Jiu-jitsu News Archive: October, 2001

Why did you first start training in Jiu-jitsu? Some arrive at the doors to an academy inspired by a hero. Others are driven by insecurity. For some it is necessity, or for a work related reason. Each one of us has his or her own set of goals in mind while training. The current trend in Martial Arts are 'sport' arts. These include the sportive side of Jiu-jitsu, Ho Holds Barred fighting, or anything with rules, rounds, judges or points. In theory, these sportive ways to practice martial arts were a necessity after the end of Japan's feudal period and the establishment of democratic systems worldwide that provided the average citizen with laws protecting them from physical harm. Sport arts give us a way to practice the techniques of our art both realistically and safely on a daily basis. However great they may be, the sport practice of martial arts comes to us as a double edged sword, sometimes creating as many problems as it has solved.

Jiu-jitsu is practiced in it's sport form for a number of different reasons, the first of these would be the reason for it's creation by the founder's of the art itself: promotion. One if the greatest ways to promote any martial art is though public competition. Would you know what Brazilian Jiu-jitsu is if it weren't for the Ultimate Fighting Championship? These promotional events are fantastic for showcasing the techniques of a martial art, but often find themselves 'selling out' on truth due to financial pressures. We are now seeing the development of rules and circumstances that actually hurt the sport that these events were intended to showcase.

As a teaching tool, sport jiu-jitsu is a teacher's best friend. How better to show a strong man the value of being technical than to be faced with a competitor of equal size and technique? Sport Jiu-jitsu also emphasizes an important principle of jiu-jitsu: positional dominance. By awarding point values to positions, a teacher can help a student learn the basic fundamentals of jiu-jitsu quickly with a certain level of enthusiasm that only sport can bring. This way of practicing jiu-jitsu will also inevitably teach a pupil the finer points of sportsmanship such as camaraderie, hard work, dedication, goal setting, self discipline and confidence. While sport jiu-jitsu highlights the importance of position by point values, we mustn't forget the goal once that position is achieved: submission. Many times, a sport jiu-jitsu player will stall the game or play the rules to achieve a victory by points instead of submission. Rickson Gracie has described this as an intelligent but limited strategy.

The methods of jiu-jitsu can only be true if tried. The sport of jiu-jitsu gives a platform for new techniques to evolve and old ones to modify. Through the evolution of sport jiu-jitsu, many new techniques are developed and modified.

One common problem in the martial arts is developing a standard for evaluation within an art. Memorizing prearranged forms and sets of techniques may help a student develop to a certain degree, but will not test a student's ability to actually use the techniques nor will it properly gauge a level of proficiency. By practicing sport jiu-jitsu, whether it be in the dojo or at a tournament, a student will be able to determine the actual level of his technique.

The benefits of practicing jiu-jitsu in a sportive way are numerous, but we mustn't forget the main reason for the existence of jiu-jitsu itself; self defense. Although we may be practicing as realistically as possible in an NHB tournament or balancing safety and reality in a sport jiu-jitsu match, we are still playing under rules that may or may not exist in an uncontrolled situation. You cannot possibly prepare for every situation that may arise, so we must develop not only our techniques, we must cultivate our abilities to improvise and adapt to any situation.

"Our team worked diligently for several months to create a web site that personifies Royler," said David Adiv, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt and Royler Gracie US Representative. RoylerGracie.com offers exciting features, including News, Featured Articles and Interviews, and a Technique of the Month. You are encouraged to subscribe to the Royler Gracie Newsletter to keep up to date on all of Royler's, David's and affiliation happenings. You can even search for a Royler Gracie-David Adiv Jiu-Jitsu Team training academy near you. Thanks go out to YPOINT.com for the design and hosting of RoylerGracie.com.

PRIDE 19 Results

Gaël Coadic and the Bugeï & Grappling International Union/ Machado Jiu-Jitsu France is proud to invite you at the

INTERNATIONAL GRAPPLING OPEN of PARIS.

This event will surely be the greatest grappling tournament ever seen in Europe. The best fighters will come from all over the world (Brazil, USA, Russia, Africa, Tchekolovakia, Holland, Ireland, UK, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Norway... and from all parts of France.

This tournament is open to all styles : Judo, Ju-Jitsu, Wrestling, Sambo, Gracie or Machado Jiu-Jitsu, Submission grappling... and, for the 1rst time, the rules will be Abu Dhabi rules ! Trophies and prizes for the best in each division.

This Great Championship will be organised by Gaël Coadic, Machado Jiu-Jitsu representative, with the help of Kazeka Muniz, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Champion and representative of Carlos Gracie Jr. A Brazilian blak belts team will also be here and there will be several Superfight.

Looking forward to hear from you soon Regards.
G. Coadic
UIBGDA President
Machado JJ Rep.

Caught In A Rumble

Greetings loyal readers. Hopefully this column will see you in time because I'm really pushing it with the deadline. I'm sick as a dog right now, but out of love for you, I press on.

On the tenth of January, I relocated to one of the Holy Cities in NHB lore-Denver, Colorado. Site of the very first UFC and the beginning of organized Mixed Martial Arts competition in North America. It was here that Royce Gracie shocked the world by winning the eight man tournament despite being the smallest competitor; here that Ken Shamrock tasted his quickest defeat; here that Art Jimmerson learned you don't bring a boxing glove to a real fight. It all started here a little over eight years ago…and hasn't been back since.

On January 26th I made my way down to the Fillmore Auditorium on Colfax for the first ever MMA event sanctioned by the Colorado State Boxing and Athletic Commission, dubbed "The Rumble in the Rockies." The promoters were a group called Millennium Sports. The sponsors were too numerous to mention. Tickets were only twenty-two dollars and change if you didn't mind not sitting ringside, but the Fillmore is structured in such a way that almost any seat is a good one.

Now this being my first MMA show ever, not to mention a local one, I wasn't expecting much. Maybe a few tapouts, but mostly Tank Abbott looking guys wailing away on each other until it went to a decision. From the introduction of the fighters alone, I realized how wrong I was. As it turned out, there were only two true heavyweights on the card. Everyone else ranged between 155 and 205lbs. And there wasn't a pitfighter in sight. The fighters were from all over the country, representing everyone from the Machados to Frank Shamrock. One thing was certain: This wasn't gonna be any "Victory In Vegas." The fighters were young, hungry and in good shape. I was giddy as a teenager with a fake ID.

The first of the thirteen (yes, thirteen) matches pretty much set the tone for what was to come. It featured Mississippi's Mike Thompson (4-1) against Denver's own Pat Cross (1-0). It was just as the bell rang that I realized none of the rules had been announced and that no programs had been distributed, leaving me with no idea of who was who or what was what. Anyway, Thompson came out swinging, but Cross pulled guard. There was a brief struggle until Cross caught Thompson in a beautiful triangle/armbar combo. Then things got weird. On the viewscreen in the back of the auditorium as well as with my own two eyes focused on the ring, I clearly saw Thompson tap. No controversy at all. Everyone in the arena saw it. Everyone except the referee. The whole crowd was shouting, "he tapped," but to no avail. The fight continued. Eventually it went back to the feet where Thompson started to dominate, then Cross got in a few good knees. Ultimately, justice prevailed, as Cross caught Thompson in a rear naked, causing him to tap. An exciting first match that both ended in submission and didn't go past the three-minute mark, much to my amazement.

As I said earlier, there were thirteen fights, so I don't plan to detail them all, but there's at least two more worth mentioning. One was the match featuring the Shamrock fighter, which came near the end. I didn't catch the exact names of the fighters and I don't want to chance misspelling them because I hate when people misspell my name. It's times like these when a program would have helped immensely. Now a hard working journo might have stayed after for an interview, but quite honestly, I had to catch the bus or else I was gonna be stranded for who knew how long. In any case, it had the makings of a highly technical fight, both standing and on the ground. I was very impressed with Frank's boy and how easily he seemed to adapt to the different situations his opponent put him in. Then, all of a sudden, they got back on their feet. Frank's guy launches a roundhouse that taps his opponent on the cheek, stunning him momentarily. But that's it. The ref steps in because he's apparently seen enough. It was clear to everyone in attendance that this guy didn't even have the slightest of cobwebs in his eyes, but I guess having that representative from the Colorado Boxing Commission around was more of an albatross than anyone suspected.

The main event featured Benji Raddock versus Eric Duvalier, both weighing in at 170lbs. This fight, though not terrible, paled in comparison to the other twelve fights. It was one of three fights that went the distance (2 Rds.), which is pretty amazing for a twenty-six man card at a mile up in the air. Raddock pulled out the victory based on aggressiveness more than anything.

I hope it doesn't sound like I didn't enjoy this event because I pointed out some of its flaws (i.e. five bucks for a beer!). The ten fights I didn't mention were all amazing, as were two out of the three I had complaints about. The show was well organized, had beautiful ring girls, excellent security, and free stuff (T-shirts, nutritional supplements)! That alone earned my respect. Also there was a touching memorial to local fighter John Mokiao, who recently passed away, and an electrifying forms exhibition by 12 year old Joshua Jergen, both during the intermission. In all, a fantastic show. I happen to know it was taped, though I don't know if it'll be for sale. If so, however, don't hesitate to purchase a copy. I must sleep now. Cheers to my beloved New York and, as ever, keep on rollin'…

HEROES

When starting a new activity, many of us have certain goals that we hope to achieve. For some of us, we want to be like the heroes who inspired us to participate in the first place. Maybe you want to be the Ultimate Fighting Champion or the World Champion of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. Oh, don't tell me you don't daydream! You imagine yourself doing the most amazing throw and almost knocking Mario Sperry unconscious with it. Then, when he slowly rises to his feet in pain, you once again take him to the mat, but this time with a giant scooping double leg that leaves him flailing about, practically begging for mercy. It seems like hours before he finally hits the mat. He butt scoots toward you and feebly attempts a sweep, but it is no match for the dreaded cartwheel pass! As you cartwheel over his mangled body, you latch onto his arm and slide down it like a fireman's pole, landing in the most beautiful armbar ever performed in all of Brazil. When the tapping is over, the crowd rushes to carry you on their shoulders so all the world can see the new World Champion of Jiu-jitsu! Or something like that … well, yours might be a little different. These Heroes are deserving of every bit of respect they get, but what about the other 99% of the Jiu-jitsu community. That's right, 99%. Look around your academy and find the next Royce Gracie. Is it you? Well, we don't all have to be the Ultimate Fighting Champion to be a Hero. The same way an English teacher can change a child's life, we too can have positive effects on the lives of others. It takes smaller things to make bigger things happen. Our everyday actions are the building blocks of not only our future, but our entire character. Through these actions, we may become heroes to some and in the process, set an example for others to follow.

