Roll into the Near Year with a Rear Naked Choke

Leave 2011 in style by rolling into the New Year, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu style, with a rear naked choke on your favorite training partner, best friend, or girl friend. Whatever submission you choose, be sure to show your friends and family you truly care, and that 2012 will bring new choke holds and submissions throughout the year! 

Happy Jiu Jitsu Year! (Or Happy New Year for you non-Jiu Jitsians.) From yours truly, World of Jiu Jitsu.

Wishing you all a happy and prosperous 2012. 

Leandro Lo assassinates Caloquina - Copa Podio de Jiu Jitsu Final

Watch Leandro Lo (Cicero Costha), finish off Claludio Caloquina (Gracie Bara), in the final match of the Copa Podio de Jiu Jitsu (2011). The tournament took place last weekend, and consisted of 10 of the best Lightweight (Leve) Black Belt Competitors in the world. 

Leandro Lo finished the match in less than one minute, by a bow and arrow choke. 

2011 Jiu Jitsu Black Belt Rankings

We have posted our 2011 Jiu Jitsu Black Belt Competitor Rankings on our World of Jiu Jitsu website. Click on the "Black Belt Rankings' link on the main page of the site.

Once on the page, you will be able to select the division (Adult, Masters, Female, or Senior) as well as weight class. The page will filter the results by the black belt with the highest points at the top. You can also use additional filters, such as sorting by the fighters name or team.

2011 Copa Podio GP Results

And the excitement comes to an end in Porto Alegre, Brazil, as we take a look at the results from the 2011 Copa Podio Jiu Jitsu Grand Prix. Ten of the fiercest Lightweight Black Belt Jiu Jitsu competitors battled it out today on the mat to fight for the 1st place trophy.

Leandro Lo - 2011 Copa Podio Jiu Jitsu GP Champion

After 24 vicious matches, Leandro Lo (Cicero Costha) was named the 2011 Copa Podio GP champion. In second place, Caloquinha (GB BH). Congratulations to all of the competitors.

Copa Pódio Jiu Jitsu 2011

2011 Copa Podia Fighters

Just because you are not in Brazil does not mean you should not follow what the Jiu Jitsu fanatics are doing over there. And following MMA just won’t cut it. So, if you haven’t heard about the Copa Pódio Jiu Jitsu tournament happening tomorrow, now would be a good time to catch up and begin to follow.

This will not be your typical single elimination Jiu Jitsu tournament style. There are 2 groups, the yellow group, and the green group. Each of the lightweight black belt competitors in the Copa Pódio will have at least 4 fights, taking on each of their opponents within their group. The top two fighters with the most points in each group will move onto the semi-finals.

Scoring during Group Rounds:
Each match in the first 5 rounds will be six minutes long. A competitor will take 3 points for a win.
Today, the promoters released the table fans can use to count each competitor’s score as they go.
The criteria for a tie-breaker, in order, are the following: 1) the result of the match directly between the two tied athletes, 2) number of finishes, 3) point tally over all matches (points for minus points against), and 4) lastly, advantage point tally (advantages for minus advantages against).

Semifinals & Finals:
Moving onto the semifinals and final matches….These fights will be 10 minutes. Point will NOT be counted during the first five minutes. After five minutes of the match, points scoring will begin. Advantage points will not count for sudden death, only full points.

Take a look at the Copa Pódio lineup below:

1st Round
Green -  Denilson Pimenta  VS  Ed Ramos
Green – Leandro Lo  VS  Moacir Mendes Jr.
Yellow – Bob Esponja  VS Vinicius Marinho
Yellow -  Eduardo Pessoa  VS Leonardo Cascao

2nd Round
Green – Leandro Lo  VS  JT  Torres
Green – Moacir Mendes Jr.  VS  Ed Ramos
Yellow -  Eduardo Pessoa  VS  Caloquinha
Yellow – Vinicius Marinho  VS  Leonardo Cascao

3rd Round
Green – Moacir Mendes Jr.  VS  Denilson Pimenta
Green – Ed Ramos  VS  JT Torres
Yellow – Leonardo Cascao  VS Bob Esponja
Yellow – Vinicius Marinho  VS  Caloquinha

