Paragon Professional Jiu Jitsu Invitational Announced

The Paragon Professional Jiu Jitsu Invitational is set to take place on Saturday, January 10, 2015 at the St David's Hall, Cardiff. It will be a superfight format, similar to Metamoris and includes some of the best Jiu-Jitsu fighters on the planet including Dean Lister, Victor Estima, JT Torres and Keenan Cornelius. The matches themselves have not been formally announced to the public as of yet. 

Man, I cannot tell you how excited I am for this event! I would be over the moon if an event like this came to the UK, but for it to come to Wales and to be on my doorstep, I cannot put it into words how thrilled I am. 

As of now, not much information has been released about the event. The only information available is the information I shared with you in the opening paragraph. Although, tickets are available right now, with tickets starting from £25 ($40). Personally, I think that is really reasonable for an event like this. 

I'm not sure if this is going to be one off event, or the first of many, similar to Metamoris. I really do hope this will be not just a one off, and they will continue to put on events every few months. Obviously, this is all dependent upon the success of the first event, but I do think this is really going to be a big hit in the UK. If they do decide to put on more shows, I don't think they will stick with Wales, but instead host each event in a different area of the UK. Of course, I'm merely speculating here. 

The last time a major grappling event which was held in the UK was ADCC 2011. I was actually there for that event, and what an awesome experience it was. The crowd during the entire event was amazing. I hope it will be the same for this event. 

To have an event like this on your doorstep is incredible. In fact, it may never happen again. I'm sure the entire UK BJJ community will support this event, especially the BJJ community in Wales.

Once the matches are announced, I will be sure to immediately give you guys my thoughts on them.  

Make sure you like their page on Facebook.

If you would like to purchase tickets for the event, please click HERE.  

Catch you later,

Giordano

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Update (15/10/14) - WJJE, 10 Years of BJJ, 2009 Welsh Open, Interviews & Gi-Soap

Last week didn't exactly go to plan...

As you might know, last week I promised two things, a review of the World Jiu-Jitsu Expo (WJJE) and the second part of my Saviour Tea review. Sadly, neither of them was published.

So, why? Well, the review of the WJJE was being written and I did a few of them but then looking at the card, I didn't feel that I could provide a decent write up due to me not knowing enough about some of the athletes. Obviously, some of them I could do easily but some not so well. Not like I did for Metamoris 5. Could have I botched something together and just published it? Yes, but I wouldn't have been happy with it. I have high standards, and if something isn't up to them, I don't publish it. I'm sorry if any of you looked forward to it, but in the future I plan to do lots more posts like this. 

As for Saviour Tea, as with most things, something comes up in my life and I don't have time to get it written. Although, it will be published this week, I will make sure of it. Even if nothing else is published this week, the second part of my review will be. 

Hopefully, I will have time to publish something else this weekend. What I have in mind is either an article, as I have tonnes still in draft or the next edition of 10 Years of BJJ. Looking at it, I think it will probably be 10 Years of BJJ simply for the reason that I haven't written one for so long and it will feel good to start writing that series again. The next part will be about the 2009 Welsh Open and my dreadful performance. This was probably the last time I was properly annihilated in competition. Lots of bad memories from that day. 

I'm trying to get some new interviews, and I'm hoping to get Bear from Shoyoroll as my next guest. I think this would be an interesting interview because most of my interviews have been with competitors, and this will be completely different as Bear is the head of one of the biggest Gi companies in Jiu-Jitsu. For now, it's just an idea and I have a few other people in mind that I'm planning on asking.

Not so long ago, I had a new sponsor and I might be close to getting another one. I'm in talks with Gi-Soap, and hopefully soon enough, we will reach a compromise and we can start a good working relationship together. At the moment, nothing is official but it seems it will be within the next week.

That's pretty much all I have to say for this week, but come back this weekend for new content.

