THE FIGHTWORKS PODCAST: ED KENNEDY

I am a regular listener to the The Fightworks Podcast for it's insightful interviews and updates on BJJ so it's no surprise that I recommend everyone to check it out. This week in particular, I really encourage everyone to take a listen to the interview with Ed Kennedy, a Romero 'Jacare ' Calvacanti black-belt (Alliance).

What makes this one such an interesting listen is that he's a regular guy like the rest of us with all the responsibilities of a fulltime career and family. He talks about what it's been like in his journey over ten years and how he's balanced everything to get where he is today and how he continues to be a student of jiu-jitsu. While the black-belt may represent a destination, it's just a part of the journey. -Luke

PODCAST #118

INTERVIEW W/ ANDY WANG (TAIWAN BJJ)

This past weekend Andy took a moment to speak with us about what he's been up to and commented on the progress that BJJ has made in the area in the last 4-5 years since he first came to teach. Having spent the last couple of months in Taipei guest teaching at Taiwan BJJ, he is planning on heading back to the US to continue his training and MMA career. Andy's team had a great performance this weekend, taking 2nd in the gi and 1st in the no-gi. -Luke

FABIO GURGEL

photo from: http://www.aliciaphotos.com/
I haven't been posting much this week but I have a little treat for everyone. It's not too often that I get to interview guests in person and most of the time it's done via e-mail. Here I had the unique opportunity to chat with Prof. Fabio Gurgel about his performance at the Pan Ams in addition to winning the team title. With 10 hours between us, me in Bangkok and he in Sao Paulo there was a slight lag in the response to the questions but for the sake of authenticity, I kept things unchanged. A big thank you to Prof. Gurgel for taking the time to speak with us and also to Danny for getting me in touch with 'The General'. -Luke

BJJ-ASIA:

First I want to thank you for making the time to chat with us. For those that are new to bjj, could you share with us a bit of your history?

Fabio Gurgel:

no problem it is a pleasure

BJJ-ASIA:

How you got started in bjj and under who? When did you get your black-belt, etc.

Fabio Gurgel:

i started when i was 13, with Toninho a old guy from gracie school, aftera few months of trainning the academy closed and Imoved to Jacar´'s academy where I stay until today and hope forever

Fabio Gurgel:

I got my belt when I was 19

BJJ-ASIA:

You're a very decorated competitor and have instructed a number of top level fighters as well. Even so, you still look to compete. I also wanted to congratulate you on your performance at the Pan Ams both as a competitor and for winning the team title with Alliance. Could you share your experience competing recently?

Fabio Gurgel:

Yes, Actually competitions is the most funny part of the game, rsrsr I do because I like and not to prove anything to anyone, I already reached all the titles in BJJ but it doesn't mean anything, when new competition is coming the challenge make me exciting, that is why I'm still there

BJJ-ASIA:

That's great to hear.

Fabio Gurgel:

thanks, tha alliance victory was very important to me

BJJ-ASIA:

So what was the preparation like for the Pan Ams? For yourself + your team?

Fabio Gurgel:

me and jacaré are working very hard to rebuild the team after our split in 2002, and now I can say we did it

BJJ-ASIA:

I'm sure it hasn't been easy but it seems to be a common thing in BJJ as the community grows larger.

Fabio Gurgel:

my self just follow th team preparation, I do what I think will be the best for everybody, the results are consequence of the hard work

BJJ-ASIA:

I assume you'll go into the Mundials with the same attitude then. Could you comment on any of your students performances during the Pan Ams?

Fabio Gurgel:

yes now a days is very commmon but back there was a big surprise and we got very desapointed, but it tough us a lot to trebuild the team even stronger

BJJ-ASIA:

Even so, I think Alliance has shown to be one of the strongest teams competing and consistently so in the past year

BJJ-ASIA:

Were there any hilight matches that you saw at the Pan Ams?

Fabio Gurgel:

Yes our team goes to mundial with the full force, the preformance that I like most was the Brown belts , they foght very good and we got medals in all divisions

BJJ-ASIA:

I hear from friends that attended that one of the hilight matches was between Chris Moriarty and Krong Gracie. Any comment on this one?

Fabio Gurgel:

many, but I guess Kron was the one that surprised everybody, all his matches were awesome

BJJ-ASIA:

What do you see that separates him from other competitors? Do you see it as natural ability?

Fabio Gurgel:

Crhis is our student and a very tough guy and good athlete but he did a mistake and Kron was there, the fight was very quicly, but I believe that Chris is one that has a chance to beat Kron in the future

BJJ-ASIA:

Chris has also had an amazing competition season as well so I know there was a lot of excitement going into this match.

Fabio Gurgel:

Natural Ability? I prefer to believe that he trains a lot since he was a child, and he has a very good master, telling him what he need to do, giving him 100% of his attention

BJJ-ASIA:

As an instructor, what do you see as the most important aspects to your students development?

BJJ-ASIA:

Being and good fighter and instructor do not always go hand in hand but you've managed to excel at both.

Fabio Gurgel:

I think that the competitor must trainning very hard and cover all the aspects of the fight, including technical part, condition and mind control and of course when time is run believe in themselfs

BJJ-ASIA:

Do you have any words of advice for those here in Southeast Asia just starting BJJ?

