It’s great to see different teams training together and helping each other. Great techniques.

Main Card:
205 lbs.: Anderson Silva vs. Stephan Bonnar
205 lbs.: Glover Teixeira vs. Fabio Maldonado
265 lbs.: Dave Herman vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
170 lbs.: Jon Fitch vs. Erick Silva
205 lbs.: Phil Davis vs. Wagner Prado
170 lbs.: Demian Maia vs. Rick Story

Preliminary Card:
155 lbs.: Rony Mariano Bezerra vs. Sam Sicilia
170 lbs.: Sergio Moraes vs. Renee Forte
145 lbs.: Diego Brandao vs. Joey Gambino
155 lbs.: Francisco Trinaldo vs. Gleison Tibau
205 lbs.: Luiz Cane vs. Chris Camozzi
155 lbs.: Reza Madadi vs. Cristiano Marcello

Black Belt World Champion, Rodolfo Vieira surely would have been a great candidate to fight on the Metamoris card which take place on October 14th. Given his explosive take-downs and guard passing. Check out why Rodolfo didn’t end up competing after all below and what he has been up too in the past couple months.

GRACIEMAG: A lot of our readers called for you to be added to the Metamoris card, where big-name Jiu-Jitsu competitors face off in 20-minute, no-points-counted supermatches. What’s your take on the event, set to go down October 14 in San Diego, California?

RODOLFO VIEIRA: Man, that’s one event I’d do anything to watch. Ralek Gracie [promoter of the event] even invited me to face Ryron [the Gracie will be facing André Galvão]. But it’ll be on the same day as another event, in Brasilia. I thanked him for the opportunity and told him, this year I’ll have to pass. Now I’m rooting for my buddy Bochecha. He has a really tricky match ahead of him against Roger Gracie, and Roger’s Roger, right? One mistake against him and that could be it, especially in a 20-minute match. I feel that [match duration] works more in the Gracie’s favor. I’m happy Bochecha has been given this opportunity; he’s a good kid and deserves it. Sparks are going to fly in their match. It’s got the makings of the fight of the night.

What are your expectations for the contest you’re entering now?

I always expect the best. I trained so hard and am really confident—not just in myself but in my team. We’ll be going into this Brazilian Team Nationals strong at all belt levels.

How did your seminar tour of Brazil go?

It was well worth it. I got to see cool places and could see how my work is being recognized, and that’s really gratifying. I’m pleased with all the demand. I really didn’t expect it… I took some time off to train for this championship, but I’ll take it back up again afterwards. It was nice to get some time off, because travel can be kind of tiring. I couldn’t take being in any more airports…

What did you teach people?

I taught them what I do best, my guard passes, which is what I enjoy the most. It’s hard to get any guard stuff in (laughs).

If Rodolfo would have accepted the offer to fight at Metamoris, who would you of liked his opponent to be?

Go to www.totalmmastudios.com for more information.

Bernardo Faria has just returned from a series of seminars in the United States. GRACIEMAG.com chatted with the black belt from Alliance, now vice-world champion at super-heavyweight, who told us what he learned there and left a hint for our reader/practitioner to have a very sharp half-guard. Check it out:

Could you comment on this series of seminas and what you have learned from them?

I just arrived in Brazil, on Wednesday, and early in August I’m going to Europe for another season of seminars. I have a very full agenda and happy with this phase of career. Now, for example, I have toured in Idaho, Michigan e Minessota, and spent my vacations in Las Vegas. The coolest about it is being able to work with what I love the most, and to share everything I’ve learned with the students.

Besides the classes, what did you enjoy the most in tour?

I was able to really relax, in many places go the students get a vacation so they can train with me and enjoy with me while I’m there. So they always take me to meet the city and have fun. I think this is one of the biggest advantages of Jiu-Jitsu, we have the opportunity to make many friends and meet a lot of people, and it is priceless. That’s what Jiu-Jitsu is all about.

Have you learned something new for your Jiu-Jitsu?

I always do. I learn a lot on the mat, and students always show up with a new position or detail. And I learn a lot outside the mats too, because I am able to meet several gyms and to see how they work and it helps me to have a better idea about gym organization. Soon I plan to open one of my own. So having this experience will be very important for my future, I’m sure.

What comes next for you?

I’ll stay in Brazil for about 20 days. I’m spending two weeks with my parents in Minas Gerais, practicing with my ex-professor Ricardo Marques. Then I go back to Sao Paulo, to have a course on gym management with Fabio Gurgel and then I travel to Europe, for a season of seminars in Germany, Poland e Finland. I will also compete at the new IBJJF European No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu Championship in England. These coming months will be about a lot of work and training, pretty cool. Also, whoever interested in seminars, send an email to bernardorochajf@yahoo.com.br .

Do you have a hint for our readers about half-guard, your specialty?

I love being in half-guard, my comfortable position when I’m below. When you are in half-guard avoid letting your opponent hold your head, but in case he does, don’t get desperate. Even so, you still have several options of sweeping. Another tip is to always insist and believe in the position you are using, because believing is the first step is believed to accomplish the position. And to insist, it is necessary to trust, and train tirelessly in the gym.

Saturday was a day of first-rate Jiu-Jitsu at Delfim academy, in Rio de Janeiro’s Tijuca borough. Copa Pódio held the draw to determine the two Middleweight GP groups, and also put on two matches to serve as an appetizer for what’s to come when the big event rolls around on 21 July 21.

