Welcome to another Match of the Week! This week's match is Lucas Leite vs. Roberto 'Cyborg' Abreu from the first ever edition of the NoGi Worlds back in 2007.
Lucas Leite is a black belt under Leo Vieira and competes for Team Checkmat. Lucas has been a common figure on the podium of major competitions ever since he was promoted to black belt back in 2007. He is well known for changing weight class, and sometimes has even competed at heavyweight (-94kg). Today, Lucas runs a successful academy in La Harba, California.
He is a five time Pan American Champion (2015, 2014, 2012, 2009, 2007 brown), a three time World NoGi Champion (2014, 2011, 2009), a two time World (2007, 2005 brown) and Grapplers Quest Pro Champion (2009, 2007), and a one-time European (2006 brown), American National NoGi (2011), and São Paulo State Champion.
Over the years, Lucas has become famous for his use of the half guard. He is one of the key figures responsible for bringing great attention to the position. He really is exceptional from that position. He has great sweeps from the half guard and also transitions to the back really well. Submissions wise, Lucas has a preference for chokes from the back.
Lucas Leite Source: Owen Francis
Roberto Abreu, better known in the BJJ community as 'Cyborg', is a black belt under Francisco 'Toco' Albuquerque. He initially started training with the Nova Geracao Team, but has since started his own team, Fight Sports. Cyborg is well known for his very unique style of grappling and the tornado guard, which he has since made famous.
Throughout his reasonably long career, Cyborg has won multiple titles. He is a four time World NoGi Champion (2012, 2011, 2010 weight & absolute), a two time Pan American Champion (2008, 2001 blue), and a one-time ADCC (2013 absolute) and European Champion (2005). He is also a six time World bronze medalist (2013, 2011, 2008, 2006 absolute, 2003 purple, 2002 purple absolute) and a two time ADCC (2013, 2011) and World NoGi bronze medalist (2008 absolute, 2007).
Obviously, as I mentioned earlier, Cyborg is well known for his tornado guard. He is also known for his half guard and the deep half guard position. A very unique, yet under utilised submission which Cyborg has great amounts of success with in competition is the reverse triangle. For such a big guy, Cyborg moves almost like a lightweight. He is very explosive with his movements.
Roberto 'Cyborg' Abreu
During this match, Lucas really shows his skill from the half guard. For the first half of the match, he is relentless with his back takes and sweeps. However, Cyborg does a great job of defending and is always pushing the pass. He also uses some of his famous tornado guard to sweep. The ending of this one might actually surprise you!
The video of the match can be found below! I hope you guys enjoy!
See you next week!
(If you are viewing on a mobile device, please click HERE)
Hey guys, today I bring you an interview with Mikey Musumeci.At only 18 years old, Mikey is already a three time World Champion and four time Pan Am Champion. He has recently been dominating in the brown belt division and seriously has a bright future ahead of him. I hope you enjoy the interview!
Source: Preston Smith
Could you please give a brief outline of
yourself?
My name is Mikey Musumeci. I am 18 years old,
and I am currently a senior in High School and a brown belt in Jiu Jitsu.
Could you tell us about your beginnings in
Jiu-Jitsu?
I started training Jiu Jitsu when I was about 4
years old. My dad was always into MMA and trained also, so I wanted to do it
too and haven’t stopped since!
At what point in your life did you start to take
Jiu-Jitsu seriously?
I would say about 12 years old I started to get
extremely into it!
Source: GracieMag
How do you manage school and training?
It’s sometimes hard managing both, sometimes I
don’t get the sleep I need for proper recovery from training because I’m doing
school work, but nothing comes easy in life and my mother has always told my
sister and me since we were young, “work hard now and enjoy life later.” But I
enjoy every second of the struggle and I think it builds character.
How important is your sister, Tammi to your
training?
My sister is extremely important to my training
routine. We train together every day, and she helps me so much. I am so
thankful and lucky to have a sibling to train with every day.