Fabio Gurgel:

The think is I paid a lot of attention to understand what jiu jitsu is all about since I was a 13 year old kid, I had a good performance is my carrer maybe because i understood and as a teacher Jacaré told me everything how should I run the academy and take care of my students to make a unit force, it what I'm trying to do

BJJ-ASIA:

I don't want to take too much of your time since I know you must be busy. Do you have any last comments to share with the BJJ community here in Southeast Asia?

Fabio Gurgel:

My advice to the begginers is to they try to undestand the game, what are they doing and what for, the jiu jitsu must be an inteligent art, and of course they must have fun when practicing

Fabio Gurgel:

I'm glad to see jiu jitsu growing all over the world, when I started it is small even in Rio de Janeiro, I hope in the next future see with my own eyes the growing there in southeast Asia and if I can help this development in anyway would be a pleasure, my academy is also open for foregners and all praticioners form Asia: 21:33:49

Again, I want to thank you for taking the time to chat with us. I'm sure I can speak for the community that we hope to see you here in Asia soon.

Fabio Gurgel:

All right Luke it was a pleasure chat with you

BJJ-ASIA:

Best of luck to Alliance in the upcoming Mundials this June

Fabio Gurgel:

thanks

Fabio Gurgel:

bye

BJJ-ASIA:

bye

PROF. FABRICIO MARTINS

thanks to: Stephen Kamphius
While visiting the Philippines, Prof. Fabricio Martins took some time to answer a few of our questions. I want to thank Prof. Martins for taking the time to speak with us, it's great to hear from those who've had such a positive impact on the sport. If you haven't read already, we did an interview with one of Prof. Martins' students, Daniel Otero who at the time just won the Copa America de Jiu Jitsu. I've also included pics taken from the seminar held earlier this week. -Luke

Please share with us a bit of your background regarding where you are from, how you started BJJ and under who did you receive your black belt and when?

I come from Rio de Janeiro. I started training with my older brother when I was eight years old under now 9th degree Red belt Grand Master Osvaldo Alves. In 1985, I received my Black Belt at age 20 under Grandmaster Osvaldo.

I have had an Academy in Rio for over 17 years and have been teaching for over 23 years. I am now a 5th Degree Black belt.
Could you share with us what your experience was like going from white to black-belt? What was your training routine and how much did competition play into your development as a fighter?

I began BJJ at a young age and competed in all belts from Yellow to Black belt winning in most of the major competitions at all Belt levels.

My training routine involved techniques in the morning, conditioning in the afternoon and hard Gi training at night. This routine could vary. Competition I think is very important you need good preparation; time to focus on your techniques and the spirit to learn. Competition helps a lot.

As BJJ continues to grow in SEA, the Philippines represents the largest BJJ community with the most tournaments held within a given year. How would you compare the growth of BJJ in the Philippines to the rest of SEA?

I do not know so much about the rest of SEA, but I visited my Team in the Philippines under my Student 1st stripe Black belt Stephen Kamphuis and I see the techniques that they are learning and applying is very good technical and efficient BJJ. I see that many students in my Team like to compete this will be good for the growth and exposure of BJJ.

Team Fabricio has represented very well internationally as well as in the local scene here in SEA. Could you share with us your thoughts on the early days of Equipe Frabicio and where the future is for you and your team?

It is only in the past two years that I have left my Academy in Brazil. I have over 40 Black belts in my school in Brazil and I am certain the future or my Team is wonderful, we are starting to plant the seeds. I have students teaching in Serbia Montenegro, Jordon, USA, Taiwan, Kuwait, Korea, and of course the Philippines. We are doing our best and the results will come.

What do you see as the key aspects for the positive growth of BJJ in SEA?

There are many good fighters in different Martial arts in Asia. I think the development and support of competitions will help grow the sport. People like my student Stephen Kamphuis are pioneers of the sport and by organising International BJJ zevents in such a beautiful venue is an important showcase for the sport.

For a number of clubs/gyms there may not be a black-belt level instructor but a group of white and blue-belts. How might these students progress at a competitive level?

With time, continuous training and joining competitions they can be good fighters.

What are your plans for Team Fabricio and yourself?

See my Team grow , and work hard to develop BJJ around the World.

Is there anything else you'd like to share with the readers out there?

I am very happy to stay in the Philippines helping my student and friend Stephen Kamphuis and very happy to see the development of BJJ in the Philippines. I am sure the work will give us a lot of happiness in the future.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to talk about BJJ and my Team.

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.

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

CARLAO SANTOS: ABU DHABI

He is the head instructor to the Emirates Jiu-Jitsu Team in Abu Dhabi and hails from Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Carlao Santos was kind enough to answer some questions regarding his current post and his plans to spread the word of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. -Luke

Could you tell us about yourself? Where you are originally from? How and when did you start to train BJJ? Under who did you start training under and who gave you your black-belt?

MY NAME IS CARLOS SANTOS I'M FROM BRAZIL, RIO DE JANEIRO. I'M START TRAINING BJJ IN CARLSON GRACIE ACADEMY IN COPACABANA, FIGUEIREDO MAGALHAES. I'M TAKE MY BLACK BELT FROM BRAZILIAN TOP TEAM, I'M STAY TO BROWN BELT IN CARLSON GRACIE AND AFTER BROWN I MOVE TO BTT.