4th Round
Green – Ed Ramos  VS  Leandro Lo
Green -  JT Torres  VS  Denilson Pimenta
Yellow – Vinicius Marinho  VS  Eduardo Pessoa
Yellow -  Caloquinha  VS  Bob Esponja

5th Round
Green – JT Torres  VS  Moacir Mendes Jr.
Green – Denilson Pimenta  VS  Leandro Lo
Yellow – Caolquinha  VS  Leonardo Cascao
Yellow – Bob Esponja  VS  Eduardo Pessoa

Semifinals
First Fight -  1st Place Green Group  VS  2nd Place Yellow Group
Second Fight – 1st Place Yellow Group  VS  2nd Place Green Group

Finals
3rd Place Match – Loser of First Fight VS Loser of Second Fight
FINAL – Winner of First Fight VS Winner of Second Fight

2012 European Open - Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Tournament

Preparations are under way for the 2012 European Open International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Tournament. The tournament will take place in Lisbon, Portugal, and is the perfect setting for an amazing display of Jiu Jitsu technique. The Euro Open will kick off the IBJJF's 2012 season of tournaments. To track the rankings of your favorite black belt Jiu Jitsu fighters throughout the year, visit the World of Jiu Jitsu website. Scores are determined based on each black belt competitors rankings at the International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Opens, Pan American, and Worlds tournaments.

Click here to see an up-to-date competitor list.

Abu Dhabi Pro World Trials - San Diego Results, 2011

Pro Cup in San Diego, 2011

WORLD PROFESSIONAL 
JIU-JITSU CUP 2011
SAN DIEGO TRIAL RESULTS

*GI Adult Male White Belt:
-150 lbs.
 1st Place: GI + Gold Medal = Edward Burbon (Heroes Martial Arts)
 2nd Place: Silver Medal = Kevin Rivera (Undisputed/Purebred)
 3rd Place: Bronze Medal = Carlos Hernandez (Morales BJJ)
 3rd Place: Bronze Medal = Aaron Gonzales Jr. (Arriva Machado BJJ)

-163 lbs.
 1st Place: GI + Gold Medal = Mathew Schantz (Paragon Academy Slo)
 2nd Place: Silver Medal = David Molina (Stronghold/ATOS)
 3rd Place: Bronze Medal = Zack Carney (Gracie San Diego)

-176 lbs.
 1st Place: GI + Gold Medal = Moses Lewis (Lower Valley MMA)
 2nd Place: Silver Medal = Sang Suh (Black House Team Nogueira)
 3rd Place: Bronze Medal = Aaron Steigerwalt (Bjj Revolution)

Jiu Jitsu Black Friday - Bring on the SALES!

Are you looking for some good deals online for jiu jitsu gear? I will try to compile a list of everything I can find here, with links and descriptions of when and where to get started on buying a new gi, or other gear you might need for training. If have one I should add, comment below and I will add it to this post.

BJJSports.com  

30% OFF EVERYTHING, plus free shipping for orders over $200. This sale will end on Monday. Gis, Gear, Fight Wear, Training/Protective Gear, MMA Clothing, Backpacks, DuffelBags.

Atama-kimonos.com

CODE: DRUMSTICK

EFFECT: 25% - Free shipping over $100

Berimbolo Extravaganza Video by Rafael Mendes

This jiu jitsu video features the Berimbolo performed again, again, and again...by Rafael Mendes. 

If you have not mastered this sweep, and do not know how to escape it, you better start working on it! Check out this Berimbolo highlight video for some inspiration.

BJJ - Jiu Jitsu Belts

What are the Jiu Jitsu Belts? BJJ belts typically include the white belt. The Jiu Jitsu white belt is the first belt in JiuJitsu. The belt does not require any prior knowledge of bjj, and is the belt you begin your Jiu Jitsu journey with.

The second bjj belt is the blue belt. The Jiu Jitsu blue belt is typically obtained after 1-2 years of training in Jiu Jitsu. The blue belt represents a solid knowledge of several different basic and intermediate Jiu Jitsu moves.

The third Jiu Jitsu belt is the purple belt. The purple belt is often time obtained after 1-2 years of solid training at the blue belt level. A Jiu Jitsu purple belt has a solid grasp of all of the basic and intermediate Jiu Jitsu moves, and is more advanced with transitions and technique.