Mikey with his sister, Tammi
Who would you say are some of your biggest
inspirations in Jiu-Jitsu?
I have so many lol but to name a few of course
the Mendes Bros have been huge role models to my Jiu Jitsu, I trained with Gui
Mendes the first time when I was like 12 or 13 and he inspired me so much.
Also, Bruno Malfacine has had a huge impact on my Jiu Jitsu as well. Gilbert
Durinho Burns, Jonatas Gurgel, Emyr “Shark” Bussade the Miyao Brothers and
Murillo Santana to name others!
In a lot of your competition matches, you
frequently use the berimbolo. Why do you favour this technique?
I have been doing the berimbolo since about the
end of 2010 and I constantly keep learning new things from there still!! The berimbolo
I feel is a very safe competition game, and if you understand the position well,
it is really easy to be effective with it in competition. There are usually a
handful of reactions from your opponents there to the position and I feel once
you have an answer to them like any other position you can use the position
extremely well.
What do you say to people that say that you only
use the berimbolo?
At Pans this year in brown belt I did a closed
guard muscle sweep to the back!! But seriously lol I work so much more stuff
than just berimbolo in training, and maybe you guys will see it in the future!
Source: GracieMag
Do you believe in drilling? If so, could you
give us a reason why?
I like to drill, because I feel the type of Jiu
Jitsu I do it is essential to drill, and to be mechanical, but some legends and
greats in Jiu Jitsu don’t like to drill also, so it just depends on the person
and their type of Jiu Jitsu they do.
Percentage wise, based on your training, how
much percentage you would give to each of these – Drilling, Sparring and
Technique.
Well I would base drilling and technique
together so about 50 for those two and another 50 percent for sparring.
Do you think teaching improves your Jiu-Jitsu?
For sure you always learn a new detail about a
position when you are teaching it to someone.
Source: GracieMag
On the subject of teaching, what are your
aspirations in regards to teaching?
Maybe one day I would love to teach and run a
school, but I am only 18 and have to do so many other things before aspiring to
teach.
What are your first memories of competition?
I was I believe 5 at a NAGA in New Jersey. I won
the fight by a takedown I think and ran off the mat and ran into my dad’s arms
crying and didn’t want to fight again lol.
How important is competition to you?
Competition helps me see how my Jiu Jitsu is and
what I need to fix, it always teaches you whenever you’re uncomfortable to keep
going which is a very important life lesson.
What has been your toughest match in competition
thus far?
My toughest match so far was probably Brown Belt
pans finals with my friend, Darson Hemmings. It was a war, but I managed to
pull through.
Mikey against Darson Hemmings in the 2015 Pan Ams final Source: Lineage
In 2013 you won the Worlds at Juvenile, what was
the transition like to adult?
So the transitions to adult has been very
interesting, for example I felt Juvenile was a lot more difficult for me than
adult purple belt! Seriously, lol but now in brown belt everyone’s tough and
sometimes I see myself as a kid and I expect to be fighting juveniles, but when
I look across the mat I see brown belt men!! Haha, so the transition has been
quite interesting…..
Then in 2014, you won the Worlds at purple belt,
getting promoted to brown belt on the podium. How was that experience?
It was an amazing experience, and it was an
honor to receive it from one of my idols Gui Mendes!! The second I got my brown
I was already thinking of the competition and was focused on competing again!!
Mikey receiving his brown belt from Gui Mendes Source: GracieMag
For this year, what are some of your main goals?
Win Brown belt worlds, Win Brown belt worlds and
Win Brown belt world’s lol
Could you take us through your weekly schedule?
Every day is usually the same thing, school and
as many trainings as I can get in and also some conditioning.
For somebody who wants to start taking Jiu-Jitsu
seriously, how many times a week would you recommend they train?
As many as they can get in!
Source: IBJJF
In your opinion, what does it take to become
World Champion?
To become a world champion I believe having good
technique is essential but really the desire to not give up and to want it.
