Just a short notice to all GB Marbella members: To get ready for the grappling tournaments in June and July, we will be training no-gi only on Monday, Wednesday and Friday starting next week (Monday, 21 April).
Para todos los alumnos de GB Marbella: Para preparar los torneos de grappling en Junio y Julio, vamos a entrenar solo sin kimono empezanda el Lunes que viene, 21 Abril.
Hey everybody, I didn’t have a chance yet to write up an article in English about our results at the Hemo Hold BJJ tournament in Sevilla last weekend. Here’s a quick summary (in Spanish) on the FightSol forums:
GB Marbella Hemo Hold Results (in Spanish)
Here’s some videos I recorded from the event (hopefully more coming soon):
Just a quick heads up everybody: We’re planning our 2nd Open Grappling tournament in Marbella, tentatively set for Saturday, July 26. Start training! We should have some big news to announce about it soon. Stay tuned!
The Gracie-Barra Andalucia team traveled to Lisbon, Portugal this past weekend to compete in the 2008 European Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Championships, and performed very well! Medal winners included Matt (gold, brown-belt, senior 1), Jose Antonio (bronze, brown-belt, master), Hans (bronze, blue-belt, adult), Aida (bronze, blue-belt adult) and 15 year-old (!!) Andres (silver, blue-belt, juvenile). In addition, both Javi (not pictured above) and Juan competed, and although they didn’t medal, both fought very very well, and are sure to do some big things in the future!
Our coach, Edson Jorge, unfortunately couldn’t compete due to his recovery from an earlier injury, but he of course traveled with the team to the event, and gave all the encouragement and coaching that we could ask for!
The Spanish BJJ community was very well represented overall. You can read more news about the event here (in Spanish):
http://www.fightsol.com/foro/index.php?topic=6313.0
A general observation from everyone that went, was that the BJJ level in general is really increasing. Every category from white to black was full of very talented competitors. It was especially fun to watch the black belts! That alone was worth the trip! Several big names were there, including Roger Gracie and Fabricio Werdum (neither of whom competed), and Renato “Babalu” Sobral (who competed in brown belt.)
Big news everybody. BIG BIG BIG NEWS!
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Champion, Rômulo Barral, is coming to Marbella, Spain to give a one-day seminar, on January 19, 2008.
The cost will be 50 Euros for Gracie-Barra Marbella students, and 100 Euros for everyone else. Registration/payment will happen on the day of the event. The seminar will take place at the Platinum Gym, in Puerto Banus (i.e. our normal training center).
We will update the page soon with the precise seminar times.
Tonight we got a very special treat, as we welcomed Draculino to the Gracie-Barra Andalucia Marbella academy. It was a sort of homecoming as he joined us in class, reuniting with his two students (and our instructors) Edson Jorge and Marcelo Azevedo. In a very special class, Edson showed us a favorite shin-on-bicep guard sweep, that was super sweet. We’re all looking forward to the seminar this weekend with Draculino.
Remember folks, Draculino is the instructor of recent world-champion Romulo Barral! Serious stuff — you don’t want to miss this opportunity!
Tonight we also bid farewell to the Guitar Player extraordinaire of MMA, UK fighter Mr. Lee “I’ve still got half my teeth” Doski. Lee had a bit of a swollen knee (due probably to his 23 training session of the day) and so couldn’t train with us, but he was there in person and spirit. We are going to miss the heck out of Lee as he heads back to the UK for his upcoming Cage Rage fight. It was an emotional send-off, and we’re so looking forward to having him back in town.
So where are you likely to find four (FOUR!!!) Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belts in a single training class (not to mention three purple belts and a professional UK MMA fighter!)? Gracie-Barra Andalucia Marbella academy.
Tonight, on a typical Monday evening training session, I walked into the gym to find four BJJ black belts — Edson, Marcelo, Thelmo, and Jude! It was, let’s just say, … “Special”.
(I submitted them all, of course. Hehehe)
Seriously, folks, this is one freakin’ impressive BJJ school!