The fourth belt in Jiu Jitsu is the brown belt. The brown belt can be obtained in 1-3 years of training as a purple belt. A Jiu Jitsu brown belt is an advanced Jiu Jitsu martial artist, working to obtain his or her black belt. They have a solid knowledge of Jiu Jitsu techniques from nearly every situation that they may find themselves in.

The fifth belt in Jiu Jitsu is the black belt. The Jiu Jitsu black belt is an honor to obtain, and the time to acquire one varies greatly depending upon training and individual skill level.

2011 World No Gi Jiu Jitsu Tournament Results

Congratulations to the IBJJF World No Gi competitors this past weekend. What a great day of no-gi jiu jistu. The tournament was held in Long Beach, California, at the California State University.

Cobrinha - Motivated to Stay in the Game for Good

Have you heard, Cobrinha is back for good? As quoted by Gracie Magazine, he thought he would have no time to train or compete after opening up his school in Los Angeles in 2010. He says that his main motivation to stay in the competitors ring came from his students, and would not let him come with any excuses as to why he should not be getting his time in on the mat. Cobrinha has made great accomplishments in his Jiu Jitsu career, with 4 World and Pan Ams Gold Medals (Gi), and now with 3 No-Gi Worlds Gold Medals, after taking the victory in this year’s 2011 World No Gi competition in California.

World of Jiu Jitsu Technique Videos

For a collection of expertise (and free) Jiu Jitsu technique videos, visit our World of Jiu Jitsu website on our Jiu Jitsu Techniques page.  The page features videos that are organized by the type of techniques you are most interested in.  The best part about it is, you do not have to search YouTube wondering whether the instructor or technique is up to par, since all of the videos on our site have been reviewed to assure they are of the highest quality.

If there are other videos you are looking for specifically, feel free to drop us a line and we will get it up for you. And if you have a technique video of your own that you would like to submit for review to be added to the World of Jiu Jitsu website, post your link on our facebook page @ www.facebook.com/WorldofJiuJitsu. 

IBJJF Miami Open 2011 Results

Female, Blue Belt, Pena - Medals

Stay tuned for a list of results from the 2011 IBJJF Miami Open that took place today, at the MDC Kendall Campus. Clear blue skies set the scene for a beautiful day at todays Brazilian Jiu Jitsu tournament here in Miami....Melissa Bentley (Renato Tavares Academy) and Katy Torralbas (Lloyd Irvin M.A.) battled for the blue belt Feather Weight Gold medal - Melissa slid by with a win of 2-0.




*See IBJJF 2011 Miami Open Tournament Results below.

Inside Marcelo Garcia's 2011 ADCC Victory

In this video, Marcelo Garcia reveals his tricks on how he won the 2011 ADCC.

Marcelo Garcia is certainly a favorite in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu around the world. Known by his friends as 'Marcelinho', a member of trinity BJJ, with Roger Gracie and Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza, Marcelo is a 5 time black belt world champion, fighting at middleweight (163 lbs).

At the 2011 ADCC semi finals, Marcelo was matched up against Kron Graice, who is still looking to receive his first world championship. Kron has been a black belt since 2009, but faces fierce competition in his black belt division. In the match, Kron locked in a very tight guillotine choke. Marcelo even admits to thoughts of tapping, but nonetheless he managed to escape. Marcelo's unique technical skills put Marcelo's skill set in a unique league of their own, in the list of the best of the best in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

Rising Jiu Jitsu Star - Katyanne Klitz - American Top Team

Rising Jiu Jitsu star Katyanne Klitz locks a GOLD medal at this year's Honolulu Open under her blue belt after just 8 months of training. We stopped in for a quick chat with Katyanne to find out more about her, and how she focuses her training to keep her skills polished:

What first interested you about the sport of Jiu Jitsu?
I love sports, and I love staying active. I like to challenge myself in sport, life, work...whatever it is that I do. And once I get started in something and take real interest, I never go half way. I study it, drill it, perfect it. I do not get discourage when things don't work -- I push it, fix it, and move on to the next challenge.

What other sports have you been involved with?
I played soccer my entire life, since I was 4 years old all the way through college. I also enjoy snowboarding and water sports. I am not sure any of these sports necessarily translate into Jiu Jitsu skills, but I think knowing how to train, focus, eat well, and be a team player, help in many aspects of training and preparation.

