The Gracie Pro/Am Circuit presents:

The California Championships, a Professional and Amateur Gi and No-Gi tournament. The event will be held in Sacramento, Ca. at the Inderkum Highschool on September 4th and 5th.
The Professional No-Gi tournament will feature 4 weight classes with $2,000.00 going to the winner in each class and $500.00 to the runner-up.

A professional Gi Open competition will offer prize money to the winners of the Blue, Purple, Brown and Black belt divisions. $500.00 to the winner and $100.00 to the runner-up in the Brown and Black Belt Open and $300.00 and $100.00 to the runner-up in the Blue and Purple belt Open.

An Amateur Gi and No Gi competition with consist of the best teams and individual competitors from around the West Coast.

2500 New Market Dr
Sacramento, CA 95835
MAP

More information on the official site.

-Weigh in with your gi before your first match
-Men’s and Women’s White-Black belt divisions
-Complete Children’s White-Green belt divisions
-Free T-Shirts
-Medals for all the kids
-Team Trophies

-Registration Methods:
A)Online Registration
B)NABJJ Store in Torrance
C)Mail Registration

North Torrance High School
3620 W 182nd St
Torrance, CA 90504
MAP

More information on the official site.

Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu in action at the 2009 Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championship. Cyborg earned a silver medal in 2009 but did not register for this year’s event.

Heading in to this coming weekend’s 2010 Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championship in Irvine, California, we wanted to reflect a bit on who will be returning to defend their titles from last year. As the second most important event held in North America under the auspices of the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation, the Pan (formerly referred to as the “Pan-Ams”) has traditionally been a “must compete” event for jiu-jitsu’s most talented athletes. For those of us with lower expectations of ourselves (or let’s face it, less talent!) who enjoy it as an opportunity to observe from the sidelines, the Pan is always an amazing event to watch and seems to foreshadow what will happen at the World Championship a few months later.

Below is a list of the various weight classes in the men’s black belt and women’s black/brown belt divisions. You will find the name of last year’s champion and whether they will be competing based on the final list of competitors that the IBJJF has provided now that registration for the event is closed.

Men’s Black Belt

• Roosterweight: Joao Carlos Kuraoka, Axis. There’s a Joao Paulo Kuraoka from Axis signed up, so I presume it’s the same person who will be competing. However this year he’s added a little weight and will be competing in the light feather weight division.
• Light Feather: Yoshihiko Matsamura, Paraestra. Not returning this year.
• Feather: Rubens “Cobrinha” Charles Maciel, Alliance. Cobrinha is signed up and took the gold medal in this division at the Pan tournament from 2007-2009.
• Light: Lucas Lepri, Alliance. Lepri will return and earned the silver medal here in 2008 and the gold in 2009.
• Middle: Lucas Leite, Check Mat. Leite will return and earned the bronze medal in 2008 and the gold in 2009.
• Medium Heavy: Otavio Sousa, Gracie Barra. Sousa will return and earned the silver medal here in 2008 and the gold in 2009.
• Heavy: Roberto “Tussa” Alencar Camargo, Gracie Barra. Tussa will return and earned the silver medal here in 2008 and the gold in 2009.
• Super Heavy: Antonio Braga Neto, Gordo Jiu-Jitsu. Not returning this year.
• Ultra Heavy: Marcio Corleta, Winner Jiu-Jitsu. Not returning this year.
• Absolute: Antonio Braga Neto, Gordo Jiu-Jitsu. Braga Neto will return.

Women’s Brown / Black

• Light Feather: Claudia Martinez Kvenbo, Pinnacle Jiu-Jitsu. Returning, although this year she is listed as affiliated with C Quence Jiu-Jitsu.
• Feather: Fabiana Borges, Gracie Barra. Borges is returning.
• Light: Carol Vidal, Gracie Humaita. Not returning. As Penny Thomas mentioned in our interview on Sunday, Vidal is expecting so will likely be out of action in 2010.
• Middle: Valerie Worthington, Carlson Gracie Team. Val is returning.
• Medium Heavy: Ana Laura Cordeiro, Gracie Barra. Not returning, likely due to injury.
• Heavy: Luciana “Luca” Dias, Gracie Humaita. Perhaps one of the most consistent of athletes at the Pans, Luca is returning. She earned a gold medal at every Pan since 2005!
• Absolute: Ana Laura Cordeiro, Gracie Barra. Not returning, likely due to injury.

So of the 17 divisions described above, seven of the champions from last year did not register for this year’s event. Of course, we have not examined whether the silver and bronze medalists from last year will be present, so as always there will be cutthroat competition the day of the Pan. However, what we do know is that we will definitely see at least seven new champions this year.

The most consistent competitors from the list above like Dias, Lepri, Souza, Tussa, and Cobrinha, certainly are looking to return home with another gold medal around their neck so their opponents can expect them to come out with all guns firing this weekend.

Remember that the 2010 Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championship will be streamed live online on Sunday for free courtesy of Budo Videos. Make sure to tune in!

These are approximates, but should easily be within 45 minutes to 1 hour of accuracy from our previous experience. Please arrive early to ensure timeliness of the event and make sure you do not miss your division.

