This year holds a lot of promises for Gracie Barra and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in general. All of us, students, instructors, managers, tournament organizers, athletes, press agents, sponsors, and writers, are laboring diligently for the growth of our sport and planted many strong seeds in the last few years, specially in 2007.
For that reason, we believe it is right to say that 2008 will be the year that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu will consolidate its position as the number one martial art in the world.
But one may ask, what is fueling this extraordinary expansion? First and foremost, the BJJ spirit. There is much more in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu then a mere ground fighting style used by MMA Athletes. BJJ is a wonderful art that allows everyone to experience and live a more balanced and healthy daily routine. People get in for many reasons, but stay in because they feel and get devoted to the BJJ Lifestyle.
But hasn’t this essence been there for many decades, since all the Gracie Family was leaving and training together on that big house in Teresopolis, Brazil? if so, what explains this recent boom of BJJ?
Well, think about it: there has never been so many engines working in harmony for the global expansion of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. From the media to the tournaments, passing by the seminar and dvds industries, everything is working towards the same goal: getting more and more people involved with the sport.
All this agents of growth have their parcel of contribution, but its on the BJJ School where the rubber meets the road. The BJJ instructor is the core engine, the primary source of motion in this process. Every class he or she teaches, every technique, every detail, and every act of care and dedication to the students are building and expanding the passion for our sport in thousands of people in uncountable schools worldwide.
This is the message from the GB Team to all the Jiu-Jitsu community. Good luck to us all and enjoy the journey. At the end of 2008 we will look back and celebrate!
See you on the mats!
Gracie Barra Team2008 Open European Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ChampionshipsStadium EuropeanGB was very well representedIt was amazing to see the gymnasium so packed. More then 800 athletes competed in all the divisions. It is fantastic to whatch the growth of a tournament that started with 150 competitors a few years ago. The picture on the right is the Casal Vistoso Sports Complex, in Lisbon Portugal, where thousands of people went to watch the competition.
Gracie Barra athletes came literally from all over Europe. There were so many schools in different countries that makes it hard to be precise. A guessing list would include: Portugal, England, Finland, Poland, Spain, Greece, German, Switzerland, Sweden, France, Italy, Israel, Angola, and many others.
For each one of these places, there is a GB Instructor. One person connected to Master Carlos Gracie Jr spreading the legacy of his family by teaching students and stimulating their passion for our sport.
Congratulations to all the instructors and their students for showing up and representing GB so well.I European GB Instructors MeetingEurope Inst Meeting
“Keeping the Legacy Alive”The name of the meeting was choosen to reflect and define the outstanding job that dozens of Gracie Barra black belts are doing in Europe.
The I European GB Instructors Meeting was a great success. It was nice to learn from the challenges these instructors face to introduce BJJ in their new countries and to discuss how the GB Association can work with them to overcome these challenges.
The meeting took place at GB Lisbon on the morning of January 28th.In the Memory of Grand Master Carlson Gracie
At February 1st, 2006, Grand Master Carlson Gracie left usCarlson and Carlos SrTwo years ago, one of the greatest legends of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu left us. Grand Master Carlson Gracie is considered the best fighter family at the decades of 1950 and 1960. During that period, he played a key role in keeping the name and legacy of the Gracie family alive by an outstanding performance in many MMA fights in Brazil.One of his great victories, was the win against Valdemar Santana in 1956. On that night he avenged his uncle Helio Gracie.GB Fundamentals Curriculum
A Solid Curriculum for BeginnersGB FundamentalsA solid basics is a requisite for a good Jiu-Jitsu game. Without good knowledge and skills on basic Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu moves, self-defense included, the chances of succeeding as a BJJ Practitioner are much lower and the risks of injuries much higher.
Taking that into consideration, Master Carlos Gracie Jr. have developed the Gracie Barra Fundamentals Curriculum: a set of 96 techniques distributed in a learning and teaching plan comprised by 16 weeks (4 months).
The founder of Gracie Barra envisions that this curriculum will be applied in all GB schools world wide. “The Fundamentals” represents the basic techniques that have always been part of the Classes at GB. The difference now is that it has been encapsulated in a format that can be replicated any where.
Gracie Barra Instructors can access the GB Fundamentals Curriculum in print paper and video. If you don’t have access yet, please e-mail us at association@graciebarra.com.GB Instructor ProfileThe Tale of GB in PortugalKiko, Diogo, Carlos
In the beginning of the 90s, three passionate BJJ practioners met Master Carlos Gracie Jr through their instructor. Professors Algusto “Kiko” Pedro Alves da Silva, Diogo Valenca, e Alexandre Machado, became dedicated Gracie Barra students and started to work towards the growth of BJJ in Portugal.
By then, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was very small and most schools were led by Brazilian Instructors. It took a while for them to occupy their space, but with a lot of hard work and dedication they built the Gracie Barra presence in Portugal and now they have four operating schools: GB Paco de Arcos, GB Benfica, GB Avalade, and GB Algarve.
They celebrate the GB Way and believe that it made a difference for them to become democratic schools where BJJ competitors and common people train in Harmony. According to Prof. Kiko, BJJ is growing in Portugal both in size and quality. His school has lawyers, doctors, women, and kids training in a family oriented environment. That comes with no sacrifice to the competition goals of the GB Portugal Team: last year, the team celebrate the 1st place at the Portugal Nationals Championship.
Professors Kiko and Diogo also played a key role to make possible the European Jiu-Jitsu Championship. On its 5th version, this tournament started in 2004 with less then 200 athletes. Now, 5 years later, the tournament is getting close to one thousand competitors and has made an enormous contribution to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in the world.