The first match resulted in Victor Bomfim defeating Ryan Gracie Team’s Diogo Almeida to qualify for the final berth in the Middleweight GP. Could he be the one to take top spot against world-elite competition come the 21st? Wait and find out.

The second supermatch featured the big star of the night, 2010 world champion Tarsis Humphreys of Alliance team, who took on GFTeam’s Wancler Oliveira. Wancler proved to be a hard nut to crack, winning the match by an advantage point from half-guard, and now he goes on to compete in the marquee superfight at the end-of-the-year event against the winner between Guto Campos and Raphael Abi-Rihan.

Speaking of Abi-Rihan, he made his debut as a Jiu-Jitsu commentator at the Copa Pódio draw, and seemed to take a liking for the craft. “I liked it. Now I know what I’m going to do when I stop fighting,” he joked afterward.

The two groups for July 21 events now are: Green – Nivaldo Oliveira, Victor Bomfim, Davi Ramos, André Bastos and Vinicius Marinho; Yellow – Otavio Sousa, Leandro Lo, Felipe “Preguiça” Pena, Rafael “Formiga” Barbosa and Dimitrius Souza.

The current ADCC superfight champion will be in Jersey from June 23rd to June 30th.

The cost is 230 pounds.

For more info, go to braulioestima.eventbrite.com.

Gracie Barra recently started their 2012 Worlds training camp, and they brought famed Jiu-Jitsu professor Ze Radiola up from Brazil to lead it. Ze’s always been a part of GB’s Worlds training camps in the past, but this is the first time he’s been asked to lead the charge into the biggest tournament of the year. Ze is happy with the progress he’s seen in his students. He brought quite a few athletes with him from Brazil to join the team in Irvine, and he’s excited to get everyone trained and ready to go. “The camp is running how we expected,” he says. “It’s been really great. Everyone’s been working really hard since the Europeans and our results have been better and better with each tournament. We hope for the best results at the Worlds.”

RENOWNED PROFESSOR ZE RADIOLA TAKES CHARGE

Ze has been traveling back and forth from Brazil to the US, coaching GB teams in both areas. He’s had so much experience building students from kids to world champions, like Braulio and Victor Estima, Otavio Sousa, and Lucas Rocha to name a few. He is very passionate about the art and the building of the GB team overall. “We have been collecting the seeds we planted in the past. Now we have all of the GB athletes from all over the world together to train super hard. I’m trying to get everyone here to believe in themselves to reach their greatest heights. Everyone together makes us all stronger. Everyone here is already at a very high level of techniques. So, getting them to believe in themselves is key.”

Ze has been traveling back and forth from Brazil to the US, coaching GB teams in both areas. He’s had so much experience building students from kids to world champions, like Braulio and Victor Estima, Otavio Sousa, and Lucas Rocha to name a few. He is very passionate about the art and the building of the GB team overall. “We have been collecting the seeds we planted in the past. Now we have all of the GB athletes from all over the world together to train super hard. I’m trying to get everyone here to believe in themselves to reach their greatest heights. Everyone together makes us all stronger. Everyone here is already at a very high level of techniques. So, getting them to believe in themselves is key.”

BLACK BELT KAYRON GRACIE WEIGHS IN ON THE CAMP

Black belt Kayron Gracie, who may or may not compete at this year’s Worlds because of an injury he’s nursing, says Ze’s skills and knowledge make him the obvious choice to take the GB team to the next level this year. “This is going to be a better year than ever before,” Master Carlos Jr.’s son says, “You’re going to have to wait for the Worlds to see the differences he’s made and everything that we’ve learned, but he’s brought a lot of really good techniques with him. We’re learning new skills and improving the details of our games. He keeps our team together.” GB America in Irvine is holding the main Worlds training camp every day, but the GB team has so many students and their talent runs so deep, Romulo Barral is holding a second camp up in the Los Angeles area to train and condition those students who can’t necessarily make the trek down to Orange County. “We have two camps training,” Kayron says. “We have a lot of good belts competing up to black belt. The GB team is really strong. We are in full force and ready to go. There are so many top players. This team has so many good guys right now. The army’s ready. We are all ready to go.”

ORLANDO SANCHEZ

The GB team has too many great competitors to list, but one recent standout and current member of the GB Worlds training camp team is brown belt Orlando Sanchez. He recently went to Brazil for the first time to train with professor Ze Radiola one week before the Brazilian Nationals. Romulo Barral made the trip out with him and coached him at the tournament as well, which thrilled Orlando immensely. Orlando stayed at Ze’s house and trained at his GB Pernembuco academy. “Professor Ze is an amazing man and professor,” Orlando says; “He helped me so much with the details of my game and my overall game plan at the competition. He mentally motivated me like no one ever has before. After he took care of me and mentored me for a week, he sent me to Rio to the tournament. It was just like all the videos of all the tournaments in Brazil I’ve seen. It was loud, people were yelling and singing, they had yellow and green puzzle mats… it was awesome!” Orlando had four fights in his ultra heavyweight division and he won them all, taking gold. He came back the next day to compete in the absolute. He faced Worlds champions and Pan champions in every match and won. In the finals he took on João Gabriel. “I beat Joao in the finals and was proud, not for me, but for my GB Pasadena students,” Orlando says. “I don’t compete for me anymore. I do it to be an example to the little champs and all my students at my school. I do it so I can be not just a champion in Jiu-Jitsu, but also a champion in life. We can be champions in life no matter where we come from! And now I’m training full-time at Ze’s Worlds training camp at the Gracie Barra Headquarters, six days a week leading up to the Worlds, where I hope to win again.”