Could you share with us your experience from white to black belt? What difficulties did you face and how would you encourage others who are just starting?

NO EASY MY FRIEND, VERY HARD TRAINING EVERY DAY, WHEN I START BJJ I HAVE 16 YEARS OLD, IN STUDYING, WORK AND TRAINING BJJ NIGHT. NO SUPPORT IN BRAZIL FOR BJJ . IF YOU WANT BECAME GOOD BJJ PLAYER AND COACH NO HAVE SECRET ONLY TRAINING SERIOUS EVERY DAY.

















Most recently, you've relocated to Abu Dhabi as head instructor to the Emirates Jiu-Jitsu Team. Could you share with us how this came about and what the experience has been like so far?

I'M COMING FIRST TIME TO EMIRATES IN 2002, ADCC CLUB MAKE CONNECTION IF ZE MARIO SPERRY AND START SEND COACHES TO ADCC FOR TRAINING, IN 2003 I COMING AND STUDENTS LIKE MY JOB AND MAKE ME STAY TO NOW.

How has this compared to your previous experience as the head BJJ instructor at BTT in Brazil?

VERY GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW MY JOB THERE, AFTER LIBORIO LEAVE TO MAKE ATT, BUSTAMANTE, SPERRY AND BEBEO GIVE ME THIS OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE CARE BJJ CLASS IN BTT, TOGETHER MY FRIEND OLAVO ABREU.

What have been the challenges so far as a teacher and ambassador of BJJ?

NO EASY JOB, NO ONLY NED BECAME GOOD COACH NED ALSO GOOD ADMINISTRATION, POLITICS TO MAKE THE SPORT GROWING, ALOT BAD PEOPLE WANT MAKE TROUBLE, ENVIOUS PEOPLES. MORE IM HAVE CLEAR WAY AND GOOD SUPPORT FROM H.H. SHEIKH MOHAMAD BIN ZAYED AL NAHYAN TO MAKE THE BJJ SPORT BIG IN ALL REGION. NO IS THE BEGINNING HAVE ALOT JOB TO DO.

This May 9-10, the United Arab Emirates will be hosting the Abu Dhabi International Jiu-Jitsu Cup. Could you share with us your involvement and more about the event itself?

THIS EVENT IS THE BIGGEST EVENT IN THE ASIAN , MAYBE IN THE WORLD IF TALK ABOUT THE MONEY INVOLVE. MORE THEN 110.000 US$ TO MAKE THIS JIU-JITSU EVENT. I HOPE MORE ASIAN PEOPLE COMING TO PLAY THIS EVENT.

From this past weekend at the European Jiu-Jitsu Championships in Portugal, the Jordan Jiu-Jitsu Team had four members place. How do you see their success and what plans do you have for your team to compete in upcoming tournaments such as Mundials?

CONGRATULATION TO MY FRIEND ZAID MIRZA HEAD COACH FROM JORDAN, THIS IS GOOD FOR REGION NOW ALL TEAMS WANT SEND PEOPLE TO OUT FOR PLAY. NOW I HAVE PLANE TO SEND PLAYERS TO BRASIL, BTT, TO MAKE CAMP THERE AND FIGHT ALL THE COMPETITION IN BRAZIL. OFF COURSE AS HAVE DREAMS TO MAKE WORLD CHAMPIONS, MORE FOR THIS NED TIME.

What do you see as important aspects new/old students must understand to keep BJJ's positive for everyone?

BJJ IS THE NICE SPORT IN THE WORLD, IF YOU TRY 1 TIME THIS COMING INSEDE YOU BLOOD FOREVER. YOU WANT MAKE ALL THE TIME, ALSO MAKE FRIENDS ALL THE WORLD.

Any additional plans for yourself this coming year besides teaching?

OFF COURSE I HAVE 1 MAGAZINE IS THE FIRST ARAB FIGHT MAGAZINE, MAKE MORE BJJ EVENTS. MY BIG PROJECT IS MAKE THE BJJ IS SPORT PROFESSIONAL SAME SKATE OR SURFING. TO MAKE PEOPLE LEAVE ONLY FOR FIGHT BJJ SAME JUDO OR MMA.



















I want to thank you for taking the time to speak with us at BJJ-ASIA. Is there anything else you'd like to share with the readers?

I HOPE ALL THE READERS HELP ME TO MAKE BJJ PROFESSIONAL IN THE WORLD, ALSO COMING TO MY EVENTS I TRY MY BEST TO GIVE MORE AND MORE SUPPORT TO PLAYERS. GIVE GOOD PRIZES AND SUPPORT. AND FOR SEE NEWS ABOUT MY LINKS GO TO www.emiratesone.blogspot.com

FRANSINO TIRTA

Fransino Tirta was nice enough to take some time to talk about his recent victory in Bali.
-Luke

First congratulations on your performance this past December. Could you give us a playback of the fight as you saw it?