To me, a Hero is someone who achieves greatness by following their dreams and achieving their goals. This month my Hero is a white belt named Jordan Catala. He's not the World Champion of Jiu-jitsu, he's actually my student. But he taught me something. You see, through the pursuit of my dreams and goals, I sometimes forget that it's all relative: what is small to me may be the world to others or vice versa. I have a reward program in place at my school where a student gets a 'star' for good attendance and participation. Jordan came to me after class and asked for his star. I said. "where were you when I handed them out?" He said, " Sorry, I was too busy staring at the scale …. I lost 20 pounds!" He was quite proud of himself, and so was I.

In our pursuit of dreams, let us not forget that it takes smaller bricks to build a big house and that we are all 'small' before we are 'big'.

"My name is Jordan and I'm 25 years old. When I started studying BJJ at NYMAG in Oct. of 2001 I was 220 lbs and a 40 inch waist, I was also extremely out of shape. By Dec. I was down to 205 lbs. and today I am 195 lbs and a 36 inch waist. I highly recommend this art to anyone who is looking to improve their strength, stamina, and appearance."

The art of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu has been growing steadily here in the U.S. over the last few years, but there is still a lack of tournaments on the East Coast. A few people are working to change this and provide properly officiated and organized events. One of those people is Gustavo Machado. I believe his new tournament is a huge step forward for us on the East Coast of the U.S. and hope all of you will do your part in supporting him.

1st Virginia Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation Championship:

Where: Sheraton Hotel Oceanfront in Virginia Beach-VA. Atlantic Avenue between 35th and 36th streets.

The Champions of each weight division will not only win a trophy, but a they will win a trophy+ Myoplex large box + Prizes.

Weight in Schedule

Saturday- Feb.09 at the academy.- From 11:00A.M. until 9:00 P.M. Gustavo Machado Academy. 1933 Virginia Beach Blvd.-suite 101- 23454

Sunday Feb.10 at the Sheraton Hotel - From 7:30A.M. until 9:30 A.M. before the Competition starts.

Weight divisions

white and blue belts
up to 148.0 Lbs (Feather)
148.01 Lbs. - 161.00 Lbs(Light)
161.01 Lbs. - 174.50 Lbs(Midlle)
174.51 Lbs. - 187.50 Lbs(Medium Heavy)
187.51 Lbs. - 201.00 Lbs(Heavy)
201.01 Lbs. - 214.00(Super Heavy)

Purple Belts
Up to 160.00 Lbs.(Light)
160.01 Lbs. - 175.00 Lbs(Middle)
175.01 Lbs. - 190.00 Lbs.(Medium Heavy)
190.01 Lbs. - Over (Heavy)

Open division white belts.
Open division blue belts.
Open division purple belts.

We are going to have an International Combat in our first Super Fight between:

Mauricio Mariano ( Tinguinha )- Brazil
VERSUS
Yasushi Miyake - Japan
This will be a NO GI FIGHT!

Ivan Fanton ( Gustavo Machado Academy )- Brown Belt
VERSUS

Todd Margolis - Brown Belt
This will be a GI FIGHT!

Jared Weiner ( Maxercise )-Brown Belt
VERSUS
Marcelo Cavalcanti - Brown Belt from California
This will also be a GI FIGHT!

Random Acts of Idiocy

Apparently, she was on her way back to work, carrying an armload of books when she came across a relatively normal looking guy with a bag of cans slung over his shoulder. He was ambling down the sidewalk, taking up most of the pavement, so she was forced to squeeze past him, accidentally bumping his back with her elbow. Quickly, she turned around to say 'excuse me,' but that didn't seem to be enough for the guy. He started toward her, cursing and yelling, then proceeded to deck her. He hesitated for a moment, as if weighing whether he should proceed to mercilessly pummel her. Instead, he elected to turn away and proceed down the street, just as slowly, as if nothing had happened.

Did this happen in an alley or late at night on the mean streets of Brooklyn? Nah. It was in broad daylight on a busy street in downtown Los Angeles. The street was full of people, both on foot and in cars and no one stopped to help her. My guess is that they thought it was some kind of couple spat or something and "didn't want to get involved." Or maybe they thought it was part of a movie (it was, after all, L.A.). In any case, despite the fact that my friend had been cold cocked, and despite the fact that the guy was still lunging at her like he was gonna finish her off, the pedestrian wimps just stood around gawking, especially the men. Eventually, when the guy had walked away, three women came over to assist her, saying they'd seen the whole thing and convincing her that she should call the fuzz. She did so, but I'll come back to that in a moment.

As my friend told me the story, I couldn't help but think back to the Kitty Genovese incident during the sixties. It became an indictment on all that was evil and wrong about America in general and New York City in particular. For those of you who've never heard of it, a young dress-maker named Kitty Genovese was on her way home from work one night when she was stalked, raped, and eventually murdered while all of her neighbors either looked on or listened. It was happening downstairs, on the stairs and all around her building, but the neighbors just thought it was "a domestic dispute" or "an exaggeration." She actually, escaped her attacker a couple times, and banged on doors that no one would open for her before the assailant dragged her away again.

The newspapers went wild. Every city in the world now had proof that New York was beyond a shadow of doubt worse than theirs. The mayor was upset. The President mentioned it in a speech. The apathetic neighbors offered paltry excuse after excuse. The police sighed. Citizens groups took to the streets. It was a mess. I wasn't there, but look up the event if you don't believe me. It's probably got the reputation for the worst thing to ever happen in the Big Apple pre-9/11.

Yet here we are, two score years later, doing zip as women get punched right in front of our faces. As much as I hate to ever use this phrase, in the wake of 9/11, I'd expect just a little more. All those inspiring blood drives, vigils, and rescue efforts have now faded away as we settle back down to business as usual. Maybe it's just a west-coast thing. L.A people can be kind of jaded, in my experience, but more likely they were too busy looking pretty. Makes me wanna go pull a Vanderlei Silva on someone…

Anyway, after my friend alerted the local public safety, who detained the guy and then the police, who came to take him away, she felt conflicted. Sure this guy had just busted a knot on her head, but what was hauling him away going to solve? Obviously the guy was a little unbalanced if he thought an accidental bump was worthy of a right cross. Also, it does make sense to hit and run, realizing you're probably gonna get caught, but the guy just turned and walked away, like he didn't have a care in the world. So he'd either: a) Had a really bad day; b) Forgotten to take his pill, or c) Been hittin' the pipe pretty hard. In any of these three cases, this guy was clearly not the sharpest knife in the drawer and probably shouldn't be roaming any streets, BUT what's throwing him into jail for a few months (on a misdemeanor charge) gonna do besides make him more surly and violence prone? Or worse, with the whole "three strikes and you're out" policy out west, he could end up spending the rest of his days in the clink. I know what some of you are saying-"You can't feel sorry for these bastards! Put 'em outta commission!" Unfortunately, I've known or been related to too many of "those bastards" in my life and have a slightly more humane view when it comes to punishment vs. rehabilitation. I was uncertain how to advise her.

It dawned on me then that I really should've taken more time to impart some self-defense knowledge to this friend. Here I am, writing columns about grappling, having studied a couple arts over the years and my friends are walking around unequipped. I honestly feel a little guilty. Granted, most of my non-martial artist friends are completely uninterested in learning jiu jitsu for reasons that I've delineated in my last two columns, but it doesn't mean that I can't show them how to block a punch or kick someone in the nads. This particular woman asked me to teach her how to punch a couple years ago and I showed her a JKD lead punch, but the lesson lasted all of five minutes and there were no heavy bags involved. So here's a tip folks: Don't let your loved ones or friends walk around without at least two or three techniques in the their belt, no matter how resistant they are to the idea. It could save their life.

There was a larger point that I was also trying to get across as well. She was hit. She should have hit back. In a situation where the law proved to be not necessarily the best avenue (the cops actually said to her, "Well, I see your face is a little red where you say he hit you, but there's no blood or anything. Are you sure he hit you?), and no one else seemed too interested in intervening, what else can you do but counter-attack? It's not like there was any doubt (show me the evidence, George). This was clearly an assault with witnesses and no legitimate provocation. When I mentioned this, she told me that she didn't want to act irrationally because the guy was triple her size and could've had a weapon or something. I disagreed. While those were both valid concerns, she still should've hit him back. One good turn deserves another.

It was only after a good night's sleep that my brain kicked in and my martial machismo was suppressed. Of course she did the right thing! The goal of any confrontation is to get to a point where you can walk away, particularly when your opponent has clear or suspected advantages over you. The pressing charges thing is still up in the air, but whether she should've rolled up her sleeves, taken off the hoop earrings, and tied up her hair is not even a subject for intelligent debate. She had to get out of there. The fight was over. He won. Suck it up and survive. Psychos are not to be trifled with…

But that doesn't excuse the hundreds of other chumps who were walking by on that busy street and clearly outnumbered this madman. They could've at least intervened when he went for the second lunge, but no, places to go, people to see. My friend has become more jaded than ever and doesn't even feel safe walking the streets in broad daylight or anything. And of course, all her co-workers jumped up to tell her after they'd heard about it that "oh, those homeless guys are dangerous!" Aside from the odd collection of cans, there was no indication that the guy was homeless. Maybe he was just going to get some cash. I know I take my cans and bottles in every month and will continue to do so even if I become a millionaire.

I would like to hear what all you martial smarties have to say about this one, particularly the women. In fact, I'll probably start a thread about it on the women's forum after this goes up and get some thoughts. If I don't get to it, please feel free to start one before I get there, as I'm anxious to hear some perspectives or even personal stories. Or you can email me. Next time I see my friend, I'm gonna give her a crash course in vale tudo. As for all of you, hope your new year's going well and, as always, I hope you keep on rollin'.

NEW JERSEY STATE GRAPPLING CHAMPIONSHIP

America's 1st Annual New Jersey State Grappling Championship will take place on Saturday, February 9th in Bayonne, New Jersey. The idea is to have State Tournaments across the country; having all these Champions compete at the end of the year in our National event (NAGC). Please note, you DO NOT have to live in New Jersey to compete! Here are the details of this event:

WHEN: Saturday, February 9th (10 AM TO 6 PM)
WHERE: Marist Gymnasium - Bayonne, New Jersey
WHAT: Over 68 Gi & No-Gi Grappling Divisions !
MORE INFO: Kipp Kollar at (860) 635-1867 or Email President@Nagafighter.com
WEBSITE: www.NAGAFighter.com
NO GI DIVISIONS: Use standard NAGA Rules
GI DIVISIONS: Use standard BJJ Rules (adults)

RESOLUTION

It's that time of year again. A new year, dreams and goals, new and old … will you follow the path to success this year? Every year, I know a handful of people standing outside the party, blowing out this sentence along with a stream of smoke, "this is my last pack, man." I think, "uh huh, until you buy the next one." Some of us are a few steps ahead, we have either avoided these vices entirely in the past, or have overcome them already. Although I don't advocate smoking or unhealthy behavior, I was once a victim of … my weak side. That's right, my weak side. Not the tobacco companies or the drug dealers, just me. We all make our own choices in life and I believe the first step past realizing we have a problem is to stop blaming others. If you cannot take responsibility for your actions, then you will never have enough responsibility to yourself and those you love around you to better yourself.