Would you consider Jiu Jitsu to be a more challenging sport than others?
Jiu Jitsu is definitely physically demanding in a different way than other sports. I think particularly in soccer, I could get away with more mistakes and still play a spectacular game, whereas in Jiu Jitsu each and every mistake is an opportunity for your opponent to capitalize and end the match. Learning to recognize holes and closing the gaps seems like it will be a never ending process, which is why the sport is so addicting.

What do you find most challenging about Jiu Jitsu?
I think the politics of Jiu Jitsu is the most challenging aspect, especially as a newcomer. Also, as a female in the sport, there are additional challenges that you may face with extremes on either side of the spectrum.

Katyanne trains at American Top Team in Florida, and plans to compete as much as possible in local tournaments and upcoming monster tournaments like Mundials and Pan Ams in California. We look forward to catching up with her later on to check in on her progress. Good luck! And happy training. 

Jiu Jitsu Moves & Techniques

If you are looking to learn new Jiu Jitsu moves, you have come to the right place. At the World of Jiu Jitsu, we compile the most crucial Jiu Jitsu moves that you will use from the beginning of your Jiu Jitsu journey, all the way through to the very end.

Jiu Jitsu moves and techniques are the heart and soul to gaining new ground in your Jiu Jitsu game. Whether you are looking to improve your game on top, or looking for technique, moves, or submissions from the bottom, the first place to start when looking to learn new Jiu Jitsu moves is from the specific area you want to work on. For example, you may want to start off learning new Jiu Jitsu sweeps from the bottom. Sweeps from the bottom are a great way to enhance your defensive game, and prepare and execute perfection transition to a top position.

When you decide to learn new Jiu Jitsu moves and techniques, an important tip is to focus on one area or move at a time. This will ensure that you perfect that move before moving on to variations of that move. Jiu Jitsu techniques and moves can vary greatly depending upon who is showing the move. The moves and techniques on the WorldofJiuJitsu.com have all been reviewed to bring you the highest quality Jiu Jitsu technique videos.

WE have divided Jiu Jitsu moves into several different categories on the site, including Chokes, Sweeps, Submissions, Passing Guard, and Take-downs. Each of these Jiu Jitsu techniques and moves areas will explore various options and games that are available to you. You should explore the options and choose the ones that most interest your current style, and move forward from there.

Best Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Match of 2011

Farias (ATOS) takes on Malfacine (Alliance) in the 2011 IBJJF European Open. If you like the berimbolo, this video will be a real treat, with nonstop rolling action from start to finish. With several toe-hold attempts, and a dead even tie in points after 7 minutes into the match (with Malfacine holding one less advantage point at 3 to 4, to Farias), the match goes to the full 10 minute match. This is no doubtingly one of the best Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt matches of 2011. 

What is the best way to recover from intense BJJ training?

Wanderlei Silva in an Ice Bath

I don’t know about you, but pretty much every time I train, afterwards my body feels like it has been hit by a bus. Taking the appropriate steps to let your body recover will have you feeling better in no time, and have you excited for the next Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training session with your teammates.

Step 1: Try to incorporate a cool down in your routine. Whether you walk around, or do a light jog, cooling down keeps your body from retaining lactic acid, which causes muscle stiffness shortly after a sudden stop after intense exercise.

Arm Bar Submission from Full Guard - Video

The arm bar, or arm lock, from guard, is a basic Brazilian Jiu Jitsu submission. There are other positions where arm bars and arm locks are possible. The arm bar video below will show you the BJJ arm lock technique from the full guard. You can use this technique to get your hips warmed up, and drill this move to increase your speed and accuracy for the arm bar submission.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Highlights Video

'I do have a very particular set of skills, skills that I have acquired over a very long career, skills that make me a nightmare for people like you...' - Quote from the movie 'Taken'. Well said Liam Neeson. This Brazilian Jiu Jitsu highlights video is awesome. Love this quote, and love this quote for BJJ.

The Basics - Jiu Jitsu Techniques, Positions, and Moves

Below is a compiled list of some Brazilian Jiu Jitsu moves, techniques, and positions. Even just learning basic terminology can be helpful when training, so that you do not get lost when your instructor is talking. Aside from the heavy Brazilian accents they might have, it can be difficult to follow along with all of the jiu jistu lingo. Even some of the simple BJJ positions and moves may have several nicknames that others fighters have never heard of!