I started the fight carefully, i followed what my coach has been telling me to do, "take him down, immediately", so immediately i setup my takedown with punches, as soon as i got the takedown i was too anxious to finish the fight by throwing punches without paying attention to my position. I hit him several times with punches and knees, but he managed to stand up. As we clinched i manage to hit him with a right hook, that moment i knew i was faster and hit harder than him, so i changed my gameplan to bang with him. When we banged i connected several times with my right and left hooks, then my combination of right uppercut and left hook knocked him down, immediately i followed with ground and pound, i hit him four times in the face before the referee stopped the fight.

What kind of preparation did you go through for the fight and how did you feel going into it?

At first i didnt do any special preparation, i train once a day after i get back from my day job, but then i realized that my current preparation is not enough, so i followed my coach to bali two weeks before the fight to do special preparation. This special preparation consisted of two times a day training, i dont have to do anything but training, so i can give my best at training.

Did this differ from your previous fight due to the size difference? Stylistically do you think this match up played to your favor?

Yes, its very different from my previous fight due to the size difference. I'm used to fight someone bigger and taller than me. Well the fact that i won means the match up played to my favor.

What are your plans for the coming year?

I don't have anything planned for the next year but Art Of War FC wants me to fight again, so we'll see.

Another congratulation is due for your performance at the Indonesian Submission Championship. Could you tell us how that was for you?

The Indonesian Submission Championships sponsored by Djarum Super are a great experience for me, i love submission grappling because it's more safe and fun than MMA. Thank goodness the Indonesian Submission Championship 2007 was a month away from Battle on Bali so i prepared my conditioning for both competitions at the same time.

Will you be just as active in the grappling circuit along with MMA?

I think i'll be more more active in the grappling circuit because right now i have students who wants to compete in submission grappling, so i have to prepare them. Also, MMA is very demanding for my time and energy but the payment is very low, so MMA is not my priority now.

What would you like to see happen in South-East Asia concerning MMA?

I would like to see more MMA competitions in SEA, and that MMA fighters here can have a decent salary.

Any comments you'd like to share with those out there?

I like to thank my coach Niko Han for giving me a hard time in training, the harder time he gave me, the easier the fight went. I also like to thanks Andreas Hesselback for accepting the fight and giving such a great show, i know he'll come back stronger and i wish him luck in the future.

*Fransino Tirta is a purple-belt in BJJ and represents Synergy Jiu-Jitsu (Indonesia). His current MMA record is 13-0-1.

INTERVIEW: DANIEL OTERO

I had the recent pleasure of interviewing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black-belt Daniel Otero. A decorated BJJ competitor, Daniel has already made his way into the MMA circuit and is looking to showcase his abilities outside of Brazil. Special thanks goes to Stephen Kamphius for making this interview possible. -Luke

Not everyone out there may be familiar with your history and accomplishments in both BJJ & MMA. Could you tell us how you got started in BJJ? How old were you and who you studied under?

I started to practice Jiu-Jitsu at the age of 13 years in 1995 at Fabricio Jiu-Jitsu Academy. Even at a young age I loved to compete and from there I was fortunate to have good results in most championships.

I have been the Brazilian Champion 8 times in all belts (Yellow, Blue (twice),Purple,Brown(twice) and black(twice); World Black Belt Champion in 2006 and also Vice World Black Belt Champion in 2003, 2nd place as a Brown belt, 3rd place as a Purple and Blue belt.

In 2003 I had my first MMA fight at Shooto Brazil doing 2 fights at the same event. I am currently fighting in both, Jiu-jitsu and MMA and nowadays my history in MMA is 9 fights in total and 1 lost at Japan Shooto in 2007 where I was disqualified.

How old were you when you received your black-belt and from who?

I was with 19 to 20 years. I received the Black-belt from Fabrício Martins. It took 8 years of training to get the black belt and I think I was very young for that but the fact that I was always at championships helped me to develop my Jiu-Jitsu faster.

As BJJ grows in popularity in Southeast Asia, new students are curious to know what it takes to progress and for some, ultimately earn the black-belt. What was your training schedule per week? Seminars and privates a regular thing for you?

I practice every day. Work out with professor Alexandre Barcelos, Muay Thai with professor Sandro at New Generation Academy and Jiu-Jitsu and MMA with my Master Fabricio Martins, All this happens from monday to Friday and Saturday only when it´s close to compete. I have law college in the morning so the training is during afternoon and night.

About seminars: I hope seminars will become more frequent now, I'm negotiating some seminaras in U.S.A. and maybe on February I can stay some days in U.S.A to realize it.

Is there any particular position or submission that you feel is uniquely yours? Do you have a favorite?

I don't have a specific favorite position. I'm always trying to develop my Jiu-Jitsu game to be complete and to feel comfortable in all situations. The BJJ does not stop to grow, so you need to be always studying new techniques.

Any advice to those just starting their BJJ journey?

My advice is a lot of dedication. There are no secrets. As any kind of sports or martial arts the way to success is dedication, discipline and love what you do.

This past year, the Mundials was held in Los Angeles, California. How do you see this move from Brazil to the US effect BJJ as a whole? Do you see this effecting the level/quality of competition?