Never let a goal that seems out of reach dissuade you from trying. Personal improvement is not something you ever 'finish'. Once you achieve one goal, that path will lead you to another, and so on. Take your goals one step at a time and strive to make everything in your life as good as you want it to be. I believe that things like the practice of jiu-jitsu help us outline this type of goal setting in our everyday lives. In order to better yourself on the mat, you must constantly self evaluate and strive to improve. You must listen to others and yourself with an open mind and leave room to grow. While the end is nowhere in sight, we can still strive for the stripes and belts in between like rungs on a ladder as we climb our way to our goals. If we apply this practice in our everyday lives, one part will wash the other. If you are eating right, you will be better on the mat, if you are better on the mat, you will be happier at home, if you are happier at home, you will do better work, if you do better work, you will achieve greater success and so on …

I like to have a few immediate goals that might take a month or so to reach and a few long term that somehow connect to the smaller goals. This way, as I achieve the smaller things, they will become a part of the ultimate plan I have for myself. I hope that this year, you achieve your goals and dreams. I hope you find love, fulfillment and success in your lives. Happy New Year!

So What Should We Do?

So last month I commented on a problem that we as grapplers face. This month I'm going to do something unique (for me) and offer up some solutions.

As we all know, outside of the martial arts community, there are a great deal of misconceptions about what we do. A lot of people think we're just repressed homosexuals and others think we're not really doing anything that would be effective in a "real" fight. We show them our UFC tapes, we babble about the high percentage of fights that end up on the ground, but all to no avail. Recently I spoke with a friend of mine who just wouldn't concede the fact that we just might be doing something worthwhile. No matter what, she's stuck on the idea that sweaty men rolling around wearing speedos must be up to no good. I'd exhausted all of my arguments. I brought up everything from Jacob wrestling the angel in the bible to schoolyard brawls always turning into tugging and tussling. She remained unconvinced. Now what?

Well, when all else fails, all you can do is give the non-believers a little sample of what you're talking about. That's when you really have to think on your feet, unless you've really pondered the subject or have a lot of real life experience. What I think works best is having them attack you. Just tell 'em to go for it, using whatever they think will work best. As it's my personal belief that jiu jitsu is the most effective art at neutralizing an attack, this is when we have to shine. Now, as anyone knows, the quickest way to end a fight (against a guy, at least) is to go for a groin shot. Chances are, they'll opt for this strategy. If they don't, suggest it to them. Sure, if they're your friend they'll be hesitant, but you just have to start insulting them or slapping them in the head and sooner or later, that groin-shot is coming. Be aware: There's nothing fun about a blow to the bollocks, so you'd better look sharp and pay attention to what they're doing.

Here comes the kick. You pivot and snatch the leg, hoist them in the air and slam (softly, of course). Quickly, you transition from side control to north-south to cross-mount to mount, all before they can register what's going on. Why all the unnecessary motion? Well, you want to overwhelm them. Remember, this person thinks you're full of it. After that, you tell them to try to get you off of them and you, being the great grappler that you are, keep them on the floor in despair, raining punches on their skeptical face…well, let's not get carried away.

That's one scenario. Another is a lot less dangerous and perhaps an important lesson. Here's what you do. You lie on your back and tell the person to try to achieve a dominant position. This could be a good anti-rape scenario or even good exercise for what to do if you've accidentally fallen (and can't get up). Assuming they're not Sakuraba, they probably try to dive on you or something. This is when it's time to work that guard magic Royce taught us so well. Let them come down on you and pull them to guard. Hip shift a lot to gain distance and disorient them, then apply one of your many guard submissions with lightning speed. You've got your armbars, your triangle chokes, your omo platas, your guillotines, your escapes, whatever. Just show them how much defensive ability you have from your back, letting them know the fight ain't over just 'cause you happened to trip over a chair leg.

A third and favorite scenario is to tell them to put on a jacket or coat of some kind. Suddenly, you'll thank your instructor for forcing you to wear that cumbersome and sweaty gi all those times. Face off with them as if you were ready to duke it out and then snatch a sleeve to pull them in close. Next, grab a collar and bring them even closer, until your body is smothering their movement. Once you feel you're close enough, tie some knots around their neck with that favorite jacket of theirs and make them gag for air, either from behind or by bringing them down. Or, simply pull them down into a guillotine or rear naked while they're still fumbling to remove their zipper from their nose. The possibilities are limitless…

Note: I'm not suggesting any of these techniques as viable self-defense maneuvers, as I'm not qualified to do so. However, when you're dealing with a skeptical pal who has no ability whatsoever (or maybe just a few years of Tae Kwon Do) these little ditties may do the trick for some good fun. If you really want to see some nice techniques, check out our illustrious webmaster Gene Simco's BRAZILIAN JIU JITSU STUDENT HANDBOOK-"The Master Edition" (now on-sale) or any of the other texts that may be out there. The point is this: Sometimes words just aren't enough. As long as you're careful with what you're doing, you can shut some naysayers mouths and have a little fun while you're at it. It could be a good Christmas/Hannukah/Boxing Day/Kwanzaa gift for both yourself and someone else this season. And, as ever, keep on rollin'…

Ultimate Wrestling present New Blood

2001 one saw Ultimate Wrestling grow from local show to a national leader in the Mixed Martial Arts Game.

February 1st will be our first show of the year. What new amateurs with climb to the top ranks? How will last years young guns adapt to being top dogs? How will the Champions defend their title and which challenges will rise up to take the gold? One thing is not in question; Ultimate Wrestling in 2002 will be the hottest show in the nation.

We have the greatest fan's, we have the top fighters, competing in the best matches. We grow each and ever show.

Those who want to fight should contact Brad Kohler. Visit Ultimatewrestlingonline.com for more information. You can call the number on the web page to apply.

CAMP QUANTUM 2002

I am so very excited…CAMP QUANTUM is here! Over the years I have struggled to bring the best of the best instructors to visit my students at the University of California Santa Cruz and my Quantum Jujitsu® branches nationwide. I have found through my personal travels that learning Martial Arts from people of different styles is key to the development of a true Warrior. It is our duty as Martial Artists to look outside the box and contribute to the evolution of the Martial Way. As my good friend and mentor Professor Wally Jay say's, "If we are not learning we are dieing". It is our personal responsibility to push the envelope.

In this spirit of evolution I am proud to present to you and all of the Martial Arts community…CAMP QUANTUM 2002!

It is my hope that you will support my attempt to contribute to the education and development of our Martial Arts community. For this years camp I have scheduled two very special instructors who have both greatly contributed to my personal Martial development. This year I have chosen Professor Wally Jay and Mr. Frank Shamrock.

Professor Wally Jay is a living treasure of the Martial Arts. He has permanently transformed the way we approach our training. With the mind of a Scientist and the heart of an artist, Prof. Jay brings effortless power and beautiful simplicity to our technique.

Mr. Frank Shamrock is a professional fighter and multiple time Ultimate Fighting Champion who has helped Submission Fighting to become recognized as a world-class sport. Mr. Shamrock is a technical and thorough instructor who can triple your power and effectiveness within a single instructional seminar.

So here is the bottom line…I am personally asking you and your students to support CAMP QUANTUM 2002! I have made the training and accommodation fees extremely affordable. I appreciate your support and look forward to seeing you at CAMP QUANTUM 2002. Join the evolution…

CAMP QUANTUM 2002

CAMP QUANTUM is coming! This is a dream rapidly becoming a reality. May 25th and 26th of 2002, everybody should plan to visit the UCSC campus for two exciting days of Martial and Healing Arts training. Do not miss this event!

CAMP QUANTUM will be concluded with the Black Belt Examination of Apprentice Instructor Justin Ray followed by a Dinner Banquet and Capoeira performance.

Kids 12 and under can attend for free but must be supervised by an adult. Those participants who wish to observe must pay the full entrance fee. The Black Belt Ceremony is free of charge.

LOW BUDGET ACCOMMODATIONS

To reduce cost and avoid the Memorial Day hotel squeeze...For a cost of only $10 per night participants will be able to lay out a sleeping bag and spend the night on the padded Dojo floor. The Dojo Hostel will be available on both Friday May 24th and Saturday May 25th. Full shower and Bath accommodations will be provided for both men and women. Guests will have full use of Olympic size swimming pool and wellness center...you can't beat this price!

General Price - For Non-Members of Quantum Jujitsu®

Workshops $99
Hostel on Friday Night 5/24/02 $10
Hostel on Saturday Night 5/25/02 $10
Dinner Banquet With Capoeira Performance $20
Restoration Massage Fundraiser (1hr during lunches) $25

Members Price - For Members of Quantum Jujitsu® Only

SCHEDULE OF INSTRUCTION

9:00am - 9:30am CAMP QUANTUM REGISTRATION & ORIENTATION
9:30am - 9:45am CAMP QUANTUM OPPENING CEREMONY
10:00am - 10:45am WARRIOR YOGA® with SENSEI JEREMY CORBELL
11:00am - 12:30pm SUBMISSION FIGHTING with MR. FRANK SHAMROCK
12:30pm - 2pm LUNCH - Restaurants on Campus
Restoration Massage Fundraiser limited space - 1hr for $25 - first come basis
2:00pm - 3:30pm SUBMISSION FIGHTING with MR. FRANK SHAMROCK
3:45pm - 5:00pm SMALL CIRCLE JUJITSU® with PROFESSOR WALLY JAY

9:00am - 9:15am CAMP QUANTUM OPENING CEREMONY
9:30am - 10:15am WARRIOR YOGA® with SENSEI JEREMY CORBELL
10:30am - 12:30pm SMALL CIRCLE JUJITSU® & QUANTUM JUJITSU® with PROF. WALLY JAY & SENSEI JEREMY CORBELL
12:30pm - 2:00pm LUNCH - Restaurants on Campus
Restoration Massage Fundraiser limited space - 1hr for $25 - first come basis
2pm - 4:30pm JUSTIN RAY'S BLACK BELT EXAMINATION
4:30pm - 5:00pm CAMP QUANTUM CLOSING CEREMONY
7pm - 9pm DINNER BANQUET AND AWARDS

FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO...

Submission Grappling has been added to the Can Am Police and Fire Games.