If you could give one piece of advice to a white
belt, what would it be?
Some advice I would give a white belt would be
to be as mature and open-minded as possible when learning and to be persistent
and keep going!
What other things do you like to do besides
Jiu-Jitsu?
All I do is stuff related to Jiu Jitsu and
School! lol
Do you have any plans to venture into MMA in the
future?
I don’t think so; my sister will beat me up too
much! Haha, she plans to go into MMA.
Just to break things up from this formal
interview, I would like to ask you some trivia questions, they are:
1.
Goro or Shao Kahn? ?
2.
Vegeta or Batman? Batman
3.
Splinter Cell or Metal Gear Solid? ?
4.
Devil May Cry or God of War? ? lol
5.
DX or NWO? ?
6.
Blink-182 or Simple Plan? ? I have no life idk what these things are!!
7.
Fanta or Sprite? I don’t drink soda
8.
Write or Type? Type
9.
The Rock or Randy Savage? The Rock
10.
Small or Large? Small?
11.
Coke or Pepsi? I don’t drink soda
12.
Ice Cream or Cake? I don’t eat that stuff
13.
PlayStation or Xbox? PlayStation
14.
Beyond Belief or The Twilight Zone? ?
15.
Tea or Coffee? I only drink water
16.
Salt or Pepper? Salt
17.
Basketball or Baseball? Baseball
18.
Gordon Ramsey or Anthony Bourdain? ?
19.
Messi or Ronaldo? Messi
20.
Ermac or Rain? ?
I just want to say thank you Mikey for giving me
the opportunity to interview you. It really been great! Before we finish, is
there anybody you would like to thank?
Yes I would like to thank my awesome sponsors,
SHOYOROLL, BULL TERRIER, THE ARMBAR SOAP COMPANY, FIVE GRAPPLING, and 3 PERCENT
for all their support! Also my parents who help me so much and my sister, and
all the people I train with that help me every day. God Bless you all! OSSS
Welcome
to another edition of Match of the Week! This week's match is Claudio
Calasans vs. Marcus "Buchecha" Almeida from the 2011 CBJJE Pan
Ams.
Claudio
Calasans is a black belt under Erivaldo Junior and fights for Team Atos.
Claudio is one of top grapplers in the very competitive middleweight division.
Besides this, Claudio also holds a black belt in Judo and was once part of the
Brazilian National Wrestling Team.
Throughout
his time competing in the black belt division, Claudio has done very well,
taking gold in numerous prestigious competitions. He is a four time Abu Dhabi
Pro Champion (2012, 2011, 2010 weight & absolute), a three time European
Champion (2014, 2013, 2011), and a two time Pan American (2012, 2011) and Asian
Open Champion (2014 weight & absolute). He is also a one-time CBJJE World
(2008) and Brazilian ADCC Trails Champion (2011).
Claudio
Calasans is well known for using his Judo background in Jiu-Jitsu. You will
commonly see Claudio kick the match off with a throw, trip or takedown. He is very
dangerous off is back also, especially from the closed guard. Here he likes to execute
one of his favourite submissions, the wrist lock, a very painful and
underutilised submission.
Claudio Calasans
Marcus "Buchecha" Almeida is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Rodrigo Cavaca and fights for Checkmat. Since his late teens, Buchecha has been seen by many as the next big star in BJJ. He has more than lived up to that, and has gone on to win his weight division and absolute division three years in a row (2012, 2013, and 2014) at the World Championships. As of today, Buchecha is the number one black belt in the world under the IBJJF rankings.
Being the number one ranked black belt in the world, it's not hard to imagine that Buchecha has won his fair share of medals throughout his time in competition. He is a six time World Champion (2012 weight and absolute, 2013 weight and absolute, and 2014 weight and absolute), a four time WPJJ (2012, 2013 absolute, 2014 weight and absolute) and Pan American Champion (2011, 2012, 2013 weight and absolute), and a one time ADCC Champion (2013). One thing which is surprising about Marcus "Buchecha" Almeida is his speed for such a big guy. He is so fast and explosive. You will often see him start off a match with a take down, typically a double or single leg. From there, he quickly passes the guard and transitions to a dominant position which is usually the back. It not to say that he's afraid to pull guard either. He is just as dangerous and explosive off his back as he is on top.