Catch you later,

Giordano   

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The Berimbolo Kid's Match of the Week - Week 14 - Roberto Satoshi Souza vs. Michael Langhi - 2012 European Championships

(Last week’s edition can be found HERE)

Welcome to another edition of Match of the Week! This week I'm sharing with you Roberto Satoshi Souza vs. Michael Langhi from the lightweight semifinals of the 2012 European Championships. A battle between two of the best guard players around! 

Roberto Satoshi Souza is one of the biggest prospects in Jiu-Jitsu. He rose to fame in 2010 by winning the World Championships as a brown belt. Since then, he has gone on win many major tournaments as a black belt and today is considered to be one of the best and most exciting fighters in the lightweight division.

Being one of the hottest prospects in Jiu-Jitsu, It's no surprise that Roberto has won many titles throughout his career in Jiu-Jitsu. He is a four time World Champion (2006 blue weight & absolute, 2009 purple, 2010 brown), a two time WPJJ (2012, 2014), European (2011 brown, 2012 black), and Asian Open Champion (2010 brown weight & absolute), and a one time Pan American Champion (2010 brown). 

Roberto is arguably one of the best guard players in the black belt division today. He seems to not favour one specific guard but instead uses a variety of different guards. You will see in the majority of his matches play spider, de la riva, reverse de lar riva, closed and half guard. One thing he does exceptionally well is sweep from the guard. Often, you will see him set up a sweep from the omoplata, something which can be seen multiple times in this video. In terms of submissions, Roberto seems to favour the triangle over all other submissions and has even landed a few flying triangles in competition. 

Roberto Satoshi Souza

Michael Langhi is one of the best lightweights in the World today. He is known for his amazing guard game and a near impassable guard.  He became well known worldwide in 2009 by achieving the grand slam in Jiu-Jitsu by winning all four major IBJJF tournaments (World Championships, Pan American Championships, European Championships and the Brazilian Nationals) in his first year as a black belt. 

Just like Roberto, Michael has won numerous titles throughout his career. He has won all four major IBJJF tournaments on multiple occasions. He is a five time European Champion (2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014), a four time Pan American Champion (2009, 2010, 2011, 2014), and a two time World (2009, 2010) and Brazilian National Champion (2009, 2013). 

As I mentioned previously, Michael is known for his impeccable guard work. He is best known for his spider guard in particular, but is also known for his open guard. The way Michael transitions from guard to guard and to submissions is flawless. He makes sweeps and submissions from the open guard look effortless even against some of the best black belts in the world. This is not to say that his top game is weak. He might favour the guard, but once he sweeps his opponent he looks to immediately pass and secure a dominant position to set him up for a submission.  

Michael Langhi

To sum it up, this is purely a battle of the guard players. Both fighters demonstrate their excellent guards throughout this match with both of them repeatedly exchanging sweep and submission attempts. You also get to see some great passing attempts from each fighter, but with each fighter having such great guards it's no easy feat to pass either ones guard. The keen observers amongst you would have already noticed that I have given away the result of this match already, but I'll let that one slide for this week.

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)

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Update (08/10/14) - A Short Update

Today is going to be a relatively short update post. I haven't got really that much to talk about, but I thought I would let you guys know what you can expect from me this weekend. 

Last week, I give you guys my thoughts on the matches set to take place at Metamoris 5. However, this week, I will be talking about the superfights at the World Jiu-Jitsu Expo. There are 10 matches scheduled for the event, so it should be a decent sized post. It will be published either on Friday or Saturday, depending on how things pan out. 

Also, last Sunday, I finally published the first part of my Saviour Tea review. I didn't initially plan to make it a two part review, but if I left it at one part it would be too long to read in one sitting. So, that also will be published this weekend, probably on Sunday. 

That's pretty much all I have to say in this update post. Make sure you come back this weekend for my thoughts on the World Jiu-Jitsu Expo and the second part of my Saviour Tea review.