The Games will be held in Spokane, Washington State, July 15-23 2002. Over 3000 Police and Fire Fighters from Canada and the U.S. compete in 50 different events. Go to www.Arrestling.com to see the Submission Grappling Rules. Please forward this info to any Police Officers or Fire Fighters you train. Spouses of these officers may also compete in the games.

The Ten Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Moves Every Cop Should Know

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu burst onto the scene in America when a quiet, good-looking Brazilian named Royce Gracie shocked the martial arts world by winning the first Ultimate Fighting Championship in a seemingly effortless fashion.

What the rest of the world didn't know is that the Gracie family had been developing this art for the past 75 years in Rio de Janiero. What's become known as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) proved to be a dominating factor in mixed-martial arts tournaments throughout the 1990s'.

The public safety sector picked up on its success and now agencies such as the FBI, DEA, and LAPD and various elite groups of the military including the Rangers, Delta Force and Marines have included the techniques of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in their curriculum.

"With this you are able to survive long enough for help to get there," says Pat "Hawk" Hardy, long-time law enforcement officer and current assistant district attorney and criminal investigator for Jasper County, Texas. "The thing that makes it great for law enforcement is that it's easy to learn, you don't have to be super athletic and it is effective."

Hardy should know what he is talking about - he has 35 years of martial arts experience with a national full-contact karate championship title won in 1975. In 1977 he fought for the world full-contact karate title.

"What I like about Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is that it's easy to do," he says. "Most of your criminals out there have plenty of time to workout and get strong, a lot more time than you or me with a family and trying to make a honest living."

BJJ Reduces Injuries, Claims

According to Sgt. Greg Dossey of the Los Angeles Police Department, the adoption of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu into its arrest and control curriculum is good for LAPD officers, arrestees and the community. LAPD now has a curriculum that consists of ground techniques based on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, as well as the traditional joint locks and "pugilistics" or striking techniques.

In the first two years the techniques were introduced, Dossey says there was a 19 percent reduction in injuries to arrestees and a 8.5 percent reduction in injuries to officers. There was a 13 percent reduction on excessive force claims against the department and a nine percent drop in civil actions filed against the city.

He says 6,400 officers have been through the 40-hour program and they receive continuing training three times a month as well as bi-annual divisional training and an annual recertification.

"We don't try to make them the world's most skillful grappler," says Dossey, "but we definitely give them enough skills to develop confidence on the ground."

He attributes a 24 percent decrease in the use of force reported in all arrests to that increased officer confidence.

Advantages for Public Safety Personnel

The reality-based techniques and the emphasis on controlling the subject makes Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu perfect for public safety personnel. The techniques put you into a position where your opponent cannot strike you, but you could, if you chose to, strike him. This gives officers and public safety workers an option to increase the escalation of force. The techniques also allow a smaller officer to wear out a larger and more aggressive subject. The techniques do not rely on pressure points for pain compliance. The bulk of the techniques center on joint locks and carotid restraints. This means that the officer does not have to be stronger than the suspect, they only have to be stronger than the suspect's weakest point - usually his elbow, shoulder, ankle or neck.

The techniques are relatively easy to perform and are quickly picked up by students. In fact, we've had students with as little as two training sessions report using the techniques successfully in securing an arrest. The responses of opponents to the techniques and strategy of BJJ practitioners are amazingly predictable, allowing skilled practitioners to appear almost magical in their ability to maneuver the subject.

Many martial artists and defensive tactics instructors tell their students to "never go to the ground" with a subject because of the dangers to be found there. However, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners aim for the exact opposite outcome - their goal is to always take the fight to the ground. Both LAPD statistics and the Gracie family assert that between 65 to 85 percent of altercations eventually end up on the ground anyway. The Gracies have made a career of training to live and feel comfortable in the position which has the greatest probability of occurring. Conversely, when you stand up in an altercation, the variables for you concerning distance, weapons, strikes and movement are theoretically infinite. Unfortunately, the momentum of any fight can be reversed instantly by your opponent when he lands a lucky punch or kick, but on the ground everything slows down and the opponent cannot generate much force behind his strikes.

The Clinch

The most dangerous distance in any altercation is kicking and punching range. Unfortunately, most social interaction is done within punching range. The BJJ practitioner wants to either be all the way outside of hitting range or all the way inside of hitting range. Therefore, most often the BJJ practitioner will close the distance between himself and the opponent to the clinch, which controls the subject and limits his punching and kicking ability. Often an attacker is surprised when you close with him instead of backing up which is what most people do when attacked.

To safely close the distance into the clinch, you must get your head against the opponent's chest which puts you inside of his punching range, effectively negating his punches.

Now I have control of the subject with one arm around his waist, which I can secure by holding his belt or clothing. This should be my gun arm. I can release my hold to either protect my sidearm or to draw it as needed. With my other arm I am trapping his arm under my armpit and holding the back of his elbow to hold it and use it as a shield for my own face.

Finally, I am controlling his leg closest to me to limit his movement and to protect against a knee to the groin.

The Rear Takedown

Often, the next move from the clinch is the rear takedown, but this takedown can also be effective when used during a standard search with the subject against a wall or vehicle.

The Mount

The mount is one of the trademark positions of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The position allows you to control your opponent with a minimum of effort by using your body weight. Opponents often exhaust themselves trying to desperately to escape this position. You also have the advantage of being able to strike your opponent, but they have very little leverage to strike you.

The Back Mount

This is exactly like the mount with the exception that you are astride the suspect and he is face down. You will find yourself in this highly advantageous position a surprising number of times when you start mounted on an opponent as in #3 above. In their effort to escape, almost everyone rolls onto their stomach. Relax the grip you have with your knees when you are mounted and allow them to roll onto their stomach -- it's a better position for you to begin cuffing anyway. Wrestlers are especially susceptible to this since they have trained to stay off their backs.

The Closed Guard

Conversely, the BJJ practitioner stays on his back to control you with his legs in the closed guard, a position that the Gracies are particularly adept. It is primarily a defensive position, but allows you to control a suspect that has overpowered you.

Hold him here until the cavalry arrives. Be cognizant of your weapon. You can keep him from reaching it by either holding his arm tight under your armpit or using your knee in his bicep to push his arm away from your holster.

The Kimura

Used as either a weapon-retention technique or an armlock when you have the suspect in your guard, this move is not named by the Gracies, but many BJJ circles call it the "Kimura" after a Japanese judo champion.

Now that you have the suspect controlled and his arm bent behind his back, you have the option of holding him until backup arrives or you can continue to scoot out from under him and begin cuffing him.

The Open Guard

If the suspect is too large or too strong to contain in your closed guard, you will need to switch to an open guard to push him back.

If he reaches for your weapon, be prepared to pull him into your closed guard and perform the Kimura noted above.

The Cross Side

This is another major BJJ position that uses body weight to control the opponent.

Be aware of your weapon. The accompanying photo shows the officer with his gun side toward the suspect's head. (All of the photos were shot with the officer on the left for continuity.) It would be preferable to cross side the suspect on the other side so that the officer's weapon is closest to the suspect's hip and out of reach of either hand.

The Knee Mount

It is important that you put almost all of your weight onto his stomach. Primarily this is to use your weight to anchor the opponent, but also it is so your pivot point is centered directly over his body. Your other leg simply provides the balance needed to keep from falling.

If you feel yourself beginning to lose the position, simply push your knee all the way across his stomach and assume the mount position.

The Rear Carotid Restraint

This is one of the major submissions used in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. While many police departments are placing severe limitations on the use of carotid restraints, BJJ practitioners have been using them with great success for decades without producing lethal results or even serious injury. The key is to apply the technique correctly.

An incorrect, but often too common, neck restraint puts too much pressure directly on the suspect's trachea.

"In all my years of martial arts and law enforcement, I've never seen anything like BJJ," says Hardy. "It is a great equalizer, as important to an officer as having a pistol."

RITC XXXII - Moved to Saturday Night ( Dec 15 )

RITC XXXII has been moved from Wednesday night ( Dec 12 ) to Saturday night ( Dec 15 ). This new date should make our final show of the year more fan and fighter friendly.

We're busy trying to line-up a Super Main Event for RITC XXXII. Details will be released when they are finalized.

Tickets for RITC available at the Celebrity Theatre Box Office ( 602-267-1600 ) or at Ticketmaster ( 480-784-4444 ). For additional information, please call 480-446-8127 or visit www.rageinthecage.com

Sex, Lies and Grappling

So I'm at this party the other night. It's a pretty cool scene. A lot of intelligent people, a few attractive ones--and just enough booze to get me in the mood for conversation. As one of the more attractive party-goers was talking, I picked up that she was Brazilian. Naturally, being the ever-inquisitive BJJ journalist, I asked her if she knew of the Gracies and jiu jitsu and what the perception of both was in Brazil. There was a moment of confusion (mostly because of my improper pronunciation of key Portugese words), but eventually she realized what I was talking about. Here's how it went:

Needless to say, I walked away feeling just a trifle embarrassed. So it turns out all us grapplers/MMA enthusiasts are skinheaded gay guys who rank slightly lower on the totem pole of importance than "Stone Cold" Steve Austin...at least in the eyes of Ms. Brazil. Certainly not winning any points in our sex lives and probably not with law enforcement either. So here's a tip for anyone heading down to Rio to pick up beautiful women when Carnival rolls around--don't get smug and tell her you're a BJJer right off the bat. While you're standing there dumbfounded about why she's bowled over laughing at you, the unblemished young soccer players will have come in and snatched all the worthwhile samba partners.

But seriously, how many times, regardless of gender, have you been called gay for being a grappler? If you're a woman, it's thought of as too manly. If you're a guy, it's thought of as too intimate. Wrestlers get grief, but not a tenth of what we get (no guards). And what if you are gay and you're a grappler? If you ever came out, just think of how quickly your sparring partners would disappear. This is the most intimate sport out there. Wrestling is close, but there's enough escaping and shooting and slamming for practitioners to justify their "manhood." Jiu jitsu is all about the ground. Ninety-nine percent of the people I've tried unsuccessfully to get into grappling have refused because they thought it was too "gay." First of all, this is blatant homophobia. The idea that two men can't be in close contact without one of them having an erection is based on sheer ignorance and a refusal to acknowledge one's own insecurity regarding their sexuality. Secondly, I find that, generally speaking, grapplers are among the most secure people you'll find when it comes to their sexuality. They take great care at being in tune with their bodies and knowing how to operate in close proximity with someone of the same sex without it having carnal undertones. As anyone who rolls knows, gettin' freaky is the dead last thing on your mind when you're on the mat, regardless of what team you're batting for. Is the reverse true when you're in the bedroom? Well, that's your business...