FRIDAY, May 28th (ALL Adult No-Gi):

7:00 AM – Registration/Weigh-Ins Open

10:00 AM – Women’s Divisions, Men’s Executive (30-39 yrs.) and Masters (40+ yrs.) Divisions

12:00 PM – Men’s Advanced Submission Grappling Divisions

1:00 PM – Men’s Intermediate Submission Grappling Divisions

2:00 PM – SUPERFIGHTS
2:30 PM – Men’s Beginner Submission Grappling Divisions

3:30 PM – Men’s Novice Submission Grappling Divisions

4:30 PM – Men’s Submission Grappling Absolute Divisions

Saturday, May 29th

DIVISIONS: All Children and Teen’’s No-Gi & BJJ Divisions

PLUS ALL Adult Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Divisions:

7:00 AM – Registration/Weigh-Ins Open

10:00 AM – Children’s and Teen’s Divisions

11:30 AM – Women’s BJJ Divisions

12:00 PM – All Men’’s Executive (30+ yrs.) BJJ Divisions

12:30 PM – Men’s Black Belt and Brown Belt Divisions

1:00 PM – Men’s Purple Belt and Blue Belts

2:00 PM – SUPERFIGHTS
2:30 PM – Men’s White Belts

NOTE: There are NO BJJ Absolute Divisions

Competitor Registration Fees:
1 Division at GQ-UFC Fan Expo: $99
2 Divisions at GQ-UFC Fan Expo: $149
3 Divisions at GQ-UFC Fan Expo: $179
4 Divisions at GQ-UFC Fan Expo: $199
*Limited to 1,500 Competitors

Mandalay Bay
Las Vegas, Nevada
MAP

More information on the official site.

The dates for the 2010 Gracie Invitational have been set. With the expansion on the Excel Arena in Docklands completed in late 2009, the space and facilities available for Europe’s 2nd biggest competition will go into overdrive!

Officially over 2 days, the competition will offer Gi and No Gi divisions and will be over 8 matted areas.

Registration is now open.
Event Schedule:
Competition starts at 9:30 am both days

Day 1:
All White Belt weight divisions

Blue Belt:
Rooster: 57.5kg
Super Feather: 64kg
Feather: 70kg
Medium Heavy: 88.3kg
Heavy: 94.3kg
Super Heavy: 100.5k
Super Super Heavy: over 100.5kg

Day 2:
All Kids Divisions
All Womans Divisions
Mens Blue Belt Light Weight: 76kg and Middle Weight: 82.3kg
White Belt Absolute
Blue Belt Absolute
All Purple Belt Divisions
All Black/Brown Belt Divisions
“Absolute 1000″ – Black/Brown and Purple Absolute Division.

The Absolute 1000 will comprise of the Black/Brown and Purple Belt Absolute Division. With the winner walking away with £1000 prize money. There will only be one fighter per academy permited. Fights will be fought for 6 minutes of constant action.

Seni Show
Limeharbour
Tower Hamlets, London E14, UK
MAP

More information on the official site.

The Santa Cruz Civic Center set up for the Abu Dhabi Pro Qualifiers. Photo courtesy Rowdy.

by Rowdy B.

Sunday the 24th I was a competitor in the West Coast Qualifier tournament in Santa Cruz. This was a tournament with much on the line. A chance to win an all expenses paid trip to Abu Dhabi to compete in their World Cup. Where else does a blue belt have a chance to earn thousands of dollars for a win? Nowhere else.

Making the seven hour drive up from San Diego I expected this to be great. I was not disappointed. The tournament was held in the Civic Center in Santa Cruz and was easy to find. If you were early you could find street parking for free, other wise you had to feed a meter every two hours. After showing my passport at registration and collecting a nicely done competitor t-shirt I made my way into the auditorium.

If you have ever competed at the Pan Am or Mundial you would have had instantly felt a feeling of familiarity. The only difference was things being on a smaller scale. The mats, fencing, tables everything reminded me of other high quality events I have competed in.

The tournament was scheduled to start at 9 AM and I was pleasantly surprised when at 8:45 AM competitors were called to the warm up area. Believe it or not, matches did start at 9 AM as advertised. The ID, weight and gi checks were exactly at other tournaments I have been to run by the IBJJF, so things were efficient and there were no surprises. Unless you were over weight, as the scale I used in the warm up area gave me a 0.3 pound lighter reading than the final scale used to either qualify or disqualify you. As I was an early competitor maybe they were zeroed later, I would like to hope so.

Watching the other matches and the tournament progress I was struck by the level of competition in the white and blue belt divisions. With so much at stake everyone brought their “A” game. People had obviously been training extra hard as this was a big chance and the matches showed it. Checking scores I think I could cover 85% of the matches with a 2-0, 10-0 or submission as the final result.

Emotions were worn on peoples’ sleeves, competitors gave it their all and when a loss was dealt, sometimes the great dissatisfaction shown through. But coaches calmed down, competitors got back up and hugged. To win here took an effort I had only seen before at the Pan Am or Mundials.

A great system to move competitors along, a clear and loud PA system unclouded by music, good mats, fierce competition, referees who answered every question of them, beautiful medals and things running on time. Can you imagine a better tournament? The organizers can, and I can’t wait to see how the World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Cup turns out!

- Caleb