Marcus "Buchecha" Almeida Source: Mike Calimbus
So many exciting moments in this match to count! Just constant action all the way through. Even though at this point, Buchecha was a relatively new black belt, he puts in an incredible performance against an experienced competitor. It truly is a great match!
The video of the match can be found below! I hope you guys enjoy!
See you next week!
(If you are viewing on a mobile device, please click HERE)
Quick question; have you ever heard of a country called Taured? Well, no such country actually exists. However, a man in summer of 1954 arrived at Haneda Airport, Tokyo, Japan, and claimed to be a citizen of that country.
During
the summer of 1954, a routine European flight arrives at Tokyo's Haneda
Airport. As the passengers disembark, they inevitably make their way to customs
point. It's pretty much an ordinary day for the custom officials, until a
smartly dressed Caucasian man appears at the front of the queue. He presents
them with his passport which has been issued by the country of Taured. Of
course, they have never heard of such a country. When asked where Taures is, he
casually tells them that Tuared is situated on the border between France and
Spain.
When
further questioned, he informs the officials that he is on business trip to
Japan, and that this is one of three trips he's planning on making this year.
His first language is French, but he is able to speak fluent Japanese along
with multiple other languages. His wallet contains several different European
currencies, indicating that he must be a very frequent traveler.
At this
point, the man is taken into a private room to be interrogated
further. Looking slightly confused, the officials tell the man that no
such country exists. When they ask the man for further proof of his
identity, he presents the officials with his driver’s license. This too is
issued by the unknown country of Taured. He also provides them with multiple
bank statements and business documents all from the country of Taured.
His
passport includes dozens of visa stamps from his previous travels including
Japan which he tells them he has traveled to numerous times without any
difficulty. On closer inspection of his passport, it doesn't seem to be a
forgery. The layout and theme is correct, and is made from the correct
materials. The images on the paper inside are also typical of any official
passport.
In order
to prove their point that no such country exists, the custom officials show the
unknown man a world map and ask him to locate the so called country of Taured.
The man points to the Principality of Andorra, but then becomes disturbed to
find out that this is not his homeland. If you are not familiar with Andorra,
it is a very small European country which is indeed situated between France and
Spain. Today it has a population of around 85,458 people, but back in 1954 it
only had a population of approximately 5,500 people.
The Flag of Andorra
He then
tells the officials that Taured should be exactly where Andorra is and he has
never heard of Andorra. He says that his country of Taured has existed for over
1000 years. An awkward silence engulfs the room. The man now starts to become
confused and frustrated.
In order
to get back on track, the officials ask more about his business ventures in
Japan and if he can provide any proof of the company he is associated with. He
provides them with paperwork for the company along with a phone number. They
then find out that no such company exists.
Not sure
what to do with the mystery man, the officials decide to detain the man at a
local hotel, several floors up, which will be guarded immigration officials
throughout the entire night until they decide what to do with him. The room has
no balcony or outside area in order to make the chance of escape pretty much
impossible.
A Map of Andorra
The next
morning, when the officials enter the hotel room, the man from Taured is gone.
He has simply vanished, along with all his personal belongings and
documentation. The hotel room is several floors from the ground and the only
way he could have escaped is through the window which would have led to near
certain death and would sure have caused a scene.
The
guards report that they didn't see nor hear him after he entered the room. They
didn't hear any suspicious activities or anything which would indicate he was
trying to escape or gain contact with anyone.
Both the
police and immigration officials send a search for the mystery man but no trace
of him is ever found. As mysterious as he appeared, he vanished. It's as if the
event never actually took place.