The sad truth is that we'll never be able to cast off this image. Not unless our society moves in leaps and bounds toward tolerance of people's differences and individual sexual security. A lot of people are afraid to be put in a ground situation because they're afraid they might like it too much (no joke, I've actually heard it said). And I suppose they might have a valid argument as I've always found it IMPOSSIBLE to teach girlfriends how to grapple. In any case, it doesn't matter how many ring girls in skimpy swimwear we parade around our octagons, or how much we try to explain that street fights almost always go to the ground, people are still going to myopically rib us every chance they get. If this has been around in Brazil for eighty years and the citizenry still thinks we're just having porno exhibitions, then I imagine here in the grand old U.S. of A., where being called "gay" remains the worst fear of any high school age kid (regardless of whether it's true or not), the recruitment drive is going to be an uphill battle. One thing's for sure: Shaving our heads and destroying parties is not going to help anyone's image, sexual or otherwise. And sorry Zuffa, but hiring Carmen Electra ain't gonna do it either. I suppose the best we can hope for is finding mates who will truly take the time to understand. I wish I knew how old Carlos did it. I'm anxious to hear your thoughts on this one. Email me or write about it on the forum. And, as ever, keep on rollin'...

Finding a Legit Instructor

In my time working for this site and moderating the forum here, I have had many people ask me this question: "How do I know if my instructor is for real?". Well, let me start this whole thing off by saying this only counts for Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. There are hundreds of styles of Jiu-jitsu from Japan and everywhere else and probably even more grappling schools and associations that have nothing to do with one another. So, if you are looking for a grappling school or Judo, you'll have to research the credentials of the instructor in question through other sources. Some teachers may have studied Judo or wrestling and combined it with some BJJ or Sambo and gone off on their own to start a grappling school. Some of these Grappling schools are ok, as long as they are honest, the same goes for the 'Jiu-jitsu' schools. Some Jiu-jitsu schools are Black Belts in a Japanese style of Jiu-jitsu (jujitsu, jujutsu) and decided to add a few ground moves, study some BJJ and presto, they are a Jiu-jitsu Black Belt and kind of let their students assume it's BJJ they are learning. Honesty is the key here - if your instructor is straight up about his rankings and training history, you're all set, make the decision for yourself. If you want to learn Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, my suggestion to you is to learn it from someone who is, trains with, or is directly connected to a Brazilian Jiu-jitsu BLACK BELT. Be careful, though - some people may recommend that you roll with the instructor to see if he beats you. Of course he will beat you, anyone who has a year or so of grappling can do that to a new guy. Check his credentials and make sure they line up. Ask if he has his black belt in BRAZILIAN Jiu-jitsu, if the answer is yes, then ask where it came from.

When can someone start teaching, then? When a Black Belt approves it. Generally, I don't really agree with Blue Belts teaching BJJ away from the constant supervision of a Black Belt. Filling in for a class here and there is ok, but to be running a school at this level and out on your own for month at a time doesn't work. Purple belt is an acceptable level to start teaching, but only with a black belt's approval. Not only is the approval of a black belt important, but it is also important that the instructor continue his/her training - not only to become a black belt himself, but to learn how to teach as well. If the instructor isn't learning, how will the students grow? Teaching is a skill all by itself, having a black belt doesn't make you a good teacher automatically. Under the level of black belt, purple and brown belts may teach, but cannot give belts. Only a black belt can give a student belts, and getting a black belt must be approved by one of the major federations in Brazil.

Another true test of an instructor's credentials may be to ask for his federation card. Some instructors claim to have competed in Brazil. When you compete in any major tournament in Brazil, you must be a part of the federation running it, when you join, they give you a card. Some of the more organized BJJ tournaments in the United States are starting to do that now. There is more than one federation for Brazilian Jiu-jitsu in Brazil, but I know that the Confederation run by Carlos Gracie Jr. (responsible for the Mundial) has a registry of all Black Belts world wide. Each Black Belt is given a certificate and certificate number. The only problem with this is that there are certain instructors that may belong to other smaller federations and this method will also not include instructors teaching under the level of black belt.

The sure-fire method? Ask around. The community is still small enough that you can get on the forum here at JIU-JITSU.NET and ask. I asked Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Black Belt, Roberto 'Maguilla' Marques for a few tips outside the certification checking and paperwork, here's what he said:

"#1- Who gave the Belt - has prove this person really did this - Pics, Certification sign, Other Legit Black Belts making the statement, "I saw the Person give him his belt at the day."

"#2- To get a Belt is not that difficult - some people have the money to buy one, BUT, has this Black Belt put his ass to the test in competition, street fight records, or received good comments from other legit Black Belts.

"#4-A lot Black Belts call themselves "Expert" - look in USA today and you'll find a lot BJJ Experts. Well now besides wrote good letters & talk smooth, what else do you do for the Art? BJJ is a Real style so in order to be real and accepted in the community you should test yourself. Because of this we have hundreds of Black Belts, but not the all receive good recognition from the BB community."

Sao Voce Gato?

We all know that Brazilian Jiu-jitsu is the hardest martial art to get a belt in. This is something that I, like many other BJJ instructors are proud of and a tradition we all continue, but when are we going too far?

In Portuguese, the word "Gato" means cat. This is also a slang term used to describe jiu-jitsu players who 'sandbag', or fight below their actual level. In Brazilian culture, sports are very important, sports and winning go hand in hand. It's simple, instead of challenging yourself by taking the promotions when you deserve them, you can 'hide' and stay at the same level. If you've been a blue belt for ten years, you will definitely have the upper hand when fighting someone who has been a blue belt for one year. Some teachers do this to make their academies look better, some students hide from promotion to collect medals and trophies. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm all about taking the time I need to 'deserve' my belt, that's not what this is about. It could take a few years to go from blue to purple belt. I've seen the process take two to five years on average. If you ask me, five years is a little on the long side, especially if the student has been actively participating in tournaments and regular training sessions. So let's say, for example, you have student A who has been practicing jiu-jitsu for seven years, five of which, he has been a blue belt, and has participated in twenty tournaments in that time. Student B has been training for three years and has been a blue belt for two with five or six tournaments under his belt. Is this a fair match? Student B would have to possess some serious natural talent to overcome the advantage. This shouldn't make student A's academy look any better either. Like I said before, I believe in holding the belt a little, but this is a little ridiculous. It's good for the quality of the art to keep the belts special so they always mean something, but here is where it hurts the sport a little and will most certainly discourage students who are new to the sport.

There are also instances where people will come from Brazil and compete in tournaments, fighting one belt below their actual level. I won't mention any names, but recently in a local tournament, I saw a purple belt from Brazil fighting in the purple belt division. He either got 1st or 2nd place. Everyone was remarking about how good he was. I asked a friend of mine who is from the same neighborhood in Brazil as this 'purple belt' about him. My friend said "purple belt?, I just taked to ________ (Jiu-jitsu instructor from that town), he said he got his brown belt months ago!". If you are a teacher, it might be beneficial for you to have a high rank coming from Brazil. Some people from Brazil have no intention to teach, so it is not beneficial for them to challenge themselves.

Should we develop a point system for belts? One reasonable answer might be the institution of a points system for sport jiu-jitsu players, since this is the only time the color of the belt really matters besides teaching. Let's say a total of 16 points is needed to get to each belt: you would need 16 to get from white to blue, a total of 32 to get from blue to purple (the 16 from white to blue would all count toward this), another 16 to get to brown, then another 16 to get to black (64 points total). The point system would work both ways, someone possessing 16 points could no longer wear the white belt, he or she would have to move to blue. Points would be given for tournament participation: 4 points for a first place win, 3 points for 2nd place, 2 points for 3rd and 1 point 4th or below. Of course, these would have to be sanctioned tournaments so the level of competition is up to par. Instructors could develop their own standards for awarding points to students who are less interested in competing based on class participation, instruction, and attendance. Obviously, there will be cases where a student may have a learning disability or handicap that will force us to bend the rules slightly, but these cases are rare.

This does not only occur within the ranks, but also within the ages. Some instructors will let children lie about their ages to compete in a lower division. This is not only unfair, but it teaches kids poor character and sportsmanship. The same kind of 'cheating' can be seen in the Master and Senior divisions.

There is a balance between quality control and challenging students and it is each instructor's responsibility to the art of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu to know it.

Carlos Machado will be a guest instructor and referee for the upcoming ISCF submission grappling tournament to be held in Greenville SC on Nov 10, 2001. Details: http://www.ironheartpromotions.com

The seminar will be held on Friday night Nov 9, before the day of the tournament, and will be from 7:30 pm until 9:30 pm for the cost of 40.00 per person. The seminar will cover no-gi competition strategies and techniques. For participants that are staying at the Phoenix Inn (our host hotel), there will be a shuttle provided to the location of the seminar. The shuttle will depart at 7 pm. For those that choose to go straight to the Seminar location - it will be held at Ray Thompson's Upstate Karate 129 N Main St , Simpsonville, SC 29681.

Also, it has been brought to our attention the existance of another mixed martial arts promotional company with a similar name. We are in no way affilated with Ironheart Crown Productions. We are in the process of possibly changing our url and company name. I'll notify everyone when this occurs.

RITC XXXI - The Triumphant Return

Rage in the Cage XXX on September 26 was the first RITC event sanctioned by the Arizona State Boxing Commission. This show turned out to be the best night of fights in Rage in the Cage history. The fan approval rating for the last event is running at an all-time high of 98% !!!

We're busy putting together an exciting card for RITC XXXI on November 7. The first details of this show will be released approximately 2 weeks prior to the event.

Royce Gracie has left the Gracie Academy. Following Caique's departure earlier this year, Royce has gone out on his own to start a new clothing line and seminar tour.

Sportfighting Championships

This article originally appeared in New Zealand's "Fight Times Magazine" June/July 2001.

OLEG TAKTAROV - THE RUSSIAN STAR of 15 MINUTES

Oleg Taktarov was born in 1967 in the USSR's remote Siberian town of Arzamas-16, before his family moved to Gorky, an industrial centre and Russia's third-largest city.

Oleg's father, a construction worker, wanted his son to become involved in sport, and so took him to a gymnasium at the nearby city of Sarov, with the intention of enrolling Oleg in ice hockey or weightlifting. But the twelve-year-old Taktarov had other ideas after observing athletes practising judo.

At first it appeared his father would have his way because the Sarov judo division had a policy of not accepting people from outside their city, but the instructor was impressed by the bright and well-mannered Oleg, and took him under his wing.

"I liked judo and stuck with it. Then I found that there were similarities between judo and sambo (Russian unarmed self-defence system), and as Sarov was the only sambo gymnasium specializing in leg locks, I decided to compete in both styles," says Taktarov.

Surprisingly, the intelligent and soft-spoken Oleg intended becoming a scientist. He hadn't planned to make a career of grappling. But in the former Soviet Union it was mandatory for all male youths to serve a minimum of two years in the military.