Hi everybody, our newest student, Carole, and recent graduate in Interior Architecture, happens to be a professional photographer. She shot the Open Grappling event, and has graciously provided us with the images from the event. Thanks Carole! Enjoy!
Nuestra alumna Carole, y recien graduado en Arquitectura de Interiores, es tambien fotografo profesional, y nos ha dehado sus 230 fotos el evento Open Grappling. Gracias Carole!
As August starts to wind down, we reflect a little on the great summer season we’ve had at Gracie-Barra Andalucia.
The academy has been growing like crazy, with new people showing up to train just about every week. Almost every training session we have to take down the partition, and take over the other training area, due to the large number of students. We’ve also now got three girls in the academy!
Just less than two years ago Edson arrived in Spain, and started in the determined work to build a world class academy. Since then, the academy students have won competitions at both the national and European levels, and Edson himself has won the KO Arena welterweight championship belt, and the recent superfight against Spanish top grappler, Tito Beltran. We’ve seen guys such as Pablo, Agusto, Leo and Mike progress from recreational training to near professional levels, becoming in the process top-class athletes winning BJJ, grappling and MMA events.
Last week, to help support the growth, our old friend Marcelo “Uirapuru” Azevedo returned to Spain, to take up the role of head instructor at the new Gracie-Barra Andalucia academy in Malaga.
A few weeks ago, we put on the successful first annual Open Grappling tournament here in Marbella, hosted on by the seaside at Soul Beach. Based on the feedback we’re getting from people, the event was a big success. It was great to see all our friends from other academies around Spain, and have the chance to spend a day in competition and socializing.
We’ve also had several visitors down, with whom we’ve had the opportunity to train, just a few of whom include Roberto Atalla (black belt instructor), Jude Samuels (black-belt from Roger Gracie), Leandro (Gracie-Barra black belt from Brazil), Lee Doski (UK-based MMA fighter), Nicolas (purple belt from California), and most recently Valencia-based MMA fighter “Titin”.
All in all, we’ve had a great summer, and look forward to continued growth and fun at the academy!
We have had the enormous pleasure this August to have UK-based MMA fighter Lee “The Guitar Player” Doski down here training with us in Marbella. Lee’s one of nicest and funniest guys we’ve had in the dojo, and we’ve had a month of laughs and tough rolls together.
Lee’s got a fight at the upcoming Cage Rage 22, and so he’ll be heading back home next week. Were all hoping he’ll have a chance to apply the north-south choke we showed him; although it might be tricky in his upcoming K1 rules fight. (But if anybody can figure out how to pull it off, we’re sure Lee can!) Given how hard he’s been training here (oh, about 14 or 15 times per day?!?), we feel pretty sorry for his upcoming opponent.
Be sure to check out Lee’s profile at Sherdog.
Have a safe trip back, Lee. We’re gonna miss having you around, and look forward to your next trip down!
We’ve got some big news to announce folks. Edson announced Wednesday night that his long-time friend Marcelo “Uirapuru” Azevedo has returned from Brazil to help with the growth of the Gracie-Barra Marbella academy, and will be taking up the post of head instructor of the new academy in Malaga.
Marcelo is also a black-belt under Draculino, and is an accomplished BJJ competitor, and MMA fighter, having fought in the UK’s leading MMA event, Cage Rage, and most recently in the United States in the IFL as part of Renzo Gracie’s Pitbulls team.
This is huge step for the academy, making it one of the highest-profiles Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu organizations in Europe.
As part of this expansion, the academy is changing its name, appropriately to Gracie-Barra Andalucia.
In September, 2007, Gracie-Barra black belt and Cage Rage veteran Marcelo “Uirapuru” Azevedo returns to Spain to assist Edson “Sururu” Jorge with the growth of his academy, Gracie-Barra Marbella. Azevedo will assume the position of head instructor of BJJ, grappling and MMA in the new affiliate academy in Málaga.
To inaugurate this event, Vinicius “Draculino” Magalhães will give a one-day seminar in the new academy, on 1 September 2007. It will be the second seminar from Draculino; the first taking place last year in Marbella, and was a big success. The seminar will also include the presence and instruction of Edson Jorge and Marcelo Azevedo; in total three BJJ black belts together for a day of intense instruction. Don’t miss it!
