and Josh Barnett as well notable wins over Gabriel “Napao” Gonzaga, Sean Alvarez, Eduardo Telles, and many others.

TESTIMONIALS
Marcelo Garcia: ”Garth and Paul are not only good friends of mine but also highly qualified instructors. I highly recommend anyone in the area to stop by their school and learn from two great people. They always take good care of their students. Train Hard!”

Dave Camarillo: “I call Garth the nicest guy in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He is also one of the most experienced instructors around.  Paul is one of the best instructors in the world. He has trained with the best and it shows. I consider him to be one of my teachers.  If your goal is to have fun while learning BJJ look no further than Kaijin MMA!”

Ryan Hall: ”Paul Schreiner and Garth Taylor are two of the best instructors I’ve ever come across.  The unique perspective that Garth and Paul possess can only come from being top-level competitors and training with many of the world’s finest BJJ players, and between the two of them they are literally an encyclopedia of Jiu-Jitsu technique.  I feel fortunate to be their friend and have benefited greatly from having the opportunity to train with and learn from them.  If I lived in Santa Cruz, I’d be a student at Kaijin.”

FIGHTWORKS ASIA: ATOS JJ AFFILIATE FOR SINGAPORE

Following VPF's affiliation, Fightworks Asia is now representing Atos Jiu-Jitsu in Singapore. There looks to be one more affiliate for the SEABJJ area within the coming year but has yet to be announced. It has been expressed to me that Ramon Lemos will be making annual visits to the area to oversee how the local schools under their banner are doing. -Luke

MMA NEWS

From Evolve MMA, TATAME.COM reports on Brodinho's performance at AOW.

Leader of Evolve team, Gordo Jiu-Jitsu’s branch in Singapore, Leandro Issa won one more on MMA. To get his fifth victory on the rings, the teacher submitted the Korean Choi Yeong Gwang, in the end of November. “I went to see his fight on Art o War and submitted with 1min27s”, Gordo said, very proud. “He took him down, but the Guy stood up again. Then he took him down again, passed the guard, hit a little and got in the triangle”, celebrates.

AOW AMENDS JUDGING CRITERIA 

Art of War 15 JUDGING CRITERIA

Beginning with Art of War 15, all bouts conducted by the Art of War Fighting Championship will be judged according to a new set of criteria as sanctioned by the China General Administration of Sport and the Beijing Sports Commission.

Under the new judging criteria, there will be a total of (3) three judges at ringside to observe each bout.If the bout goes to its full time limit, the outcome will be decided by the judges.Each judge will select a winner, or declare the bout a DRAW, based on the following criteria, in descending order of priority:

CATEGORY 1 - Effort to finish the fight by KO or submission

CATEGORY 2 - Damage to your opponent

CATEGORY 3 - Ring control

Each judge will determine the outcome of the bout based on the above criteria in descending order of priority.Thus, if a fighter is found to have won in Category 1, he will be named the winner of the bout.If the judge views Category 1 as being equal between the 2 fighters, then he will look to see which fighter won Category 2, and so on...If the judge determines that both fighters are scored evenly in all 3 categories, it is within his discretion to rule the bout a DRAW.

INTERVIEW W/ RALPH GO

 (pic from: BRAZIL BLOG)

For those that aren't familiar with who you are, please share with us a bit of your BJJ history. How and when did you get starting in BJJ and where did you receive your initial instruction/promotions?

 

My name is Ralph Go, I started BJJ in late 2003 with Ali Sulit. He was my original instructor and he is reponsible for the structure of the team we have today. Before we used to be an affiliate of New Breed Academy based in California under John Ouano and Myles Vives. i recieved my blue and purple belt under John Ouano and brown under Makoto Aramaki, unfortunately due to lingering internal problems that we were unsatisfied with for quite some time, we decided to go our seperate ways from Newbreed to form VPF here in the Philippines. now VPF here in the Philippines is affiliated with Atos of Brazil.

Coming up in the Philippines, how have you kept so focused especially when access to higher-belts/black-belt instructors was very limited?

before when we started we were all white belts, even Ali was a white belt. very rarely a colored belt would to come to train since we only trained at an affiliate gym which was outside of the main branch in the Philippines. I relied alot on video instruction to help me learn BJJ. However, in my opinion this can only get you so far. It made us very hungry to learn BJJ and it had me go to Japan, Guam, US, Brazil to learn.

 

What kind of advice would you give to those in similar situations where the instruction is not ideal?