Catch you later,

Giordano 

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The Berimbolo Kid's Match of the Week - Week 13 - Royler Gracie vs. Mario Sperry - World Championships 1998

(Last week’s edition can be found HERE)

This week I'm sharing with you guys a true classic. The match is Royler Gracie vs. Mario Sperry from the absolute semi-final of the 1998 World Championships. This match is famous for only one reason, and that is because Mario Sperry was the first person to submit Royler Gracie in competition. I'm sure many of you have seen this match before, but I'm sure there are a few people who haven't. 

Royler Gracie is the son of Grandmaster Helio Gracie and is a true legend in the world of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Submission Grappling. He is considered to be the first king of the featherweight division, and held records for the most number of World and ADCC titles during his time competing. He has since gone on to create some of Jiu-Jitsu's finest talents such as Wellington "Megaton" Dias, Saulo and Xande Ribeiro, Vinny Magalhaes, Leticia Ribeiro and many others.  

Royler has won the world’s most prestigious titles in Jiu-Jitsu and Submission Grappling on multiple occasions. He is a four time World Champion (1996, 1997, 1998, 1999), a three time ADCC Champion (1999, 2000, 2001), and a two time Pan American Champion (1997, 1999). As I mentioned previously, for a period of time, Royler held the record for most amount of World and ADCC titles. In 2012, Royler was inducted into the IBJJF Hall of Fame. 

For the most part, Royler is mainly a top player but is also very comfortable on bottom. He is known for his throws at that start of matches and from there he passes the guard extremely well. Once he passes the guard, he makes phenomenal use of pressure and flawlessly transitions to submissions or the back. 

Royler Gracie
Source: GracieMag

Mario Sperry was a prominent figure in both Jiu-Jitsu and MMA in the late 1990's and early 2000's. He is probably best known for his time with the Carlson Gracie team and received his black belt from Carlson in 1995. However, in 2000, he left the team and decided to form his own team, Brazilian Top Team (BTT) along with Murilo Bustamante, Ricardo Liborio and “Bebeo” Duarte. 

Just like Royler, Mario has also won many of our sports major titles multiple times. He is a four time ADCC superfight champion (1999, 2000, 2011, 2013), a three time World Champion (1996, 1997, 1998 absolute), and a two time ADCC champion (1998 weight and absolute). 

Mario Sperry in particular is known for his guard passing much like most of the Carlson Gracie team back in the 90's. He is also notorious for the use of the clock choke in competition. As you can tell, Mario is a top player. Consistently throughout his matches you will see him take the guy down or let the guy pull guard then immediately pass to a dominate position where he can put his size to good use and from there submit his opponent. 

Mario Sperry

In this match, Mario dominates for the most part. At the start, Royler does a good job in preventing Mario from passing and manages to get the fight back to the feet. From there however, Mario manages a takedown and instantly passes. It's not long after that he gets the submission. I should point out however that there is a major weight difference between the two. Mario fights at super heavyweight (-100kg) and Royler fights at featherweight (-70kg). However, it's still a classic match between two legends of our sport.  

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)

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Saviour Tea Review - Part 1

Today, I bring you something a little different from my blog. I'm going to be sharing with you guys my review of the Saviour Tea range.

For those of you who don't know, Saviour Tea is a sports tea company currently offering four unique blends which are specially formulated to enhance one key bodily function. Each of their teas only contains natural ingredients and do not contain any artificial colours, flavours, chemicals or preservatives. 

Okay, so, before I start, I want to make it clear that I have no connections or personal involvement with Saviour Tea. This review is totally based off my personal opinion. 

A little over a month ago, I received four sample packs from Saviour Tea. Each of the sample packs were different blends from their range and contained two tea bags. I also received an information booklet telling me about the benefits of each of the teas, and the ingredients they contained. 

The first thing that struck me was the overall quality of the product. Right away you can tell that this is a good quality product. You can tell that no expense was spared on the packaging of the product. The tea bags were silk pyramid shaped tea bags and you could clearly see all of the ingredients that were contained in each of the bags. 