I think that in future could affects because here is very very difficult to have sponsors to pay the costs that are very high for us from Brazil, so maybe many good fighters don´t fight and I think we all loose with that. But also it is important to promove the world championship in other countries to be more democratic and to develop the sport arround the world.













A couple of weeks ago you won the Copa America de Jiu Jitsu Black belt super fight, can you tell us about this. Could you share with us some of your hardest experiences in competition?

I did one of the superfights of the event and I had as opponent Fernando Silva from UGF academy. I won by advantages (5x0). It was a very hard fight; I didn´t know him, so I didn´t know his game but thank God I won and could finish the year with this victory.

About my hardest experiences in competition: It was a lot. I had real battles inside ring and mat, not always with victory. There is more value winning with difficult and thank God I had many important titles also in Jiu-Jitsu than in MMA and losses that teach you alot about yuourself.

When did you make the transition to competing in MMA? How did you come to that decision?

In certain time I felt the need for new challenge. The human being is always trying to overcome himself. I was already black belt and got many important titles, so MMA, was like this to me, a way to overcome
myself and succeed also in MMA and because of this I started to dedicate myself to conquer this purpose. My first performance in MMA was in 2003 Shooto Brazil.

With 7 MMA fights, you recently had an incident in Japan. Could you elaborate on what happened?

I did a mistake shooting my opponent at his head when I was on the ground and this is not aloud at the Shooto rules so they disqualified me. It was not my intention, never. I never been disqualified in any fight for any reason. It was only my mistake because I misunderstood the rules. But I think that Japanese public understood that and saw that was not my intention. People there was very very kind with me and after this fight many of them came to talk to me and this was very good to my self including the fact that I was very sad with this mistake and this comforted me alot.

About this fight I think was doing very well. I took him on the ground and there I was develop very well swiping him and mount. Beside my mistake I did a good fight and I hope that japanese public like it.

At this point, who do you receive instruction and training for either BJJ or MMA? Could you tell us about the team you represent?

Fabricio Martins is my master and responsable for my Jiu-Jitsu and also Sandro who cares of my Muay Thai and MMA. Both are responsible for my training. The team I represent calls intself in english Team Fabricio .

How do you balance your focus between MMA and BJJ? I've heard for many it's hard to train both at the same time with equal success.

It´s not easy to practice for both. What I do is always keep training, and when the events are for example at the same time, me with my master decide witch competition are more important whereas wich one give me better returns.The Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai already do part of my routine and I practice every day. In case of Jiu-Jitsu are many years of traning so is more easy because when there is any competition I am ready, but MMA when happen to have a fight I priorize the training for this specific fight. So, with discipline and dedication I think it´s possible to conciliate the two styles.

What are you plans for the future? Any upcoming MMA fights?

I'm negotiating with some Brazilian events, but I would like a lot to fight abroad again and make an international career. I think Ásia could be a great place to fight. MMA is growing in Ásia and I think that there are many fighters from my weight class.

Any interest in the MMA scene here in Southeast Asia? The sport has grown quite significantly in China, Philippine and Indonesia.

Yes, I have interest in Asian MMA. I try to be informed and I know that the sport are growing fast everywhere, so I´m very interested to fight there and to participate with this growth.

I want to thank you for your time and wish you the best in the new year. Do you have anything you'd like to share to the readers out there?

Thank you very much to BJJ-Asia for the opportunity and to show a little bit of my self to the lovers of BJJ and MMA in Asia. I would like to thank first to God, than to my family that is the most important thing in my life and finally to my teachers, Fabrico Martins and all my training partners from Fabricio Team who also helps me to be what I am. Sandro, my Muai Thai coach, Alexandre Barcelos, my personal trainer and to my great friend from Philippines Stephen Kamphius.

Anyone who wants to know more or any question it will be a pleasure to answer. My e-mails are: danielpitmo@yahoo.com.br / danielpit@gmail.com

Thank you very much.

Daniel, thank you for taking the time to speak with us and sharing a bit of who you are. Looking forward to seeing more of you on the mat and in the ring.

ANDREAS HESSELBACK: MMA BALI

Interview By: James Franchise












Swedish MMA Fighter Andreas Hesselback is set to face Fransino Tirta December 27th in Bali, Indonesia. Tirta will be looking to build upon his 9-0-1 unbeaten record. Fransino gained international attention recently by fighting Top Chinese fighter Dai Shuang Hai in Art of War 8 to a 15 minute Draw.
1. Q:For the readers who don’t know about you, give us a lil’ background info about yourself.

HB: I’m 26 years old, I’ve been training in different Martial Arts since ‘94. I started fighting Shooto style fights nearly 8 years ago while in living in Sweden. My career was put on hold in 2001, when I interested in body building. Eventually I found my way back to MMA in 04, when I faced USA-Art of War contender Klas Akesson. I lost the fight via armbar. The loss motivated me to make changes in my training. I found new techniques, cross trained with other fighters, and eventually moved to Thailand pursuing my fighting career. I had my first “Return fight” in October when I beat UK grappler Lawrence Neele during an MMA fight held in Thailand. After beating him up on the feet and landing a high light slam, I secured the Guillotine choke early in the 2nd round.