 

keep traveling, learning and competing. I have seen many people be contented to what level they have achieved and just stop progressing. I have seen many people with alot of talent but no dedication just fade away and stopped training. If you have alot of dedication and passion for what you do you attract other people like you towards you that can help you.

Perhaps one of the most decorated competitors from the SEABJJ scene, what aspect of jiu-jitsu do you see playing a larger role in your training? sport or martial art? Do you separate the two or do they go hand-in-hand?

 

in my opinion they go hand in hand. my primary goal is to win competitions and reach the rank of black belt. outside of the competition areas, my objective is to be a good individual, someone other people can recognize for honesty and good conduct

How does this focus translate to what gets taught to your students at VPF/Atos?

 

we are what we do repeatedly, success is the constant practice of winning actions and fundamentals. there is no luck or miracles involved, nothing of that sort.  

This year has been quite busy for you having taken several months out of the year to travel to Brazil and US to train/compete. What was the experience like for you as a student in the birthplace of BJJ? How was it competing in Brazil?

 

it was an awesome experience, sometimes it feels like a dream. something you ask youself like did that really happen? or am I watching a video or am I really here? It was really hard at the same time. the training schedule we had we were training 3-4X a day in the middle of nowhere. No beach, the restaurants closed at night/weekends, basically not doing anything but bjj! many people say its actually not the typical brazil experience that other people have. You really have to love bjj to get through that, training that much really takes its toll mentally and on the body too! Competing in Brazil is a defintely at a very high level, the brown belts winning my category would definitely give high level black belts alot of trouble somewhere else. 

With whom did you train in Brazil?

 

I spent a few weeks visiting Rio de janeiro and training at Checkmat, but for the most part I spent training in Rio Claro, a small town outside of Sao Paulo. Here was the homebase of Atos BJJ, Everyday I trained with Rafael Mendes, Bruno Frazzatto, Guilherme Mendes, Guto campos, Claudio Calasans, Gilbert Durinho 3x a day. They have also some monster guys at lower belts. They have blue belts that would totally kill alot of black belts and brown belts it was ridiculous already. 

From your experience training in Brazil, what would you like to bring back to SEABJJ in terms of training/mindset/technique?

I was able to see first hand why everyone was so good. Everyone had the mindset that the one who trains the most will win, and every one reaps what they sow. Hence they train 3-4x a day. I thought I was training alot before I went to Brazil but now I realize I wasnt doing anything! Everyone showed alot of dedication and will to succeed that I havent seen anywhere else. There really isnt any secret formula, all the best guys train alot.

 

Unfortunately you were injured just before the Mundials. How did you cope with not being able to compete after so much preparation?

yes unfortunately I got injured during one of the last training days before going to Mundials so I had to sit out and just watch. I was dissapointed but some things I believe are blessings in disguise, many things I thought I knew about jiu jitsu I had to totally change when in Brazil. My mind was so overloaded with things I felt that I needed some time to adapt to the things I learned first. 

 

You're most recent victory came two-fold at this year's Tokyo Open having taken your weight division and the absolute. Could you walk us through your weekend and a few or you matches? Do you feel this victory is a turning point in your game or is it just another part of the process?

 

Actually I didnt take my weight division, I lost first round by advantage in the lightweight brown division. I was very dissapointed but I was able to enter the 2nd day with alot more will to win and thank God I arrived as champion. I submitted all my opponents except the final of the absolute. I was very happy I was able to implement the things I trained for. However still so many mistakes and things to improve. I'd like to continue to compete in big tournaments to improve such as Europeans, PAN, Abu Dhabi Pro trials, Rickson Cup, Asian Open, Mundials, Brasiliero next year but being limited by budget I can only focus on a few.

VPF has just recently become an affiliate of Atos JJ, one of the newest teams winning gold at the highest level with Ramon Lemos and Andre Galvao as leaders. What does this affiliation mean for the team in Philippines and what changes do you see coming in the new year?

 

Definitely, we are very happy with this opportunity. You can expect the level of Philippine BJJ to go up. Many fellow BJJ practitioners here in the Philippines has recognized our work in VPF and now are training together with us as one team. this happening and the affiliation with Atos what was impossible before, is now possible for us.

BJJ-ASIA would like to thank you for taking the time to chat with us. Is there anything you'd like to share with the readers? 

thanks Luke! I'd like to leave a message to the readers always come to academy to train, depending on how many times you can train or your schedule permits. always try to come to the maximum of your abilities. What we do repeatedly defines who we are!