I really liked the design of this product as well. The graphics they use are quite simplistic but it works extremely well. Just by looking at the front of the packaging, it entices you in to find out more about the product.  Even the information leaflet I received was very well put together. Very easy to read and gets straight to the point about each of the products. 

As I stated previously, there are four unique blends which are said to enhance one key bodily function. They are:

• HYDRATION - Helps to keep you sufficiently hydrated 
• RECOVERY - Helps to promote relaxation
• ENERGY - Helps to naturally energise the body
• METABOLIC - Helps with weight management 

Next, I'll tell you some more about each of the teas and the ingredients they contain. 

HYDRATION

"Our Hydration Tea is naturally caffeine free. Caffeine acts as a diuretic, which is useful for other functions but its absence from this blend makes it perfect for hydrating the body. Use throughout the day or specifically before and after exercise to quench thirst and refresh the body."

Main Ingredients

• Rooibos - A naturally caffeine free ingredient which is rich in both antioxidants and minerals.
• Natural Orange Oil - Adds an overall refreshing flavour to the blend and Vitamin C. 

Other Ingredients 

• Thistle Petals

How to Use

They recommend that you use the tea either before or after exercise. Although, they do also say you can use it anytime throughout the day, and can be drunk up to a maximum of six times per day. 

RECOVERY 

"This Recovery Tea is a blend of traditional stress relieving herbs. Use in the evening to help you drift into a deep and rejuvenating sleep, which is necessary to help the body recover from fatigue caused by lifestyle and exercise."

Main Ingredients

• Camomile - Helps the body relax and recover from both physical and mental fatigue.
• Hops - Helps to promote a deep and restful sleep.
• Passion Flower - Can potentially help relive the feelings of anxiety and restlessness, as well as helping to calm muscle tension. 

Other Ingredients 

• Rooibos
• Lemon Balm
• Lemon Verbena
• Linden Flowers
• Anise
• Oat Straw
• Cinnamon
• Orange Peel

How to Use

This tea is best used either before bed in order to promote a deep sleep or immediately after exercise to help calm the min and relax the body. It can be drunk up to a maximum of three times per day.

ENERGY

"This Energy Tea is a natural and pure source of mateine – a caffeine like compound. Use in the morning to kick-start your day or as an energy booster before exercise."

Main Ingredients

• Green Mate - A natural source of mateine with no reported negative side effects associated with caffeinated drinks. 
• Gingko - Helps to increase energy by stimulating and enhancing blood circulation through the body.
• Ginseng - Naturally increases energy levels and enhances the body's ability to combat both mental and physical stress.

Other Ingredients 

• Lemongrass 
• Spearmint
• Nettle
• Cornflower
• Calendula
• Sunflower Petals

How to Use

The company recommends you take it either in the morning or before taking part in exercise. It can be drunk up to a maximum of three times per day.

METABOLIC

"This Metabolic Tea can naturally aid weight loss when used in conjunction with a healthy diet and exercise. Use throughout the day or specifically before exercise to stimulate your metabolism and help you achieve your weight loss goals."

Main Ingredients

• Gunpowder Green Tea - Contains high levels of polyphenols, which stimulate your metabolism and enhances the body's thermogenic fat burning activity. 
• Natural Dried Hibiscus - Used as mild diuretic to help remove excess amounts of water which can contribute in weight gain.
• Natural Pomegranate Oil - Contains both minerals and polyphenols which boost metabolism and will help you burn fat. 

Other Ingredients 

• Rosehip Pieces 

How to Use

This tea can be used evenly throughout the day in order to maintain a healthy weight or ideally before exercise. It can be drunk up to a maximum of four times per day.

If you would like to find out more information about each of the products, you can find that HERE.