*Video of fight*

2. Q: What do you know about Fransino Tirta?

HB: I know he is an Indonesian MMA Icon, having a perfect 9-0 record. I also know those wins came against some weak competition. I watched him struggle against another top fighter in South East Asia, Dai Shuang Hai of China. Thanks to YouTube I’ve had an opportunity to watch over an hour of grappling and MMA footage of Tirta. He is a BJJ purple belt, but doesn’t seem to transition his ranking very well when he is forced to fight without the gi. I think the technique he lacks in striking he compensates with his power, and warrior spirit. I am looking to turn this into a shotgun shoot-out on the feet. (Laughing) I want him to realize I’m here to take his undefeated record.

3. Q: Fransino has a ton of fight experience, do you think that will play a factor in the fight?

HB: Fight records are illusive. Fransino has experience with performing in front of the crowds and the lights, but he has never really been in a war. Most of his fights were over in the first round against opponents I could have beaten just as easily. He has never faced a fighter bigger and more powerful than him. His fight in China showed he had cardio and heart, but Dai Shuang Hai didn’t fight with the same intensity and explosivness my style offers.

I have a lot of experience on my side as well. I’ve got professional fighters who know how to cut weight and who understand plyometric conditioning. I have an instructor who has actually competed, and knows the differences between submission grappling and fighting. Besides having fought on PPV himself, Ray has been a training partner for fighters getting ready for big UFC and PRIDE fights. I know he understands what it takes to be the best. Fransino isn’t getting to train with the same level of competition I am getting pushed by every at practice. I am getting to train with KOTC, TKO, and Cage Rage veterans. Our camp has BJJ Purple, Brown, and Black Belts visiting almost every month from various locations in the world.

4. Q: Tell us about your training leading up to this fight?

HB: At the beginning of my move to Thailand I set a goal of becoming the best fighter possible. I’ve dedicated my entire life from top to bottom with preparing myself to compete. I live a clean life. My diet is balanced, I don’t smoke or drink, and I train twice a day. This is my shot at doing what I love, in order to make this dream a reality Fransino is the next step. I know Fransino doesn’t get the opportunity to train full-time. I make sure every night when I go to bed, I know that I did the best I could for that day. One day at a time, one fight at a time, I’m training to make this a career.

5. Q: Living in Thailand do you find it difficult to find qualified MMA training partners?

HB: No, not at all. Tiger Muay Thai has a great MMA instructor who trains along side his students. Ray Elbe is a BJJ Purple Belt under Juliano Prado. He has fought some of the biggest names in MMA and has over 30 professional fights. I actually helped Ray prepare for his recent 1st round KO victory in Khabarovsk, Russia. Since returning from that victory Ray has dedicated 100% of his training attention on getting me ready for this fight. We have been reviewing video footage of Fransino, and training specifically for him. Ray is a smart guy with a ton of experience. He has trained with some of the best in the sport, and I have no doubt we are well prepared for a tough battle.

6. Q: You took 2nd place in your division at the last SEA Grappling games. The Finals match was against a teammate Allan Harvey, did you find it difficult to compete against a teammate, and do you have to listen to the guys at the gym talk smack about the loss?

HB: Knowing he was a teammate relieved a lot of the anxiety a fighter can get from competing. I still didn’t like taking home the silver medal though. (Laughing) I don’t have to listen to the guys too bad. I was satisfied with my performance. Allan is a Judo brown belt and has almost 10 years of Sambo experience. He is actually fighting in AOW 10. That match has motivated me to train harder. If you watch the end of the fight, you can see that regulation expires with me attempting a single leg takedown. If I would have just committed sooner to the takedown I would have won. That feeling makes the silver medal motivate me that much more.

7. Q: Battle in Bali is going to be 3 rounds of 5 minutes. The Rules include PRIDE’S Knees and Kicks to a downed opponent as well as the UFC’s use of elbows. What do you think about the rules?

HB: They are Great. The Rules are one of the things that I get excited during my daily visualizations of the fight. Mentally I’ve played out face stomps, and soccer kicks so many times that I wake up in the morning to find that I’ve punted pillows across the room like it was a football during my sleep. (Laughing) MMA should be fought with these rules. I like the 3 rounds of 5 minutes. Art Of War uses 2 rounds, one lasting 10 minutes, and the second is 5 mintues. I think the extended round causes a slow down in the action. Being able to break every five minutes will allow me to push the pace from start to finish giving the crowd the action they pay to see.

8. Q: You have mentioned Art of War in Beijing China several times, are you looking to compete for that organization?

HB: Yeah, Of Course. They have a huge TV deal and an expanding audience. Andy Pi is currently the best promoter in Asia. I see that show feeling the void felt by the departure of PRIDE FC. Fighting is my job, I want to fight and showcase my talents, if Art of War wants me to beat up their poster boy, I’d do it for them. (laughing)


9. Q: What are your predictions for the fight in Bali?

HB:First of all I’m looking forward to the experience. Fighting is fun and I view this as my first real opportunity to showcase my skills against a promising opponent. I see Fransino is one of the biggest names on the MMA scene in South East Asia. Now that I am living in Thailand I want my name mentioned with the same reputation as the other top fighters living/competing in the region. Mentally I’m preparing myself for a war. I believe in my training and skills. Going into this fight I would have myself as the favorite.