PER EKLUND SEMINAR @ LEGACY GYM

Per Eklund, UFC veteran, will be holding a seminar this coming Dec 21-22 @ Legacy Gym in Ubon, Thailand. The focus will be on NO-GI/MMA.

Fees: 2000 baht (includes room & food @ Legacy Gym)

For more info contact: legacygym@yahoo.com

LOCAL TOURNAMENTS

(The HK crew at HK Intra-Club BJJ Comp)

These days there's now at least one major tournament in each area a year which is great but I'm sure it still leaves many guys/gals hungry for more competition time. Especially since not all of us have the opportunity or funds to travel to another country for a tournament weekend. The guys you see from neighboring countries tend to be a handful so what about the practitioners that don't travel for tournaments? That is where the 'local tournament' comes into play.

So with this recent demand it's great to see a number of groups/teams take it upon themselves to organize smaller tournaments to give those white and blue-belts more mat time! Here in Bangkok we've held several 'white-belt festivals' but most recently there have been Rollapalooza IV by Team VPF which is now and the Atos Philippines + the HK Intra-Club BJJ Competition by Kowloon BJJ.

Here is some pics/vids for you guys to enjoy. Everyone keep up the great work and share what's going on in yer area. -Luke

RESULTS:

ROLLAPALOOZA IV RESULTS

DAY 1: Gi

Yellow Belt:

G - Eros Baluyot (VPF)

S - Ram Fransisco (Newbreed)

White Belt

Featherweight:

G - Gian Dee (VPF)

S - Eros Baluyot (VPF

B - Pinggoy Danguilan (VPF)

B - Rytz Nunez

Lightweight:

G - Ricky Poblador (VPF)

S - Jose Marie Rodriguez (Davao)

B - Justin Danguilan (VPF)

B - Patrick Gambe (Stanley's)

MIddleweight:

G - Aldo Vergel de dios (VPF)

S - Rey Joson (Newbreed)

B - Luis Nazareno (VPF)

Cruiserweight:

G - Isaiah Ordiz (Team Paranaque)

S - Sam Santiago (Gracie Barra Phils.)

B - Allen Oblena (Newbreed)

Heavyweight:

G - Matt Jao (VPF)

S - Jan Habana (Gracie Barra Phils.

Blue/Purple Belt:

Featherweight:

G - Jan Cortez (VPF)

S - Carlo Pena (VPF)

B - Richard Lasprilla (Gracie Barra Phils.)

Lightweight:

G - Nestor Ponce (VPF)

S - Raymond Varilla (Gracie Barra Phils.)

Middleweight:

G - Macky Siazon (VPF)

S - Francis Uy (VPF)

B - Kyle Kapunan (Gracie Barra Phils.)

Absolute White:

G - Rey Joson (Newbreed)

S - Luis Nazareno (VPF)

B - Aldo Vergel de Dios (VPF)

B - Patrick Gambe (Stanley's)

Absolute Blue:

G - Nestor Ponce (VPF)

S - May Masuda (de la Salle BJJ)

Most Technical Fighter Awardee: Gian Dee (VPF)

DAY 2: NO-GI

BASIC

Featherweight:

G - Christian Quismundo (Newbreed)

S - Pinggoy Danguilan (VPF)

B - Chris Caangay (Strike & Shoot)

Lightweight:

G - Jok Gumiran (Submission Sport/VPF)

S - George Vlayee (Yaw-Yan Kampilan

B - Morris Uy (Yaw-Yan Kampilan)

Middleweight:

G - Diego Nepomuceno (Gracie Barra Phils.)

S - Rey Joson (Newbreed)

B - Dit Reyes (VPF)

Cruiserweight:

G - Remand Lazaro (Hybrid Yaw-Yan)

S - Jonz Sandoval (Yaw-Yan Kampilan)

B - Allen Oblena (Newbreed)

ADVANCE

Featherweight:

G - Carlo Pena (VPF)

S - Richard Lasprilla (Gracie Barra Phils.)

B - Eros Baluyot (VPF)

Lightweight:

G - Nestor Ponce (VPF)

S - Martin Tiu (Indepedent)

B - Aldo Vergel de Dios (VPF)

Middleweight:

G - Luis Nazareno (VPF)

S - Francis Uy (VPF)

B - Macky Siazon (VPF)

Absolute Basic:

G - Diego Nepomuceno (Gracie Barra Phils.)