I didn't plan to make this a two part review, but if I didn't, the complete review would be massive. A little too big to read without you falling asleep. I hope from this first part you gained a sense of what the product is about and in the second part I will give you my opinion on each of the products. I also have a short interview with Ollie who is the head of Saviour Tea. I can't wait to release the second part and you can expect that next week.

Catch you later,

Giordano

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My Thoughts on Metamoris 5

So, today I thought I would do something a little different. I want to give you guys my thoughts on the up and coming Metamoris 5 event which is taking place on Saturday, November 22 in Southern California. According to the website, the venue is still being decided. 

Now, I'm a big fan of grappling superfights. Personally, I prefer them under IBJJF rules rather a submission only setting, but hey, that is just my opinion. I think Metamoris are doing a great job in promoting Jiu-Jitsu and trying to make it appealing to non-BJJ fans. 

As always, the matches will be 20 minutes, submission-only, and will be either Gi or NoGi matches. There are no points awarded and if there is no submission, a draw is declared. 

I'll start at the bottom of the card and work my way down from there.

Garry Tonon vs. Zak Maxwell - I think Garry Tonon's style of grappling really complements a submission only style match. Last time, you saw him submit Kit Dale with a guillotine choke very quickly in the opening match of Metamoris 4. I don't think Zak Maxwell will be much trouble for Garry and I can see this ending similarly to the match with Kit Dale. 

Vinny Magalhaes vs. Kevin Casey - Honestly, I think this was a lazy match up on Metamoris' part. I can see why they put this match together as some sort of weird trilogy between Vinny Magalhaes, Kevin Casey and Keenan Cornelius. But lets me honest here, is there really a big demand for this match? I think this match will go the distance and overall it will be quite boring to watch, maybe even the worst match of the night. 

Yuri Simoes vs. Rafael Lovato Jr. - At first, I kind of glanced over this match and didn't really give it much thought. But, looking at it now, I think it's a decent match which could potentially turn out to be one of the best on the card. They actually fought each other in the Pan Ams this year, with Yuri defeating Lovato by one advantage. However, this time there are no points and I think Lovato's style of Jiu-Jitsu complements a submission only match better than Yuri's does. Although, I think it will be close, I can see Lovato getting a submission near the final minutes of the match. 

Rory MacDonald vs. JT Torres - I'm actually a big fan of MMA vs. Jiu-Jitsu matches, and I think this on paper sounds like a good one. For those of you who don't know, Rory is actually a 'NoGi' black belt in BJJ under Chris Lea. I don't want to underestimate the grappling skills of MacDonald but I don't think they will be a match for JT Torres. I think MacDonald will not make the match easy for JT but I think towards the middle of the match, JT's grappling experience will show and he will submit MacDonald. 

Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Renzo Gracie - I hope this match lives up to the hype! Then again, it could turn about to a really boring match. But, hopefully, that will not happen. If you follow MMA, I'm sure you have heard of Sakuraba, also known as "The Gracie Hunter". He achieved that nickname my defeating four Gracie's in MMA. Those being Royler, Royce, Renzo, and Ryan. In particular, submitting Renzo by Kimura. I really want Sakuraba to win this match, but something tells me he won't. After all, this is Jiu-Jitsu and not MMA. I can see Renzo putting Sakuraba in lots of bad spots but I don't think he will submit him. In the end, I think the match will be a draw and hopefully both fighters will display some excellent Jiu-Jitsu. 

Overall, I think Metamoris 5 will be a good event but not a great one. However, I will look forward to watching it and hopefully be proven wrong in some of my predictions. Again, what I've said in this post is merely my opinion, so don't take it too seriously. Feel free to let me know your opinions.

Next week, I will give my thoughts on the superfights which are set to take place at this year's World Jiu-Jitsu Expo.

Catch you later, 

Giordano 

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Update (03/10/14) - Metamoris 5, World Jiu-Jitsu Expo, Saviour Tea & Sponsors!

I promise something and you get nothing...