The focus of the seminar will include an indepth study of arm-drag techniques and variations with gi, and new guard passes and back-mount attacks from the guard.
Although you are free to register on the day of the event, it would help us a lot if those interested in coming could leave a comment on this article, so that we have can have a rough idea in advance of the number of participants. Thanks!
En Septiembre, 2007, Gracie-Barra cinturon negro y Cage Rage veterano Marcelo “Uirapuru” Azevedo vuelve a España para juntarse con Edson “Sururu” Jorge para ayudar con el crecimiento de la academia Gracie-Barra Marbella. Azevedo tomará la posición de instructor de BJJ, grappling y MMA en la nueva academia en Málaga.
Para inaugurar este evento, vendrá el maestro Vinicius “Draculino” Magalhães para dar un seminario en la academia de Málaga. Será el segundo seminario de Draculino aqui; el primero el año pasado que fue un exito. El seminario cuenta tambien con la presencia y ayuda de Edson Jorge y Marcelo Azevedo — en total tres cinturones negros de los mejores del mundo juntos para un dia de instruccion intenso.
- Evento: Seminario de Vinicius “Draculino” Magalhães
- Lugar: Gracie-Barra Marbella filiale de Málaga
- Fecha: 1 Septiembre, 2007
- Horario: 11:00 a 13:00 y 17:00 a 19:00 horas
- Precio: 50 Euros
- Formato: BJJ (con kimono) y grappling (sin kimono)
El seminario enfocará en el arm-drag (y variaciones) con kimono, y nuevas technicas para pasar la guardia y ataques de la espada sin kimono.
Aunque se puede hacer la inscripcion el mismo dia del evento, nos ayudaria mucho si los interesados pueden dejar su nombre en un comentario a este articulo (para mas or menos tener un idea cuantos personas van a asistir.) Gracias!
Este documento contiene algunas notas finales, plan de actividades, reglas y lista de participantes relacionado con el Torneo Open Grappling, este fin de semana, 11 de Agosto. Es muy importante leer esta información! (This document contains final notes, rules, schedule and participant list for the Open Grapping Tournament this coming weekend, 11 August. It is very important to read this information!) Continue reading →
It’s great being part of an active, vibrant Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu club. Sometimes we’re working on technique. Sometimes we’re training for a competition. Sometimes we’re welcoming new members to the club, or welcoming visiting black belts from Brazil. And sometimes, we’re treated to seminars.
This past Monday night, we had the pleasure of welcoming BJJ black belt Roberto Atalla to our academy for a one-evening seminar. It was a great experience, as Roberto is a tremendously friendly and competent instructor. (And, he’s fluent in both English and Spanish!)
The seminar focused exclusively on guard passing, with kimono. We focus on a few details to improve our general pass from the closed guard, and then we moved on to several passes from the open- and spider guards, including a nice counter to an attempted De La Riva guard. We trained the techniques for two hours, and then spent a final 45 minutes doing specific-position sparring.
All in all, it was a great evening, and we hope that Roberto can find time in his schedule to pass by again, and spend a bit of time with us here in Marbella. He’s got a busy schedule of seminars around Europe, but hopes to be back next year.
Be sure to follow Roberto’s blog at:
Hey everybody, just wanted to announce that next Monday, 9 July 2007, we’ll be hosting a BJJ seminar with Roberto Atalla at our academy in Puerto Banus. The cost will be 25 Euro per person. The class starts at 20:00 until 22:00 (usual training time.) Check out Roberto’s weblog and don’t miss this opportunity. Bring kimono and grappling clothes.
http://robertoatalla.wordpress.com/
Hola a todos, el proximo lunes, 9 Julio 2007, vamos a tener un seminaro de BJJ con Roberto Atalla! El lugar es nuestro academia en Puerto Banus. La hora es de 20:00 a 22:00, y el coste es 25 Euros. No pierdas ese oportunidad! Trae ropa de BJJ (kimono) y grappling.
Un saludo, y hasta entonces!