S - Sam Nepomuceno (Gracie Barra Phils.)

Absolute Advance:

G - Richard Lasprilla (Gracie Barra Phils.)

S - Luis Nazareno (VPF)

B - Nino Sanchez (VPF)

Most Technical Fighter Awardee: Diego Nepomuceno (Gracie Barra Phils.)

TOKYO VIDS

 (Makoto-san took gold in his weight and bronze in the absolute for adult brown-belt)

Just thought I'd post some vids from the recent tournament in Tokyo along with this pic from our buddy Makoto Osagawara. Thanks to all the guys that supported BJJ-ASIA & SEABJJ by representing their colors. -Luke

TEAM VPF IS NOW ATOS JJ AFFILIATE IN PHILIPPINES!!!

 

ATOS PHILIPPINES

 

We are very happy to announce that VPF in the Philippines is now currently affiliated with ATOS JJ of Brazil. ATOS is under Ramon Lemos and Andre Galvao, and hosts other powerhouse bjj names such as Rafael Mendes, Guilherme Mendes, Bruno Frazzatto, Guto Campos, Gilbert Durinho, Claudio Calasans just to name a few! We are very happy to represent them here in the Philippines.

 

for more information about Atos, please check and soon to be updated main website:

WWW.THEFIGHTWORKSPODCAST.COM

 

WWW.ATOSJJ.COM

LEGEND FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP: HONG KONG!!!

Mixed Martial Arts Set for Hong Kong Debut

3rd December 2009

With a vision of martial arts beyond his time, Hong Kong’s Bruce Lee created his own revolutionary style, one which combined the best from all the different forms of the world’s martial arts. While for thousands of years, martial arts advocated a singular approach, Lee believed: “When one has reached maturity in the art, one will have a formless form.” From this revolutionary philosophy emerged Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), the world’s fastest-growing sport.

Now Hong Kong is set to host its first ever professional MMA tournament. Organizer Legend today unveiled details of the tournament, to be staged at 7:30pm on January 11, 2010, at the Hongkong International Trade & Exhibition Centre (HITEC) in Kowloon Bay.

Eighteen champion martial artists from Hong Kong, China, Australia, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Thailand, and Mongolia will feature on Legend’s inaugural event card, with two exciting co-main events and a Hong Kong athlete who is fast making a name for himself in this respect sport.

Former King of Sanda, Zhao Zilong, will face MMA champion Vicente Pajaro of the Philippines in the first of two headline events, with reigning Australian Lightweight Champion Adrian Pang competing against South Korea’s Spirit MC Champion Yui Chul Nam in the second.

Chinese-Australian Pang, who has studied Kung Fu in Mongkok, is not the only Legend competitor with ties to Hong Kong, as Kenny Yeung will compete against Khuukhenkhuu Amartuvshin in the 70-kg class. Born and raised in Hong Kong before moving to Australia, Yeung can count on strong fan support as he returns to his hometown for the city’s first MMA competition.

MMA derives from martial arts disciplines from across the globe, including Sanda (China), Brazilian Jujitsu (Brazil/Japan), Judo (Japan), Karate (Japan), Muay Thai (Thailand), Boxing (Greece), Sambo (Russia), Tae Kwon Do (Korea), and Wrestling (Greece).

Under a strict set of competition rules, athletes compete in a timed freestyle tournament, with the best martial artist emerging at the end. As a result, this unique form becomes the ultimate in martial arts – complex, yet adaptable and highly entertaining to watch.

A popular sport throughout the world, MMA has achieved mainstream sport status in many countries and regions. In the Asia-Pacific, MMA continues to grow exponentially with more and more Chinese and Asian athletes taking up the sport, either professionally or for recreational purposes.

Tickets for the debut Legend competition are priced at HK$300, HK$600, HK$1000 and HK$1200 and are available from HK Ticketing, Tom Lee outlets and select martial arts facilities.

WWW.LEGENDFC.COM 

Upcoming Event	Legend Fighting Championship 1
Date	11th January 2010
Time	7:30 PM
Tickets	$300 / $600 / $1,000 / $1,200

Tickets go on sale on December 4th!
They will be available from HK Ticketing's box offices, Tom Lee Music Stores, and select gyms.