Right, so
did this story actually take place? Well, as of now, no documentation has been
brought into the public light. No police reports were published or there was no
mention of the story in local newspapers. Then again, if this story did really
happen, I doubt any official would write a report on this story.
However,
it has been mentioned in numerous different books. The two most famous beingThe Directory of Possibilities by
Colin Wilson and John Grant (1981, p.86) (ISBN: 0-552-119946)andStrange
but True: Mysterious and Bizarre People by Thomas Sleman (1999, p.64) (ISBN:
0-760-712443).
I am
actually kind of surprised that this story hasn't been featured on any
mystery/investigation TV shows. I think it would be great if somebody would
look more into this story to see if this story is nothing more than an urban
legend.
Okay, so,
as I see it, there are three main possibilities for this story. Firstly, this
story is nothing more than a hoax/urban legend. Secondly, the man featured in
this story had somehow entered our reality from an alternate universe. And
finally, this man suffered from a mental illness or this is some sort of joke.
Let's
look at the first one. I guess this is the easiest to wrap your head around.
This story could just be a hoax... sorry, I mean urban legend. Right off the
bat, there are a few problems I see with story. Firstly, there is no mention of
his name or age. Surely, if he was being interrogated they would have note of
some of his personal details. Also, they do not mention the name of the hotel
he stayed at. Probably the biggest thing I see is that this story varies a lot!
Search this story on the internet, and each one will vary slightly.
Now, the
second option, the time traveler. I suppose this is everybody’s favourite
(including mine!). In some way, this man entered our universe from a parallel
universe (or multiverse if you want to get all scientific). There are many
theories out there about time travel and how you would connect our universe to
another.
Realistically,
is time travel even possible? Scientists believe that time travel into the
future is definitely possible. However, time travel into the past is a whole
different animal, and the science behind that is not understood very well at
this time. Obviously, there is loads of material available about the principals
involved with time travel, but I found thisONEsummarised it excellently.
Another
theory is of course the theory of wormholes. In a nut shell, it's a passage
from a black hole to another universe. Like I said, this is just a theory, and
most scientists and astronomers don't think they exist. Anyway, even if they
did exist, it would be impossible to find them as they are in black
holes.
Finally, the idea that the man was mentally ill or playing a joke. Well, the idea of the man being mentally ill on the surface sounds realistic. However, how do you explain the forms of I.D. he had and other documentation? Again, this is 1954. There is no Photoshop, or computers. I mean creating forged documents back then wouldn't have been impossible, but extremely difficult for an ordinary person.
If he was playing a joke, why take it that far? Why go all that trouble? Okay, customs back then aren't like they are today, so it's plausible that you could get around on a professionally done forged passport for a trip or two, but I doubt you could do it for dozens or trips abroad.
Whatever happened that day, we may never know. Either this story is nothing more than a story or somehow, the man from Taured was a real time traveler.
After a
four week break, welcome back to another edition of Match of the
Week! I have done over thirty editions of Match of the Week thus far, so I
thought it was about time to cover my first female match. The match this week
is Michelle Nicolini vs. Luanna Alzuguir from the absolute finals of the
2013 Brazilian Nationals.
Michelle
Nicolini is black belt under Robert Drysdale and fights for team Checkmat.
Michelle is one of the greatest female Jiu-Jitsu competitors of all time, and
arguably the pound for pound best female competitor out there today. She saw
tremendous amounts of success from 2010 onwards when she started to train fully
under Rodrigo Cavaca. She left his academy in late 2013 when Cavaca decided to
start his own team.
Michelle
is a eight time World Champion (2014, 2013, 2012, 2010, 2007 weight &
absolute, 2006), a three time Pan American Champion (2011, 2010, 2008), a two
time World NoGi (2010, 2008) and European Champion (2012 weight &
absolute), and a one-time ADCC (2013) and Abu Dhabi World Pro Champion
(2012).
One guard
which Michelle has become particularly well known for throughout her career is
the shin on shin guard. She will often pull straight to it at the start of her
matches, normally falling back to the closed guard if she fails to get it.