Prior to entering the army, Taktarov competed against two men - one, his training partner - for a place in the military's sporting division. During the last bout, his adversary applied an ankle lock to Oleg.

"He had a good lock on my ankle, and I heard the ligaments pop, but I couldn't submit because the competition was too important to me. There were two other guys in my weight category and only one position in the army's sport division, so I had to win. I threw him and he fell on his head and couldn't continue," says Taktarov.

Oleg went on to serve his time as a self-defence instructor, which included training an elite sector of the KGB in unarmed combat and counter-intelligence for three years.

During this period Oleg suffered severe stomach pains and reported to his superior officer. The officer ignored Oleg's plea for medical attention and ordered him back on duty.

"He was the kind of guy who shouldn't have been there," understates a cool Taktarov.

The young soldier decided to go AWOL and travelled to a nearby hospital where a doctor successfully removed Oleg's appendix, informing his patient that he would have died if he'd waited another fifteen minutes.

After completing his national service, Oleg travelled with another martial artist to the republic of Latvia for a no-rules tournament.

"My friend and I were at a car yard and he was going to buy a car. The Latvian special police didn't like us because we were speaking Russian, and decided to throw us in gaol. But some of the organizers were looking for us, and luckily they found us, so we were released fifteen minutes before the competition started, which meant we had no time to warm up."

Four times Oleg won the European and Asian jiu-jitsu Championships, and twice won the World Sambo Championships.

"At the age of twenty-six I was undefeated and had won everything I could at the time. So I travelled to the United States with the intention of becoming an actor, but I found that it wasn't easy to get started in the movies, so I decided to fight because I had to think about an income and improving my English."

On November 12, 1993, the first Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) were held in Denver, Colorado, where fighters from all martial arts codes were invited to compete for a purse of US$50,000, in a no-holds-barred elimination tournament billed as being, "not for the faint-hearted". The show-down was held inside the eight-sided ring, known as The Octagon, that measures 32 feet across, and is surrounded by a five-foot-high chain fence.

In April, 1995, Oleg entered UFC 5 in Charlotte, North Carolina, billed as "The Russian Bear".

"It (the title) sounds alright to me now, but before.....I was called this by the manager I had then, who was from Texas. He thought that Texas was the capital of the world," laughs Oleg. "He didn't know any other places existed. He just knew that Russia had bears and vodka, and he couldn't call me 'The Russian Vodka'."

His friend and Lion's Den fighter, Guy Mezger, had spoken highly of Taktarov, but the Siberian-born Russian was an unknown quantity.

Before the tournament, competitors were interviewed pulling macho faces and growling, whilst boasting how they were going to win the event and destroy their opponents. By contrast, Oleg coolly said he was from Gorky, Russia, and smiled an infectious smile at the cameras.

Held in Charlotte, North Carolina, the competition claimed to have eight contenders representing eight different martial arts, but as Royce Gracie had previously stated, many of the UFC competitors were now abandoning their own arts to copy his grappling techniques. The fact that a fighter was listed as representing the art of Tae Kwon Do did not mean he would be using TKD striking techniques against his opponent.

In UFC 5, the program had Oleg Taktarov listed as representing the Russian discipline of Sambo.

"At first I was kind of disappointed because in Russia they would have regarded me as a jiu-jitsu exponent because it was a new art I was practising back there, whereas many people were already doing judo and sambo in Russia. Here in America, people categorized me as a sambo artist because it was unique and unusual, and that's what they liked. But I don't mind now," says Taktarov.

In his first bout against 219 lb opponent, Ernest Verdecia, the ring-side commentators were concerned that the Russian sambo-fighter might not be able to absorb kicks and punches from the kempo karate practitioner who boasted a 68 wins - 4 losses record. However, there was no evidence of karate being used as Oleg took the fight straight to the ground, and showed an abundance of both bravery and unabating composure as he systematically coiled around Verdecia, like a poised constrictor, before choking out his opponent in 2 minutes 22 seconds.

"It's a Russian tradition in fighting. You're not supposed to show any emotions. It's considered a weakness."

205 lb Oleg was later eliminated from the tournament by 260 lb Daniel Severn, a UFC veteran and holder of seventy national and international titles, who won the bout after the referee stopped the fight due Oleg's bleeding from knee-strikes and punches to Taktarov's face and head. The strong-willed Oleg had refused to submit and believed he could have continued, stating that Severn did not defeat him.

Later in Oleg's career, he would again face Severn in the Ultimate Ultimate Fighting Championships, where eight previous UFC champions competited in a best-of-the-best show-down. This time there was no intervention from the referee, but after thirty minutes, neither fighter was victorious, and the match went into three minutes overtime. Eventually the judges awarded the bout to Severn.

Taktarov showed incredible courage again by backing up for UFC 6 only three months after his first battle with Severn.

"Actually it didn't seem that close between tournaments. A month after UFC 5, I went to North California and trained at Ken Shamrock's place. For a month Ken and I fought together. The guys who later became good fighters, like Frank Shamrock or Guy Mezger, were not any competition for me at the time. The only guy I trained with was Ken, and we had battles behind closed doors. Nobody was allowed to watch them."

On July 14, 1995, Oleg returned to The Octagon and became UFC 6 Champion after defeating Tank Abbott in the final.

David "Tank" Abbott entered the tournament at 265 lbs compared to Oleg's 205 lbs. Abbott also boasted a bench-pressing career best of 625 lbs and was classified as a "pitfighter".

Pitfighting is illegally-organized street fighting between two contenders who back themselves, usually with an entry fee of $500 each, where the winner takes all.

In Tank's first bout, he KO'd John Matua in 21 seconds. His second bout stretched out to 1.51 over Paul Varelans, after the referee stopped the fight.

The championship fight between Oleg and Abbott was another story. Some critics regard this battle as one of the greatest fights ever, with Oleg choking out Abbott seventeen minutes into the bout.

"Willpower is most important to me. In my case, I'm not the biggest, or the strongest fighter, but I won my best fights because of willpower. Like the final with Tank Abbott, or my fight with Dan Severn, which the referee stopped. But I thought I would finish that fight - no matter what," says Taktarov.

Oleg returned to The Octagon, yet again, for UFC 7 in Buffalo on September 8, 1995. This time it was to face his old sparring partner, Ken Shamrock, in the Superfight. The bout went the distance and was declared a draw.

"In the first few UFC's, the fighters didn't know how to train properly. Everybody tried to win by just using their own styles, and it was wrong. It took a few years before they realized they had to become well-rounded fighters.

"Winning UFC 6 made me a US celebrity. Everybody recognized me on the street, and I didn't enjoy this, because I'm a private person and I couldn't speak English well at the time, and people would always ask me the same questions that sounded pretty dumb to me. I'm glad I lived in the quiet of northern California then. Now I'm ready, and I smile more. I do just what I'm supposed to do," laughs a jovial Oleg.

Taktarov has applied the same determination to his acting career. Having completed five years of theatre work, Oleg auditioned for a role in the movie 15 Minutes, which would star Robert De Niro and Frasier star, Kelsey Grammer. After the director observed Taktarov's performance, the auditions were closed.

"Robert De Niro was very helpful, but he didn't insult me with his help. In one episode Robert was tied up in a chair and gagged. I said to myself, 'Maybe I should act more annoyed for this part,' and he just forced out the word 'Right.' It was so funny.

"We have a good relationship and he was the one who came to my wedding three years ago. Nobody else showed up because they thought I was a nobody at the time. But Robert didn't care about 'nobody' or 'somebody', he just thought I was a good guy and showed up. Then the other people found out that De Niro was there and wished they'd come along. But it was too late," says Taktarov.

Oleg and De Niro have since become good friends, but although De Niro received an Oscar for playing the part of Jake La Motta in the 1980 screen blockbuster Raging Bull, De Niro is not impressed by no-holds-barred fighting.

"He doesn't like fighting. He doesn't like any violence. He watched the highlights of my fights, but the fighting doesn't interest him," says Taktarov.

Interestingly, in the 1983 movie King of Comedy, Robert De Niro played the part of an over-zealous comedian obsessed with fame. In 15 Minutes, Taktarov plays the part of an over-zealous filmmaker also obsessed with fame.

Oleg received great praise from the American critics for his role in 15 Minutes when it opened in the US in March. He also stars in the re-make of Rollerball, which is due for release later this year. Credits for Rollerball include French actor, Jean Reno, and rap star, LL Cool J.

"In fact, I was going to fight last fall in Pride, because I have some unfinished business to attend to. I don't think I'll be returning to UFC because they're not as popular now. Pride is the number one show in the world right now."

Held in Japan, Pride has been able to lure many of the world's big-name fighters including Kazushi Sakuraba, Renzo Garcie, Wanderlei Da Silva and Ken Shamrock.

"I've got a good following in Europe, and I just did a seminar in Switzerland with people from nine different countries attending."

"I hope there will be a good chance. I have come very close to working on a number of TV series in Australia. And I've been invited to New Zealand and Australia for seminars, but I think sometimes people might believe I'm too big or unreachable..... If I can feel that they are honest..... you can read between the lines usually. Honesty is very important to me."

Oleg Taktarov is a very warm and intelligent person. His fighting and movie careers already speak for themselves. Let's hope we do see Oleg Down Under.

Defense?

Three days ago, while I was preparing to go out with my aunts to see renowned educator and activist Cornel West speak at a local college, a frenzied woman decided to purposely hop the curb and careen her car into a group of children right in front of my house. From what I learned immediately afterward, she was angry because three of the kids in the group had come into her house and jumped her son. Upon arriving home and seeing the state her son was in, she grabbed him and her baseball bat and ran to her car where they took off to find the attackers. Upon reaching my street, the son identified his assailants and...well, you know the rest. But then, as fate would have it, only one kid was actually struck before she took off. I guess when the son saw the face of the kid flying in the air, he realized that he'd made a mistake, because next thing you knew, the car came flying back down my street with the mother hopping out and apologizing to the kid lying on his back on the sidewalk (bat in hand, mind you) and charging for the other kids, who were, apparently, the actual attackers. I don't know all the details, but from what I could glean, the kid she'd hit had actually helped her son with icepacks and what not following the assault, but was just with the wrong people at the wrong time. My aunts chilled the enraged mother out, and then she took off. I called an ambulance, but the kid decided to "walk it off" and was gone by the time it arrived. Next day the mother was arrested and in light of her past record, she'll probably be put away for a long time.