Ticket Purchase Hotline	31 288 288
Internet Booking	www.hkticketing.com

SYNERGY JJ OPENS FIRST BRANCH OUTSIDE OF INDONESIA

Synergy Suzhou
Xin Tian Xiang Guang Chang
(above Rainbow Department Store)
Corner of Su Xiu Rd. and Su Lan Rd.
Building A Unit 808
Suzhou Industrial Park
Schedule: T 19.30 – 21.00, TH 20.00 – 21.30
Instructor: Ryan Campbell (Blue Belt)
Cell: +86.13451978930

SYNERGY JJ LOCATIONS

2010 PHILIPPINES BJJ INTL. & NO-GI INTL GRAPPLING CHALLENGE

Here's the rescheduled tournament from December of 2009 to January of 2010. For more info, be sure to check out: 

 WWW.BJJPHILIPPINES.COM.

DE LA RIVA GUARD SEMINAR: SHANGHAI BJJ

De La Riva Black Belt - Zouhir Hadj Abdelkader from Urban Team Paris will be teaching a seminar at SHBJJ's new academy in Shanghai. Zouhir, will be going over the De La Riva Guard and other technical details that he uses in his game.

If you are in Shanghai, don't miss it!

-SHBJJ

WORLD PRO JIU-JITSU CUP: TRIALS 2010

World BJJ Pro news
Carlao defines dates and announces more prize money in 2010
total prizes = 148,000 us$

GRACIEMAG had access to the timetable for the international tryouts for the much-awaited World professional Jiu-Jitsu Cup 2010, to be held the 15th, 16th and 17th of April in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates.

According to Carlao Santos, the sum of 145 thousand dollars will be up for grabs, to be divided among all belt groups. And for the ladies, the champion will take home four thousand dollars and runner-up takes two.

With the exception of Brazil, the dates for the tryouts for the event to be broadcast on network tv in Abu Dhabi, which is transmitted to over 30 countries, have been defined.

Check out the worldwide schedule for
World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Cup 2010 tryouts:

Australia: November 15;
New Zealand: November 21;
South Africa: December 5 (only for Africans)
England: December 12 (only for Europeans);
Florida, USA: January 31 (open to all residents);
California, USA: February 13 or 14 (open to all residents);
Canada: March 6 (only for locals with North American passport);
Brazil: March 14 (to be confirmed)*;
Belgium: March 20 (only Europeans);
Japan: March 20 (only for Asians).

* The date for the Brazilian trials is yet to be confirmed. The organizers expect to hold one in Rio de Janeiro and another in the South of the country.

RODRIGO GRACIE SEMINAR: HONG KONG

Finally we have a member from the legendary Gracie family in Hong Kong.  Although he is only on vacation, it is very kind of him to hold a 2 hours seminar at Grips HK.  Thanks for the arrangement of Professor Silvio Braga.  The Seminar is schedule to be on next Saturday 12 December 2009 afternoon , exact time will be announced later .  It will be HK$500/person.

Anyone interested please contact me our Professor Silvio at Grips.

Henry Chan
Gracie Barra Hong Kong

BJJ-ASIA KIMONOS: SPECIAL SALE COMING TO CLOSE!!!

***WHITE A3-SOLD OUT


The special price of $60/$65 USD for BJJ-ASIA Kimonos will come to a close December 18th, 2009!!! 

After December 18th, BJJ-ASIA Kimonos will be priced at $120/$125 including postage to major destination. (Such as USA, Europe, Asia & Japan).

FOR MORE DETAILS ABOUT KIMONO: HERE 

*pant lengths measure from A1-A4 @ 32", 34", 36", 38"

DAVE MENNE @ TIGER MUAY THAI

from: TMT

Tiger Muay Thai would like to welcome former UFC Champion Dave Menne to Tiger Muay Thai.  Dave Menne beat Cesar Gracie Black-Belt Gil Castillo at UFC 33, to become champion by winning a 5 round x 5 min decision.  Menne will be training at Tiger Muay Thai until Feb. as he prepares for his next superfight.  Keep an eye out for information on a FREE mma/grappling seminar by the veteran Champion, coming in the upcoming weeks.

SHERDOG STATS

 

HUERTA INTERVIEW ON SHERDOG

"Meanwhile, Huerta will visit Phuket, Thailand in December with coach and former UFC champion Dave Menne to study at the Tiger Muay Thai gym for three weeks."

SHOYOROLL ALL ISLAND JIU-JITSU CHAMPIONSHIPS

For more info email: info@shoyoroll.com