Robin Gracie (right) with his nephew Kron Gracie (left). Image courtesy Robin Gracie.

Robin Gracie is the youngest of Helio Gracie’s sons, and the only one of them to settle in Europe. In this exchange we hear straight from Robin and his academy in Barcelona about the popularity of Brazilian jiu-jitsu in Spain.

The FightWorks Podcast: How long have you lived in Spain?

Robin Gracie: I arrived in Spain in December 1997, a little over 12 years ago.

The FightWorks Podcast: When you left Brazil to live in Spain, did you know you would remain there for so long?

Robin Gracie: I did not know exactly what I would find here. The only thing I knew was that BJJ was little-known or unknown in Spain.

The FightWorks Podcast: You were one of the first to offer jiu-jitsu in Spain. What was it like in those early years?

Robin Gracie: There were only a few curious folks who surfed around the web, which was not as used back then as it is today, and there were martial arts magazines but there were no instructors. I was the only one. All of my students were of course white belts and did not have anyone to train hard with.

The FightWorks Podcast: How would you describe the Spanish who train jiu-jitsu? How are they similar to Brazilians and how are they different?

Robin Gracie: The truth is that there is a lot of diversity among them, from humble workers to famous businessmen. I believe something similar happens in the United States. In my gym there are many foreigners. I believe 30% or 40% are. In Europe it is very easy to get around by train, car or plan. You can be anywhere quickly. The Spanish, being Latinos, are as impulsive as the Brazilians but when it comes time to train are somewhat more explosive and they look for a faster pace, maybe because of the cold there is in the winter.

The FightWorks Podcast: How do you see the spread of jiu-jitsu in Spain today?

Robin Gracie: After all these years the BJJ community has grown and now there are gyms everywhere. The number of competitions has increased as well and people are looking for more information about our martial art all the time.

The FightWorks Podcast: Did you attend the 2010 IBJJF European Championship? What did you think?

Robin Gracie: Yes, it is always growing. It seems like every time there are more mats out and more competitors. The only bad thing in my opinion are the details in the rules that change every year and they confuse the coaches, fighters, and referees, who in the end make mistakes. I think they should not change the rules more than every five years to give everyone a chance to understand them before changing them.

The FightWorks Podcast: Your father, Helio Gracie, passed away in January of 2009. Do you have any favorite memories of your time with him?

Robin Gracie: Since I came to Spain I would only see him on my vacations in Brazil when I got the opportunity to visit him in his house in the mountains. I remember that even in his final years he liked to put on the gi and train. He did not speak or think about anything other than jiu-jitsu.

The FightWorks Podcast: What is your favorite thing about Spain?

Robin Gracie: Of all European countries, Spain is the warmest and also the one with the most beaches, where it rains and snows the least, and the people are friendliest. Perhaps it is the Brazil of Europe. That is why I like it.

The FightWorks Podcast: Thanks Robin! Gracias! Obrigado!

Robin Gracie: Thank you Caleb.

Alliance’s Tarsis Humphreys.

Tarsis Humphreys is consistently one of Alliance Jiu-Jitsu’s most dangerous competitors. From 2007 to 2009 he won a medal in whichever black belt adult division he entered, and he now gears up to bring home a gold at the 2010 European BJJ Championship this weekend in Lisbon, Portugal. We were able to get a few quick comments from Tarsis in the days leading up to the event.

The FightWorks Podcast: Tarsis, what are your competition plans in 2010?

Tarsis Humphreys: All the tournaments from IBJJF. Also the Abu Dhabi Pro Cup, and some tournaments with money prizes. Maybe when I finish all the gi competitions I will try my first MMA fight.

The FightWorks Podcast: Will you spend most of 2010 in Sao Paulo or traveling outside Brazil?

Tarsis Humphreys: Better if I spend time in Sao Paulo. I have better training there but I will travel for seminars. (If is somebody interested in my seminars please contact tarsisjj@hotmail.com or facebook Tarsis Humphreys).

The FightWorks Podcast: Do you have any specific goals in 2010 in jiu-jitsu or outside jiu-jitsu?

Tarsis Humphreys: Yes: gold in all tournaments. This is my goal.

The FightWorks Podcast: I understand you’ve been focusing on strength training recently. Talk about that. Did you feel that this was an area you needed specific help with?

Tarsis Humphreys: Everybody needs specific preparation, and Olympic weight lifting with my coach Edmilson Dantas gives me everything: endurance, cardio, power, explosion, protects my body from injuries and also works a lot on my concentration and motivation. So I just recommend it for every fighter.

The FightWorks Podcast: Any thoughts about the names you have seen in your division at the 2010 European Championship?

Tarsis Humphreys: I don’t know who is in my division, but I trust in my training.

The FightWorks Podcast: It looks like Alliance is bringing an army to the 2010 European Championship. Who will represent Alliance there?

Tarsis Humphreys: Yes this is true. I will be there, and so will Antonio “Batista” Peinado , Michael Langhi , Lucas Lepri , Fernando “Soluco” Di Pierro, Alex Monsalve , Bruno Malfacine, and maybe Rubens “Cobrinha” Charles. This are the names I know. Maybe more black belts will come.

The FightWorks Podcast: Is it possible that the USA wins the 2010 FIFA World Cup in Brazil?

Tarsis Humphreys: Anything is possible. USA is a good football team. I know they are very prepared, and in good shape. But I believe more in the Brazilian talent. I think Brazil wins.

The FightWorks Podcast: Anything you would like to say to the FightWorks Podcast audience?

Tarsis Humphreys: Thanks for this space, and thanks for everybody who likes my jiu-jitsu.

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