Since I started writing this column, I've been trying to explore combat, and by extension violence, from every angle. I've tried to look at the positives to engaging in it, when it's absolutely necessary, and the negatives, which are apparent to most folks with an intellect beyond that of a five year old's. The terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the four airplanes has caused me to do a lot of soul searching on this subject. And everytime I come close to formulating some kind of concrete idea or another, an incident like the aforementioned hit and run comes along. So let me say this: Whomever was responsible for 9/11 needs to be hurt badly. Maybe a marathon of armbars by every member of the Gracies, followed by a marathon of kneebars by every Pancrase fighter. Then a merciful choke to death by Rickson himself (okay, maybe we could have Tito G&P them for a few hours first). But then, don't the men who ordered the de facto execution of thousands of people in the Sudan when they bombed the pharmaceutical plant a couple years ago deserve the same treatment? And what about the guys who slapped the entire Arab world (not to mention a lot of the rest of the world) in the face by walking out on the anti-racism conference? Oh, and for anyone who doesn't know, both those incidents were ordered by our respective Presidents, Clinton and Bush.

We're in the midst of a situation that got out of control a long time ago. No one's at fault, no one's not at fault. An angry mother who loves her son more than the world and doesn't know any other solution besides street justice, after walking into her house and finding him a bloody and bruised mess, is operating on the same level as an animal. A terrorist, who's enraged at a near empire for the many crimes it's committed against his people, and consequently hijacks a plane and uses it to kill thousands of innocent people is operating on the same level as an animal. Or, as Cornel West pointed out in his lecture, a gangster. But then being a gangster implies some level of calculation or organization. Osama Bin Laden is the man we're looking at as the gangster. But the foot soldiers, the terrorists, the ones doling out anthrax, they're just animals basically. The mother is acting as an animal protecting her young by force. The government that has military forces occupying the holy cities of a foreign nation, thereby committing sacrilege, and keeping in power a wealthy regime that is guilty of the same human rights violations that said government decries in its enemies for the sole reason that the nation in question has resources the government can exploit--that's a gangster. So if the duty of all freedom and peace loving people everywhere is the deposition of gangsters, where do we begin? Who do we penalize? And more importantly, what the heck does any of this have to do with grappling?!

In feudal Japan, there was a warrior class, commonly referred to as the samurai. They defended their Lords at all costs and also exacted reprisals on their behalf. In essence, they were the keepers of combat. They were not, in any sense, a military force, but they were the only ones really authorized to carry weaponry by the shogunate and the only ones trained in the arts of war. We, as jiu jitsu practioners, can trace a direct lineage to that tradition. We are practicing almost the same self defense art that they practiced. As such, we have a connection to that responsibility as keepers of the flame. Now I know as well as anyone that many of the samurai warriors didn't know virtue from rape and serial murder, despite all their talk of honor, but that talk is still important talk. We, uniquely, in these tense times have special insight into some of the principles of that primal instinct to do battle. We are able to transcend "fight or flight" resistance and think out a situation for all that it means. Even if your teacher is not giving weekly zen lectures, just understanding simple mat strategy puts us ahead of the game. Extend that arm too far when you're trying to bridge and suffer an armbar. Forget to clamp your legs together when you're doing the armbarring and end up getting heelhooked. Every action has a reaction. Every movement has a consequence. Armed with this knowledge, we have the ability, or rather the responsibility to inform others of the ramifications of using force, particularly unwieldy or unjustified force. Granted, force can be a hard thing to justify, but there are times when it has its uses, as I've talked about before (check the archives). And who does it fall to to clear up any murky situations? Us. We're the only ones who are really qualified.

I happen to know that the U.S. military trains in Brazilian jiu jitsu these days. Some cops do so as well, but independantly, as the blue boys lean more toward escrima and basic self defense (karate/kempo/kickboxing) because they're not as likely to start rolling around on the ground with a person (would you if you had a gun?). Everyone knows about the Russian military and their sambo training and who can forget the total fighting system of krav maga that the Israelis teach their soldiers? So, it would seem someone somewhere got the idea that our knowledge was indispensable. Now that they're paying attention, it's our duty to make sure we're teaching lessons that'll stick. Not just; "Okay, here's how you break someone's shoulder, here's how you choke 'em to death." No, we need our troops to be absorbing important lessons about combat as primarily a means of preserving life, rather than inflicting death. They need a broad picture of who it's affecting and why it's sometimes not always the best solution. This is vital because, after all, today's grunts are tommorrow's potential officers and Secretaries of State or even Presidents.

We have codified violence. Made it civilized, after a fashion. It's not a pretty truth, but it's a truth nonetheless. As a result, we are duty bound to make sure that all of the rules and regulations and honor systems get transmitted along with the more physical aspects. We are responsible for educating the public so they don't feel it's necessary to run down kids with their cars. And who knows, maybe we can even prevent some wars...

Children's Tournament

Everyone is invited to join us at the 1st AGA (American Grappling Association) children's tournament on November the 10th in Lewisville TX. Please spread the word. See attachment below. Thanks Tery Corkran President AGA

Tery Corkran
(2001 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Pan American 2 Gold Medalist)
www.academybjj.com
Academy # 972-353-0770
tcorkran@onebox.com - email
(972) 354-2522 x9552 - voicemail/fax

The book you have been waiting for is finally here!!!!
Brazilian Jiu-jitsu The Master Text (complete)

325 pages, 300 + Techniques, 1000 photos.
Sport Jiu-jitsu (Gi), Submission Grappling, and Vale Tudo.

Pre-Orders begin October 15, 2001. Expect books to ship November 15.

A letter from the Author, Gene "ARANHA" Simco:

Jiu-jitsu fights the War on Terrorism

The date is July 4, 2001, I'm celebrating our country's Independence with friends at Windows on the World, a club at the top of the World Trade Center. I am among friends from the Brazilian Jiu-jitsu community including my teacher, Fernando and a good friend who traveled with me to Brazil last year. I am waiting for my friends Rose and Rodrigo Gracie to show up for the party. In between checking my watch and sipping a drink, my friends and I are discussing last years trip to Salvador Bahia and Jiu-jitsu, I'm pretty relaxed despite the Gracie's tardiness, knowing of the 'Brazilian-Time' factor. As I wait, I'm left with some time to reminisce about the trip and laugh to myself about a horrific boat ride where half the crew of 'gringos' started vomiting over the side of the boat due to the 5 ft. swells in the Atlantic ocean off the coast of Brazil. One of the Gringos was actually a New Zealander named Joe, a good 'mate' who works at the World Trade Center. After about an hour of waiting, we decide to depart and leave hoping our friends have not arrived for some good and healthy reason (which turned out to be the case, they were fine). On the way out, we stopped in the bathrooms, while we waited for a friend to finish, Fernando and I took a walk to the windows and as I got closer, the height prompted me to say "God, what a way to go … Jumping is just nuts, man - it gives you too much time on the way down to think about your death." I don't remember Fernando's reply, I was awe struck at the height from which I was standing. I remember thinking to myself, just for a moment, I guess you'd be free … I wonder what my last thought would be…

After the celebration atop the World Trade Center, the daily schedule would resume and Fernando would continue to make his weekly trip to Poughkeepsie (an hour north of the WTC) to teach at my school for two or three days. During the rest of the week, Fernando would often stop in and train at the Machado Academy run by Marcos Santos about a block or two from the WTC. It was the 6th of September when Fernando left my school to go back to the city where he stays over the weekend. Before leaving, he said "I'm not sure if I'm going to train in the city". I said, "So leave you gi here" and joked that it would be too small for me anyway.

On Tuesday, September 11, I woke up and got ready to go to the gym as usual. I got in my car and thumbed through the CDs, but something drew me to the radio … I couldn't believe what I heard. The World Trade Center had just been hit by an air plane!! My thoughts went to Fernando telling me about a dream he had about this burning building and people jumping out to escape the fire. I could remember my thoughts from July 4th and started to curse my normal luck with irony. I thought about Fernando's fear of air planes and the horrible coincidence of the two combined - on our flight to Brazil, Fenrnado blessed himself and prayed so much, we began to keep count. My second thought was of my friends at the Machado school, including my teacher, did he go to train this morning? I was panicked, almost to tears. My drive to the gym was a blur, all I remember is bursting through the office door and picking up the phone to call him, no answer. No one was online either. Amidst this panic, I took a second to collect myself and breathe, as I looked around my office, I noticed Fernando's gi draped over one of the chairs in my office … I wept with a mixed feeling of joy for my teacher's life and/or hope that he wasn't there and sorrow for those who might still be missing and their families. I emailed my mailing list, encouraging people to donate blood, as I tried to remember where my birth certificate was so I could check my blood type. As I tried to call friends throughout the day, I remembered my friend Joe … Is he still working there? I began to think about all the people who came to this country from afar in search of a brighter future and opportunity who worked in that building. Faces from July 4th started to come to mind, the bar tender Fernando forgot to tip, the guy working the door … were they in there? Is the Machado school still there? The lack of phone lines left us all in a state of panic and shock … we would have to wait.

I was more fortunate than others, none of my friends were hurt, but their friends are my friends and lives that connected to mine were effected, we all felt that. My thoughts moved to preventive measures, will this happen again? How can we stop it? I then received an inspiring letter from my friends at Special Ops:

This letter made me realize what I had to do. I immediately responded by volunteering my time to train soldiers that may need it. I may not be good with a trigger, but I can give the tools our troops need to survive if they find themselves without one. We have to make our enemies realize that they are not just fighting out military, they are at war with our entire nation. If you are young, give us hope for the future, if you are old, give us your wisdom and prayers, if you are strong, help us fight.

This is a link to the story about a Grappler from New Jersey named Jimmy Glick who helped down one of the hijacked planes before it could reach it's target - an American Hero.

Even more inspiring stories are coming in about NY Jiu-jitsu teams donating tournament prize money to the cause. I'm proud to see this community doing it's part.

THE 4TH ANNUAL U.S. NATIONAL JUJITSU CHAMPIONSHIPS

HOSTED BY MR. JEF WHITTLE & BLACK HILLS JUJITSU & SANCTIONED BY THE WORLD COMBAT JUJITSU ASSOCIATION (WCJA)

THE PAVILION, DEADWOOD, SOUTH DAKOTA
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2001

PRELIMINARIES START AT 10:00 AM, WITH FINALS AROUND 6:00 PM
TEEN, INTERMEDIATE AND ADVANCED DIVISIONS

TEEN WEIGHTS: 125, 155 & HVY
MEN'S WEIGHTS (INT & ADV): 139, 154, 169, 189, 214 & HVY
MASTERS WEIGHTS (OVER 40): TO BE DETERMINED AFTER WEIGH INS

WEIGH INS WILL BE HELD ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2001
FROM 7:00PM TO 8:30PM AT THE HOTEL HEADQUARTERS
(THE FRANKLIN HOTEL, DEADWOOD) AND
ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2001 FROM 9:00AM TO 10:00AM
AT THE TOURNAMENT SITE

PRE-REGISTRATION ENTRY FEE: $30.00
PRE-REGISTRATION APPLICATIONS MUST BE POST MARKED
BY OCTOBER 5, 2001

REGISTRATION FEE AT WEIGH INS: $45.00 (CASH ONLY)

SEND APPLICATION WITH CHECK OR MONEY ORDER TO:
WCJA, P.O. BOX 370724, DENVER, CO 80237
(payable to: WCJA)

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO RECEIVE AN APPLICATION,
CALL: (303) 433-EDGE or CONTACT info@grapplers-edge.com

THE 2001 U.S. NATIONAL JUJITSU CHAMPIONSHIPS WILL BE HELD IN CONJUNCTION WITH: THE 5TH ANNUAL EXTREME SPORT FIGHTING NATIONALS

FOR MORE DETAILS ON THE EXTREME SPORT FIGHTING NATIONALS, CALL JEF WHITTLE AT: 605 721-0388

Attention Grapplers

Submission Grappling, Submission Wrestling and Catch Wrestling. Three exciting divisions for all Grapplers. Divisions for a variety of skill levels and weights. Play for a national title at your skill level. Play a minimum of 4 matches per division entered.