Looking at submissions, Michelle is very good at the toe hold. In fact, she
probably finishes the majority of her matches with this submission.
Michelle Nicolini
Luanna
Alzuguir is a black belt under Marco Barbosa and is a member of Alliance
(formerly with Barbosa Jiu-Jitsu). Luanna is one of the best and most dominant
competitors in the female lightweight division today. As a result, she holds
many major titles to her name.
Luanna
has had great success in competition at the black belt level. She is a five
time World Champion (2013, 2012, 2011, 2010 absolute, 2009), a three time Abu
Dhabi World Pro Champion (2012, 2011, 2010), a two time European (2011 weight
& absolute) and CBJJE World Cup Champion (2007 weight & absolute), and
a one-time ADCC (2009) and Pan American Champion (2011).
The open
guard is Luanna's favourite guard of choice. She is excellent from that
position and flawlessly sets up sweeps and transitions to submissions. She
doesn't seem to have one particular favourite submission, but she does seem to
have a little bit of a preference for triangle, something which she sets up
great from the open guard position.
Luanna Alzugair
Boy, this is a good one! Probably one of my favourite female matches. It starts off quite slow for the first three minutes or so, but then the match starts to pick up with some great guard passing and back take attempts from Alzuguir. The finish of this match is great, so make sure you watch until the end.
The video of the match can be found below! I hope you guys enjoy!
See you next week!
(If you are viewing on a mobile device, please click HERE)
Jeez, it's been almost three weeks since
I've posted anything. S***! It's been over four months since I even did an
update post. Well, now Easter and everything that comes with that is over, I
can get back to writing on my blog. Woop woop!
Some things are going to be different for
the next few weeks. Firstly, I want to start talking a lot more about topics
which interest me other than BJJ. I'm not saying I'm totally going to banish
BJJ, there will still be plenty of that, but I would like to paint with a few
different colours rather than sticking to just one.
I'll be talking about weird and strange
things mostly. I love bizarre things, and things which seem to confuse all
rational explanation. I have a few goodies lined up, so it should be a breath
of fresh air. I will also do some more top 10's, maybe even another top 10
Beyond Belief stories. I think I'll do a Top 10 Twilight Zone episodes from the
original series. That sounds good to me.
I may talk about some professional
wrestling as I have touched on that in the past. If you don't know, I'm a
really big pro wrestling fan, and I have been since I was a kid. I really enjoy
learning about the professional wrestling business and creative teams. I could
listen to that stuff for hours! I may sneak a little bit in, but we'll have to
see.
Of course, Metamoris 6 is coming up, and
as usual I will give a review on my thoughts of the up and coming card. That
will be pretty soon actually, probably in about two weeks’ time. Also, the Abu
Dhabi Pro is on later this month, so I'll hopefully do a review of that event
as well.
The heel hook article has been in the can
for quite some time now. Damn! There's so much to put into it. I never want to
rush anything, and there's so much to the topic itself, I don't want put out
something and feel like a missed something. It may even be a two part article,
but I don't really know as of yet. The next BJJ articles will be less intensive
topics.
Interviews... oh, interviews. I finally
got the Jean Machado interview out. It took a while, but I thought it was a
really interview. I have an interview with Mikey Musumeci coming out very soon,
maybe as soon as this weekend. I ironed out some creases with him today and now
he's very close to completing the questions I asked him.
I've been thinking of maybe doing an
interview with some non-BJJ people. I was thinking about maybe doing an
interview with Scott Raynor who was previously the drummer from Blink-182. I
think I'll sit on that idea for a bit. I'm already doing a lot of non-BJJ stuff
as it is, so I don't want to go too far away from my core audience, but it's
something I will definitely consider.
Really, that's all I have to say for now. Lots
of exciting new content set to be published soon. I can wait to get it
out.