10. Q: Anything else you would like to mention in this interview?

HB: I want to thank everyone at Tiger Muay Thai. Ray has done a wonderful job getting me ready for this fight. The gym owner Will Mcnamara has gone out of his way to help me maximize my potential, he really recognizes the support a fighter needs in order to compete as a professional. Training for this fight I have had too many black eyes to thank everyone, but I can’t forget, Wade, Ngoo, Marko, Allan, and Apocalypse. I want to wish Fransino luck, I really respect him for accepting the fight against a bigger foreign opponent. I hope he plans on turning this into a dogfight, the crowd always recognizes a fight between two Gamebred fighters.

CHET QUINT: CHINA

By: Stanley Tam

Professor Chet Quint is the founder of the Gracie China academy in Beijing and is also the affiliate instructor of the Shanghai BJJ club. Professor Chet visits our Shanghai club on a monthly basis for weekend seminars and last week we had the opportunity to interview him. Hope this will be an interesting read.

1. Professor Chet, for those who don't know you, can you tell us something about your background and how you got started in BJJ?

I started reading about Gracie Jiu-Jitsu in the '80's. I was already a black belt in a few different styles and I had been training other grappling systems (like wrestling, judo and Japanese Jiu-Jitsu) for some time. When I saw the video 'Gracie Jiu-Jitsu in Action' I knew I needed to train this style of Jiu-Jitsu. Unfortunately, I was living in Miami and at the time, the only place I could train Jiu-Jitsu was in California or Brazil. In 1996 I had the oppotunity to move to Salt Lake City, Utah. My father had re-located there and as fate would have it, Rickson Gracie Black Belt, Pedro Sauer owned a Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy there as well. When I went there I finally had a chance to try this stuff out. Even though I was 100 kg and Pedro was 65 kg, he beat like I was a little kid. I signed up that day.

2. How long did it take for you to get your black belt?

It took me 9 years to get my black belt.

3. In what ways has training with both Pedro Sauer and Rillion Gracie influenced your game? How are their styles different?

They both have a very technical style that is based on basic Jiu-jitsu principles. My focus has always been on fighting and not so much sport. The environment we had at Pedro's school supported this kind of training. Since both Pedro and Rilion are smaller guys, they teach a Jiu-Jitsu that is accessible to everyone. Their philosophies about Jiu-Jitsu are exactly the same. The differences in their styles can only be felt when you roll with them. It can't really be discribed.

4. Would you say your BJJ is more self defense oriented or more sports oriented? And why do you train with this emphasis?

Like I said, I teach Gracie Jiu-Jitsu for defending yourself in a real fight. However, of course when we roll in class we have to make certain allowances for safety. I feel like you can use a sporting environment to hone your skills, but we should never lose sight on the real purpose of training: Preparing to defend yourself in a street fight.

5. With your law enforcement and military background, did you ever have to use your BJJ in a real situation?

I started training BJJ after I left law enforcement, but while I was in Salt Lake City I worked for a time as a professional bouncer and from time to time with a corporate body guard company. During this period, I was in countless fights but there were only a few times that the altercation ended on the ground. Twice, I was forced to break someones arm. In one situation, I had a guy in and arm-bar and was trying to get him to calm down. Instead of calming down he bit my leg. So I was forced to break his arm. When he screamed, he had to open his mouth which, obviously made him let go of the bite.




















6. What brought you to Beijing, China?

I was living in Brazil in 2004 and while I was there I met a couple of guys from Beijing. They were training a small club that was run by a blue belt. They invited me to come to Beijing to check it out and I liked it. I spoke a little Chinese, which I learned in the military, so I decided to move out there and teach Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. That was in 2005. The next year, under the direction of Pedro Sauer, I opened the first Gracie Jiu-Jitsu School in China. We also, have a world champion Muay Thai coach and offer Thai Boxing as well.

7. 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 think that it will one day catch up with the rest of the world. It is only a matter of time.

8. I heard you are opening up a 2nd gym. Can you tell us a little about your academy in Beijing?

We have been opened since 2005 and have been doing very well. We offer Gracie Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai seven days a week. We are also the offical China representatives of Kaewsamrit Muay Thai Gym.

9. What advice would you give to a new student when choosing a BJJ academy or teacher?

My advice is to try to find an academy that has authentic instruction and the right atmospere. Nowadays, you see all these gyms advetising that they teach 'MMA' but infact they are teaching watered down Jiu-Jitsu and incorrect Thai Boxing. Guys who have competed in a few low-level events are out there trying to teach when they are still students themselves. Make sure that the teacher's credentials are there before you sign up.

10. 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?

In Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu only a black belt can promote a student in rank. I often hear about purple belts and even blue belts promoting students in rank. This is crazy. This is not only illigitimate, but is a great disservice to the student and to Jiu-Jitsu as an art. I promote students based on mat hours and mastery of the curricculum that was designed by Rickson Gracie and Pedro Sauer. It takes approximately 100 hours of instruction to earn a blue belt and about 10 years to get a black belt. However this is just a guideline. The ultimate decision is up to the instructor. Just train technically and consistantly, and advancement will come.