Those who register before October 1st will receive $10 off the entrance fee; plus 2 free spectator admissions. Any form post marked before October 1st will receive the discount.

This will be the largest grappling event held in the mid west and a true National Championship. The perfect event for experts and novice players alike. Get your registrations in ASAP - You don't want to miss this one. Also there will be several superfights that will excite both fans and athletes.

Minnesota's Martial Arts Academy head coach Greg Nelson; the trainers of champions and UFC fighters will compete with Combat Jujitsu's Steve Peterson. Steve is the head of a Jujitsu school that has been part of the Martial Arts scene in Minnesota for many years. Personally I'm very excited to have they two great coaches competing at this event.

Please visit http://bisons.net and look under tournaments for all the information and download forms to enter the event.

Help us make this a great event. No matter what you skills, size or style - you will have a great time at the: USMA National Championships. See you on the mat.

Pride 16 Results

Rodrigo Nogueira defeated Mark Coleman Submission (Armbar from Triangle Choke) 6:10 1R

Carlson Jr. Seminar

We are pleased to announce that we have merged our upcoming Seminar with Carlson Gracie Jr. with the Southern Submission Open Championships being held in Nashville Tn. The New Seminar Date will be on Sunday Oct 14th following a day the day of competition.

State of Emergency

The tragedy that struck the United States on September 11th, 2001 when four passenger jets were hijacked and used in terrorist acts against some of this nation's most well-revered symbols is not likely to ever be forgotten. The death toll has so far been staggering and at the time of this writing remains incomplete. The wounded number in the thousands and the mourners wander through the streets of downtown Manhattan like zombies holding photographs of their missing loved ones, hoping against hope that they'll turn up alive amidst the rubble. Tirelessly, rescue workers attempt to plod through the wreckage in hopes of giving us all some sense of normalcy or, if need be, closure.

Enough has been said about the incident on television and in newspapers to make you and I throw our hands up in the air asking this very question. Some of us have donated blood, others have run down to volunteer in things like moving rubble or providing emergency crews with supplies. We've held hands in parks for candle light vigils. We've said prayers to our Gods with tears rolling down our cheeks. But none of it has seemed like enough. Some of us have even rushed down to the local recruiters office and enthusiastically enlisted to be in the armed forces should some kind of reprisal become an issue. And well...that's one of the things that worries me.

In my last column I spoke about the air of eternal vigilance that most martial artists have about them. I spoke about how sometimes it's a good idea and sometimes it's both degrading to our art and completely stupid. Realistically, our chances of surviving (and I don't mean winning, I mean surviving) a fight are only slightly higher than the average Joe. And if that statement invalidates your reason for training in jiu jitsu, then you shouldn't be around in the first place. But there is one advantage that our training has given us and that's a comprehension of the principle of balance.

Balance is something you hear a lot of martial arts disciplines talking about. Pat Morita had a whole diatribe on it in THE KARATE KID. Rickson Gracie seems obsessed with it. If you did a word search in one of Bruce Lee's books to see how many times it came up, well...let's just say you'd better bring a protein bar to snack on 'cause it's gonna take awhile. In any case, balance, as defined by almost any of these masters (or symbolic masters in Pat Morita's case) is the ability to put things in their perspective and then sort them out in such a way that harmony is preserved. Physically this could just mean the dispersal of energy. In jiu jitsu, we take a "path of least resistance" as we are practicing a "gentle art" and that means keeping all energy levels at zero. The positive aggression of an opponent is drawn into oneself and redistributed. Likewise, the continual yielding of an opponent is met with a moderate application of pressure to force a stalemate. Simple physics.

Then the United Nations is formed and forces Palestinians out of their territories by making Israel a sovereign state. Then a Palestinian gets in a scuffle with an Israeli. Then an Israeli shoots a Palestinian. Then a Palestinian walks into an Israeli grocery store with a bomb strapped to her chest. Then the United States gets into the fight, but sides with Israel. Then Iraq attacks America's home-boy Kuwait. Then the U.S. decides to hang out in Saudi Arabia. Then "holy war" is declared. Then the U.S. effectively kills thousands by bombing Sudan and vanquishing Sudanese pharmaceutical supplies. Then the U.S.S. Cole gets bombed. Then the U.S. decides its too cool for an anti-racism conference. Then, the twin towers, the Pentagon, and four commercial airline jets are taken out...

Quite a scorecard, and by no means complete. But nowhere is there any sense of evening out. No sense of balance or control. It's a case of two people out of sync with each others flow and if it had to be expressed metaphorically in MMA terms, it's about as beautiful as watching Scott Ferrozzo and "Tank" Abbott slugging it out. Gets the blood going, but in reality it's just two slobs pounding each other. The primal rush of watching an event like that, or getting drawn into it, is most assuredly a part of our humanity, but that side of us is tamed (hopefully) by our capacity to reason. And then taking those two elements as the base of our balanced triangle (the almost universal symbol for Brazilian jiu jitsu) we top it off with that indefinable, inexplicable feeling of transcendence. That mental nowhere we go when we're transitioning between moves. That sense of "flow with the go," as Rickson says, where we're riding a wave that only nature can be guiding.

If I've lost anyone with these aikido-esque ramblings, forgive me, but this is a tough time to try to keep one's thoughts organized. I suppose what I'm trying to say is this: Don't feed into the frenzy of hyper-patriotism that says we should execute every person of Islamic origin. And if you don't believe that sentiment exists, I got into it with two guys downtown who tried to say just that. We as grapplers especially have close ties with the Arab world (ADCC) and know that they are as wonderful a people as any American, but unfortunately are just as susceptible to having madmen among them. I'm also saying that Patriotism itself can be a dangerous thing if taken to the extreme it's being taken to in some places. Those without a strong center of balance need something to rally behind and that something becomes a flag and their interpretation of what it represents, though that interpretation may be more grounded in fear.

Now is the time for us to provide positive examples to those around us. Like it or not, we are indeed soldiers, as our techniques descend from one of the most infamous warrior classes. As soldiers, let us do our best to defend everyone around us from what Dr. Martin Luther King called "the slings and arrows of hate." We can do that by showing them our balance; by speaking up when we hear something wrong; and by serving on the frontlines of whatever is necessary as long as we are one hundred percent sure it's necessary. Although this column may arrive a little too late based on what CNN's telling me, I hope it will touch on some hearts and minds at a time when it's needed. And hey, as ever and in every way possible, keep on rollin'.

Be sure to check out JIU-JITSU.NET's Shannon Logan & her new Column in the JIU-JITSU for Women Section - The Flip Side!

UFC Results

Salve!

My name is Luis Santiago I am Purple Belt Red/White stripes under the direct supervision of Mestre Flavio Berhing from Sao Paulo. I have been practicing BJJ since 1993 that offcourse after UFC and Royce. First of all thanks for permitting us post our activities in your site and congratulations because is a great site. Together with Mestre Flavio Behring, are building a BJJ program in the island of PR. I just want to let you know that any activities BJJ related you can count on our support.

I had to respond to your recent statement because is in line with Mestre Flavio Behring. He has recently post similar articles in several sites including Bad Boy Brazil, in sport site in Brazil, etc. I agree with you completely, the way things are going in the US will probably hurt the BJJ integrity. I am running into the same problem here in Puerto Rico with Judo, traditional JJ, wrestlers, etc. Now they claim that BJJ techniques are no different from what they used to do. I agree with you in that "now everybody claim they knew" But the reality is other, grappling is something everybody do with little knowledge but BJJ is an extraordinary art.

You know perhaps the Gracies are correct in that they do tournaments with their particular rules and no time limits. Rorion is a visionary and I think he saw this comming and so he has kept his system very tight. Well Mr. Aranha thank again and please keep us inform of any activity that you might have.

Balance

PRIDE 19 Results

INTERNATIONAL GRAPPLING OPEN of PARIS.

Caught In A Rumble

HEROES

1st Virginia Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation Championship:

Weight in Schedule

Weight divisions

Random Acts of Idiocy

NEW JERSEY STATE GRAPPLING CHAMPIONSHIP

RESOLUTION

So What Should We Do?

Ultimate Wrestling present New Blood

CAMP QUANTUM 2002

CAMP QUANTUM 2002

LOW BUDGET ACCOMMODATIONS

General Price - For Non-Members of Quantum Jujitsu®

Members Price - For Members of Quantum Jujitsu® Only

SCHEDULE OF INSTRUCTION

FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO...

Submission Grappling has been added to the Can Am Police and Fire Games.

The Ten Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Moves Every Cop Should Know

BJJ Reduces Injuries, Claims

Advantages for Public Safety Personnel

The Clinch

The Rear Takedown

The Mount

The Back Mount

The Closed Guard

The Kimura

The Open Guard

The Cross Side

The Knee Mount

The Rear Carotid Restraint

RITC XXXII - Moved to Saturday Night ( Dec 15 )

Sex, Lies and Grappling

Finding a Legit Instructor

Sao Voce Gato?

RITC XXXI - The Triumphant Return

Sportfighting Championships

OLEG TAKTAROV - THE RUSSIAN STAR of 15 MINUTES

Defense?

Children's Tournament

The book you have been waiting for is finally here!!!! Brazilian Jiu-jitsu The Master Text (complete)

A letter from the Author, Gene "ARANHA" Simco:

Jiu-jitsu fights the War on Terrorism

THE 4TH ANNUAL U.S. NATIONAL JUJITSU CHAMPIONSHIPS

Attention Grapplers

Pride 16 Results

Carlson Jr. Seminar

State of Emergency

UFC Results

Salve!

The book you have been waiting for is finally here!!!!
Brazilian Jiu-jitsu The Master Text (complete)