Hey guys, today I have for you an interview with Jean
Machado. Some of you might be familiar with his YouTube channel,
LiveTheMachLife. He produces a lot of great Jiu-Jitsu related comedy and parody
videos. I’m a big fan of his content, so it has been great to get the chance to
interview him. I hope you guys enjoy.
So right off the bat, could you introduce yourself to my readers?
Hello everyone, my name is Jean
Machado. I am son to the youngest of the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Legends, The
Machado Brothers. I am a brown belt in the art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and enjoy
making funny videos on the internet about it and other everyday things.
Could you take us through some of your earliest memories of Jiu-Jitsu?
When I was 4 years old I began
participating in classes at our Jiu-Jitsu academy. I remember Jiu-Jitsu always
being a fun and enjoyable experience growing up.
What is it like to be part of such an iconic family like the Machado
family?
To me they are known as uncle,
tio, or father. It’s pretty great that they as a family and individuals have
done so much to further this art. It’s quite motivating and makes me strive to
go even further.
What’s the training like at RCJ Machado?
It’s an amazing experience. It’s
always felt like home.
Do you think RCJ Machado can compete with other big BJJ teams? (I.e.
Gracie Barra, Atos, Alliance etc.)
Yes, RCJ Machado had the largest
competition team in the 90's. I don't see why that can't happen again.
Does RCJ Machado have any up and coming competitors who you think can
be a major force on the competition scene?
There are several contenders throughout
the United States and abroad who a phenomenal grapplers under the RCJ banner. I
myself compete.
Does your team run any training camps prior to major tournaments?
Yes, preparation is key to
competing in tournaments.
What is your style of Jiu-Jitsu?
I’m not sure what kind of style
it is, The Machlife style.
Source: Mike Calimbas
What is your opinion on ‘modern’ Jiu-Jitsu techniques? And do you use
any of them?
They have their practicality
within the limits of competition. I think they are fun to learn and play with
in class but don’t see a real world application.
Do you think any of these techniques are ‘ruining’ Jiu-Jitsu?
Since competition for many is the
main focus for practicing Jiu-Jitsu, that is an area which has gained lots of
momentum in new ideas to better ones results in a tournament. If one only
focuses on those techniques, they are limiting themselves to a set of rules, nonexistent
in the streets.
Do you think drilling is an important part of Jiu-Jitsu? Or do you
think it’s a waste of time?
If you don’t practice, how will
you ever get better?
Tell us one thing about you game which nobody would know?
It’s fun.
If you could sum up your Jiu-Jitsu in one word, what would it be?
Unique, I try to have as much fun
as I can when training, even if it's not showing.
How frequently do you train?
4-5 times a week.
Do you do any strength and conditioning? Or do you train solely
Jiu-Jitsu?
One doesn't hurt the other.
What does your diet consist of? And do you take any specific supplements?
Eat mainly nutritious meals, lots
of vegetables and protein yet avoiding things like breads which slow you down.
I lean towards a healthy nutrition.
What were some of your earliest competitions like?
Chaotic. I remember going in to
some fights, as a kid, with no idea of what to do and hopefully wing it. This
made things worse and more chaotic during the fight. I look back and just laugh
now thinking about it.
What is your biggest accomplishment in competition to date?
I recently won gold in Five
Grappling Texas 2 which was a great experience. As for greatest accomplishment
I’m uncertain. First time I competed as a Blue Belt Adult (16 yrs old) I won
all three my matches against older more experienced opponents taking home the gold,
which felt good.
You competed in Five Grappling Texas 2 a few months ago, how was that
experience?
Great, the events was smoothly
run and I felt very good. I nailed an armbar in one of my fights which felt
great. I had my dad and brother coaching along with several students supporting
as I took home the gold so overall an awesome experience.
(If you're viewing on a mobile device, please click HERE)
Are you going to be looking to compete in higher level competition?
(I.e. Pan Ams, Mundials etc.)
Competition for me is something I
do to compliment my Jiu-Jitsu. As to what venue I may be in the future is
unknown now.