Yeah, I have a habit of promising things and never following them up. However, the Saviour Tea review will be done by Sunday. Usually, when I plan to do something things change and I have to reschedule my original plans. This is what happened in this circumstance. Again, I apologise and unless my house burns down this weekend, the review will be done this Sunday.

I haven't got much to talk about this week, but I have a few ideas which I thought I would let you guys know about.

Over the next two weeks, I will be writing my thoughts about the matches at two different Jiu-Jitsu events. The first of which will be Metamoris 5 which of course features the main event of Renzo Gracie vs. Kazushi Sakuraba. I'll let you know my thoughts on that tomorrow.

The week after that I will be talking about the World Jiu-Jitsu Expo (WJJE). Of course, since this is just a short little update post, I don't want to dive in and tell you all my thoughts on both events. But, I will say that out of both events, I am definitely looking forward to the WJJE more. Again, I'll tell you why that is in a week’s time.

That's pretty much it for this week but before I end I want to share something with you guys. As you can see in the top right hand corner, I have a new sponsor. I am now officially sponsored by Submission Sniper and we are in talks about how we can help each other. Hopefully, it will be the start of a great working relationship.

That's all for this week! 

Catch you later,

Giordano

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The Berimbolo Kid's Match of the Week - Week 12 - Marcelo Garcia vs. Ronaldo "Jacaré" Souza - Best Fight Challenge 2004

(Last week’s edition can be found HERE)

In this week’s edition of Match of the Week, I bring you a match between two legends of our sport. The match is Marcelo Garcia vs. Ronaldo "Jacaré" Souza which was a superfight at the 2004 Best Fight Challenge. 

Marcelo Garcia (also known as “Marcelinho”) is a black belt under Fabio Gurgel and competes for Alliance Jiu-Jitsu. Since he started in black belt division, Marcelo has been a stand out competitor and a fan favourite at competitions. Marcelo is considered by many to be the pound for pound best grappler in the world today. 

Marcelo is an extremely accomplished Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. At the black belt level, he is a five time World Champion (2004, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011), a four time ADCC Champion (2003, 2005, 2007, 2011), a three time Brazilian National Champion (2004, 2006 weight & absolute), and a one time Pan American Champion (2007). He is also a member of the IBJJF Hall of Fame. 

In terms of grappling ability, Marcelo is very well rounded. He is excellent both on his back and on his feet. In particular, Marcelo is best known for his x-guard, butterfly guard and guillotine choke. Over the years, these have been known to become Marcelo's signature moves.  What's good about Marcelo is he always hunts for the submission. He doesn't play to win by points or advantages, but instead looks to finish the fight and submit his opponent.

Marcelo Garcia

Ronaldo "Jacaré" Souza is a black belt under Henrique Machado and competed for ASLE (later joined with Master Team). Jacaré is known as one of the best fighters from his generation. During his run at the highest level, he had victories over some of the best fighters at that time. Today, Jacaré fights in the UFC's middleweight division and is one of the best in the division. 

Although, he only competed in the black belt division for two years, Jacaré still managed to accomplish a lot in a short space of time. He is a three time World Champion (2004 absolute, 2005 weight & absolute), a two time World Cup (2004 weight & absolute) and Pan American Champion (2004 weight & absolute), and a one time European (2005), ADCC (2005), and ADCC Superfight Champion (2009). 

The pace at which Jacaré fights is very high. He is very fast and aggressive and gives his opponents no chance to capitalise. At the start of his matches, you will often see Jacaré go for a takedown or throw and will look to immediately pass the guard and transition to a submission or a dominant position. 

Ronaldo "Jacaré" Souza

The match starts off pretty slow, but towards the middle it starts to pick up and gets exciting to watch. For the majority of the match, Jacaré is on top and Marcelo is on the bottom. Throughout the match, Jacaré puts Marcelo in lots of bad spots, but Marcelo does a phenomenal job of defending Jacaré's attacks, proving why he is one of the greatest of all time. 

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)

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