A careful examination of Márcio Andre’s 2016 jiu jitsu campaign. One of the most interesting athletes in our sport’s featherweight division, André is an athlete whose unusual style has captivated thousands of grappling fans.
Rolando Delgado, commonly known as ‘Roli’ Delgado is a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt and grappling pioneer in the state of Arkansas, US where he co-founded the Weside MMA academy. A former professional mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter, Delgado is also known for his work as a jiu jitsu instructor and for his strong influence in the development of the straight ankle lock for sport jiu jitsu in the early 2010 decade.
Hunter Ewald is a Hawaiian grappler of Brazilian descent who is widely regarded as one of the top jiu jitsu competitors of his generation. Having earned the rank of black belt from his father Bruno Xavier Ewald, Hunter earned his reputation as a top athlete in this sport while competing for Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu’s Fight Sports Academy in the lower belt divisions of the IBJJF circuit. There Ewald conquered important medals, including at the World (gi + no-gi) and Pan American (gi + no-gi) Championships.
Mauricio Pereira, commonly known as “Russo” is a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt under Laerte Barcelos, and a former freestyle wrestling standout in his native state of Rio de Janeiro. A strong competitor in the Rio grappling circuit during the 1990’s, Russo is also known for his work as a jiu jitsu referee for both the IBJJF and the UAEJJF – the two biggest federations in this sport.
Darragh O’Conaill is an Irish born Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt under Saulo and Alexandre Ribeiro, being also one of the top middleweights in the European grappling circuit. One of the original competitors in the famous ‘Lloyd Irvin BJJ Kumite’ tournament (2013), O’Conaill is also an EBI veteran as well as an American and European No-Gi champion, additionally to him running the East Coast Jiu Jitsu Academy, one of the most successful jiu jitsu gyms in Dublin – Ireland.
Interview with GracieMag editor and Gallerr founder Luca Atalla, one of the pioneering journalists in the sport of jiu jitsu and a great propeller for the sport’s industry, through his high level content and idea development.
Paulo Caruso is a judo black belt and a former student of Osvaldo Alves in Brazilian jiu jitsu, from whom he earned the rank of coral belt. Widely regarded as one of the top athletes in the sport during the 1980’s, Caruso is also known for his work as a coach, developing the ground games of Olympic judo athletes such as Flávio Canto (who earned his jiu jitsu black belt under Master Paulo) and Rafaela Silva.
André Ushirobira is an accomplished Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt under Robson Moura, with wins in important tournaments such as the Master World Championship, Brazilian National Championship (Gi & No-Gi) and South American Championship. André is also the founder of the Ushirobira Jiu Jitsu academy from where he developed talented athletes such as Fellipe Trovo and Felipe Guria Brava.
In the art of grappling, keeping control of your opponent is not only a key element of the game, but its purpose. Grips are of the utmost importance, but which are the most common hand grips in jiu jitsu? In this piece with give you the top 5 hand grip examples in our sport.
Gareth Dummer is one of the main figures behind Polaris Jiu Jitsu Invitational, one of the biggest grappling events in the world. In this article we go through Gareth’s path in the sport, how he started the event and the future of Polaris.
Jan Buatim is a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt under Leandro Lo, who’s also trained extensively with Pedro Mello. One of the rising stars of the ‘New School Brotherhood’ academy, Buatim became a respected competitor while battling in Brazil’s national grappling circuit, conquering medals in important tournaments such as the South Brazilian Championships, Floripa Open and Brazil National Pro.
Tommy Langaker is one of the hottest prospects in European jiu jitsu today, having many important medals in his cupboard and submission wins over …
Enrico Cocco is a jiu jitsu black belt under Marcos and David Avellan, who specialised in the no-gi facet of the sport, particularly in the American competitive circuit. Cocco was regarded as a grappling prodigy as a teenager, a reputation earned through his repeated victories in adult divisions of local and national tournaments. Enrico Cocco is also the head instructor and founder of Zen Jiu Jitsu, as well as a role model and active spokesperson for the benefits of plant based diets in our sport.
Manny Diaz is an accomplished jiu jitsu black belt under Caio Terra, who also trained extensively with Sandro “Batata” Santiago. Known as one of the top American grapplers of his generation, Manny Diaz’ first caught the attention of the sport’s mainstream media after a brilliant performance at the Copa Podio Middleweight Grand Prix of 2013, where he battled and defeated seasoned athletes while being ‘just’ a brown belt.
Matthew Benyon is one of the main figures behind Polaris Jiu Jitsu Invitational, one of the biggest grappling events in the world. In this article we go through Benyon’s path in the sport, his ideas on professional jiu jitsu and the future of Polaris.
Diogo Almeida is a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt under Everdan Olegário (Mestre Dan), being a product of the famous social project that developed many renowned grapplers such as Almeida, his brothers (Gustavo and Caio) as well as Sérgio Moraes and Guilherme Augusto to name a few. One of the strongest competitors in São Paulo (SP), Diogo is also the co-founder of Almeida JJ, a grappling association with strong ties and affiliates within the SP state.
Outi Järvilehto is an accomplished grappler from Finland, and a black belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu under Demian Maia. One of the top representatives of the Brasa Clube de Jiu Jitsu academy in Europe, Outi Järvilehto earned her reputation by winning important podium placements in tournaments such as the World, European and Finnish National championships.
Much has been written about the effectiveness of BJJ as a self-defense art. The core of the discussion suggests that jiu jitsu’s evolution as …
Rodrigo Pinheiro is a jiu jitsu black belt under Ulisses Paixão, having also trained extensively with legendary coaches/competitors such as Saulo Ribeiro and Royler Gracie. One of the top athletes of his generation, Pinheiro would make a career also as a grappling coach from his San Antonio – TX academy Rodrigo Pinheiro BJJ.
Tiago Pereira is one of the top Brazilian jiu jitsu competitors of his generation, particularly in the Master division, where he earned important titles such as the World Masters and the World No-Gi Championship. Pereira earned his black belt under the illustrious Admilson “Juquinha” Brites, having represented both Gracie Humaitá and the Ribeiro Jiu Jitsu associations throughout his career.