Would you say you’re a serious competitor? Or are you more of a casual
competitor?
I enjoy competing to test myself
or something I’m working. I do enjoy a challenge but I’m not seeking medals or
titles to say I’m the best of this or that. I want to improve my Jiu-Jitsu as
much as I can as a Martial Artist.
Are there any competitions coming up which you’re hoping to compete in?
At this moment no, if things
change I will update via social media.
What is your take on submission only vs. point competitions? And which
do you prefer and why?
I think both have their place and
time. For a competitor it may be more convenient knowing you can score points
and stall. Yet for the audience its leaves a boring fights to watch. I enjoy
both styles.
Many people probably know you from your YouTube channel,
LiveTheMachLife. How did the idea come about to start this channel?
Growing up video making has
always been a passion of mine. The idea came about when I decided to make a
video on a particular character at our academy at the time (the late student).
I needed a place to post the video so LiveTheMachLife was born. As for the name
it comes out to Live The Machado Lifestyle which is a way of life myself,
father and uncles grew up. I wanted to a place to be able to show people our
view.
What are your long time goals for the YouTube channel?
To make more content people enjoy
and grow the machlife family.
To date which is your favourite video you have produced and why?
On YouTube: Probably BJJ Cops. I
always enjoyed the show so to make a parody of it was a blast.
(If you're viewing on a mobile device, please click HERE)
As of now, your most popular video is “Subtle BJJ Moves for Valentine’s
Day 2014”. Why do you think this video is the most successful thus far?
I think it gives some people new
ideas on what to try on their girlfriend or spouse. Honestly it’s a fun overall
video people get a kick out of.
(If you're viewing on a mobile device, please click HERE)
Where does your inspiration come from to make these videos?
A lot has been from my own
experiences. But some are from everyday things such as conversations had or
situations seen.
Typically, how long does an average video take to produce?
Oh man. Depends on the video
really. From planning, shooting, editing, to finished product I’d say 6 hours
and that’s a short video for Facebook (30 sec - 1 min). If it’s a full skit
probably two days (one for shooting, other for editing) or more depending on
locations and the idea. I've gotten faster over the years; my first video took
me 8 hours just on filming, cringe! #whitebelt
Are there any exciting things you could tell us about any upcoming
videos?
BJJ in ways never expected.
Right, it’s time for twenty quick fire questions, they are:
1. Goku or Superman? Superman, Smallville <3>
2. Guard player or guard
passer? Both
3. Pop or rock? Rock (80's <3>
4. Cartoons or anime?
Cartoons but Death Note is so good
5. T-shirts or sweaters?
In Dallas? Both
6. DX or NWO? Is that Wrestling?
7. The Avengers or X-Men?
Justice League anyone?
8. Juice or milk? Juice
9. Google or Bing?
Google
10. Spider guard or x-guard?
Spider
11. Outdoors or indoors?
Outdoors
12. Wolverine or Magneto?
Wolverine
13. Salted or sweet? If its
food - salted, if a girl - sweet
14. Sprite or 7up? Coconut
Water
15. Burgers or tacos? Tacos
16. L.A. Beast or Furious Pete?
I’ve only seen LA Beast
17. The Whopper or The Big Mac?
#cringe!
18. Money or fame? Be the
change I want to see in the world
19. The green dragon ranger or
the white tiger ranger? White Tiger baby
20. Blink-182 or Fall Out Boy?
Not sure
Hey, thanks Jean for the interview! It has been a pleasure my friend.
Before we end this interview, is there anything you want to say? Or any people
you want to thank?
Thanks for having me my brother,
for all of you reading I say train hard and have fun!
If you like LiveTheMachLife so
far, 2015 is going to rock.
Special thanks to: My father John
Machado my mentor, and my uncles Rigan, Roger, Jean-Jacques and Carlos who each
helped me in a certain way. And to Carlos and Helio Gracie who gave us this
wonderful art.
Posts