11. With BJJ gaining popularity around the world, some people are concerned that the quality of BJJ belts will become dilluted, how do you think we can maintain a high standard for BJJ belts?

The only thing one can do is make sure they are training with a legitimate black belt and train hard. There is no 'Jiu-Jitsu police' so we can only worry about ourselves. Keep a good attitude, leave your ego at home. The proof is on the mat.

12. What is your advice for students wanting to excel in BJJ?

This is the secret to getting good in Jiu-Jitsu. Find a good teacher and every day you can, come to class, put on your kimono and train. If you do this, in five years or six years you will be a killer on the mat. I guarantee it.

13. Just out of curosity, who is your favourite BJJ competitor currently active?

All those guys are great. I like Roger Gracie because his Jiu-Jitsu is so basic and precise. Marcelinho Garcia is also one of my favorite guys. He is technical and has a great defense. He of course learned from Fabio Grugel, who has always been one of my favorite guys. I also Xande Rebeiro. His has such great heart and courage on the mat. He is a pleasure to watch.

14. Any closing remarks?

Just that I owe everything I know to my teachers. Without them I wouldn't be here today. Obrigado.

BEIJING: PEDRO SCHMALL

A few weeks ago I asked Pedro Schmall, a Gracie Humaita black-belt who's been treaching across Southeast Asia to answer a few questions about his experience so far. He's currently in Beijing as head BJJ instructor for the AOW fight team. I want to thank Pedro for taking the time to reply along with a number of pictures he's taken during his travels. -Luke

Pedro, could you give us a little background on where you're from and how you got started in BJJ? Who have you studied under and who gave you your black belt? How many years?

I am from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I use to compete in surf tournaments and I never won, it was when I had 15 years old. Many of my friends said to me at this time “you have body type to do jiu-jitsu” (Later I understood that any kind of body type is good for jiu-jitsu). So I was visiting an academy and fell in love immediately. Training twice a day plus my background from my childhood in judo and the fact that at this time only blue belts use to be able to compete, I got my blue belt in 1 month because my instructor would like to see me competing in a youth tournament. I won this tournament, and it was the first thing that I won in my life, and was the first of a sequence. It was in 1989. My first instructor was Fernando Pinduka a black belt under Carlson Gracie that taught me a solid base of the basic BJJ, when I got better and looking for strong partners to train with, I went to study under Carlson Gracie. I had excellent training sessions over there and increase a lot my abilities. After Carlson left to USA some of my friends changed to Royler Gracie academy and they were inviting me to visit there and take a look and feel the vibe there. I visited Royler’s academy once and never more left. Royler taught me a lot of BJJ and gave to me the brown and black belts. So since 1989 until now were almost 19 years of BJJ.

In the last year, you've taught in Bangkok, Taipei and now Beijing. Could you tell us about your experiences in each city? What was the transition like?

I had a wonderful time in these cities and I having it also here in Beijing. I love my time here in Asia. The people that I met on these BJJ academies, in each city, are really nice and I am felling really fortunate do having this experience.

How do you see BJJ in countries outside of Brazil, US or Japan where it is already established?

BJJ is spreading around the world and these three countries have the biggest percentage of people that are doing it. I am here in Asia helping to spread the BJJ bless, because it was a blessing in my life and I believe could be a blessing in everybody lives.

What do you see is as the most important step for BJJ to grow in a positive way in South East Asia?

I think so it is growing in a positive way already and everybody should take care of it keep the politics away and keeping the union inside the community even if you are from other academy or other country. Lets rivalries just to the competitions days, the academies owners should help each other instead try kill each other business.

With your recent move to Beijing, could you tell us about your new position at AOW? How did you get involved?

The company that hired me calls Adoria Entertainments. It has three arms the AOW (Art Of War) that is a MMA show, a MMA Team and the Beijing Brazilian Jiu-jitsu that is a BJJ academy. I am teaching BJJ at the academy and coaching the MMA Team.

What is your daily and weekly schedule like?

I am teaching and coaching the MMA team on mornings and teaching at academies on evenings, Monday to Saturday.

What advice would you give to those just starting BJJ?

Just tell that BJJ is something wonderful and for sure will help you on your life. It is an excellent tool to relive the stress and keep you in shape. But you need to surpass the two firsts phases of your BJJ game when you are a really beginner, the head lock phase and the frustration phase, after that BJJ will be really fun to practice.

Anyone you'd like to thank or say hi to?

You know Brazilians don’t say hi … They send a hug! Hahahah. I would like to send a hug to everybody that I met in Bangkok, Ubon Ratchathani (Thailand); Taipei, Kaoshiung (Taiwan); Jakarta, Bandun, Bali (Indonesia); Beijing (China); especially to Nitti, Ole, Casey, Jon, Yuri and Andy that were whose brought me to those cities and all of my students over there. My best whishes to all, keep training and I hope see everybody on the mats soon! I would like to invite to anybody that is reading this interview to visit my blog at www.learnbjj.blogspot.com and I promise news posts soon with videos. And anybody that wants get in contact just reaches me by email pedroschmall@hotmail.com. Positive vibration for all!

BEIJING: AOW FIGHT TEAM

BALI

BANDUN

BANGKOK