The Berimbolo Kid's Match of the Week - Week 41 - Ida Hansson vs. Luanna Alzuguir - Europeans 2013

(The previous edition can be found HERE)

After a month break, welcome back to another edition of Match of the Week. This week's match is Ida Hansson vs. Luanna Alzuguir from the 2013 Europeans. 

Ida Hansson is a black belt under Leo Vieira and represents team Checkmat. Ida is the first ever Swedish female black belt and is one of the best competitors of her generation, taking medals at many of our sports most prestigious competitions at both the lower belts and black belt. Her academy, Arte Suave (Checkmat Denmark) is seen to be one of the best academies in Europe.

Ida is a three time European Champion (2012 black, 2011 brown/black, 2008 blue), a two time Brazilian National Champion (2011 weight & absolute brown/black), and a one-time Rio Open Champion (2010 brown/black) and ADCC European Trials Winner (2011). She is also a three time European Silver Medalist (2013 black, 2010 brown/black, 2009 purple), and a two time World (2011 brown/black, 2009 purple) and Rio Open Silver Medalist (2011, 2010 brown/black).

Half guard is a position where Ida is very comfortable. In fact, she often sets up quite a lot of her sweeps and attacks from that position. Her passing is also equally as good. She uses a tremendous amount of pressure whilst she passes the guard, especially from the knee slide position. Looking at submissions, her favourite submission, without question is the armbar. Whilst going through her matches, I noticed she finished a lot of them by armbar. 

Ida Hansson

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 Alzuguir

Luanna shows some nice open guard work at the start of this match and then starts to work a guard pass to almost take Ida's back. Equally, Ida tries to work some of her signature passing style with some very nice transitions on display. The last third of the match is tied up in the 50/50, which I personally don't mind, but the match DOES end in a submission!

The videos 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)

Read More »

The Berimbolo Kid's Match of the Week - Week 40 - Leo Vieira vs. Mark Kerr - ADCC 2000

(The previous edition can be found HERE)

Welcome to the 40th edition of Match of the Week! This week's match is Leo Vieira vs. Mark Kerr from absolute division of ADCC 2000. 

Leonardo Vieira (commonly known as simply Leo Vieira) is a true legend in the world of Jiu-Jitsu. He is a black belt under Romero "Jacare" Cavalcanti, and is the co-founder of both Brasa and Checkmat BJJ. He is also the instructor to some of today's finest talents such as Marcus "Bucheca" Almeida, Joao Assis, and Lucas Leite.

Over is long competition career, Leo has formed an impressive competition record. He is a two time ADCC (2005, 2003) and Pan American Champion (2004, 2002), and a one time World (1999) and Brazilian National Champion (1998). He is also a two time ADCC silver medalist (2011, 2007), and a one time World silver (1997) and bronze (2000) medalist.

Leo is well known for his guard passing and back takes. For his time, Leo had quite a unique and flamboyant style of grappling. Often executing cartwheel style guard passes and taking his opponents back by initiating a forward roll whilst in the turtle position, this has since become known as simply the Leo Vieira back take. 

Leo Vieira

Mark Kerr is probably best known for his MMA career and is commonly recognised by his nickname, 'The Smashing Machine'. He is a former NCAA Division I wrestler and has competed in MMA organisations such as the UFC and PRIDE FC. Throughout his grappling career, Mark has had victories over the likes of Rigan Machado, Mario Sperry, and Ricardo Almeida.

Despite not holding a rank in Jiu-Jitsu, Mark has done very well in submission grappling. He is a three time ADCC Champion (1999, 2000 weight & absolute) and a one-time ADCC Superfight Champion (2001 - defeating Mario Sperry). Besides this, he is also a two time UFC tournament winner (UFC 14 & 15) and a one-time NCAA Division I Collegiate Champion (1992).

Unsurprisingly, Mark isn't a guard player. I don't actually think he knows the meaning of the word. He is a top player through and through. Double and single legs are his specialty, and he flawlessly executes them even against some of the best grapplers in the world at the time. In terms of submissions, looking at both his grappling and MMA career, Mark seems to have a preference for the kimura in particular.

Mark Kerr

The size difference in this match is incredible! Leo Vieira weighs 74kg and Mark Kerr weighs 115kg! Damn! It is a David vs. Goliath type match, but sometimes Goliath does win. The strength of Mark Kerr is undoubtable, but his technique is also solid. On multiple occasions, Kerr scores takedowns on Vieira. However, Leo really does a great job of defending throughout the entire match. 

The videos 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)

(If you are viewing on a mobile device, please click HERE)

Read More »

The Berimbolo Kid's Match of the Week - Week 39 - Jason 'Mayhem' Miller vs. Saulo Ribeiro - 2005 Grapplers Quest North American Championships

(The previous edition can be found HERE)

Hello, and welcome to another edition of Match of the Week. This week is Jason 'Mayhem' Miller vs. Saulo Ribeiro from the 2005 Grapplers Quest North American Championships.

Jason 'Mayhem' Miller is a black belt under Rafael Cordeiro and represents Kings MMA. Jason is best known for his MMA career having fought in promotions such as the UFC, WEC, Strikeforce and DREAM. He holds victories over prominent fighters such Robbie Lawler, Tim Kennedy, and even a submission victory over Kazushi Sakuraba.

In terms of competition, Jason has no major victories to his name in the Gi, but in NoGi, he is a three time Grapplers Quest Champion (2004, 2003, 2001). His 2003 championship was the Best in the West Grapplers Quest Championship which is one of their biggest competitions. 

Over half of Jason's wins in MMA have come via submission. He seems to have a preference for both the rear naked and arm-triangle choke as I can tell from watching some of his matches and looking at his MMA record. I don't really like to use the phrase 'MMA style' but in this instance I think it fits perfectly. Jason likes to shoot for singles and doubles, and enjoys the scramble.

Jason 'Mayhem' Miller

Saulo Ribeiro is a true legend in the world of Jiu-Jitsu. He is a 4th degree black belt under Royler Gracie and is also a black belt in Judo. Saulo is the older brother of two time absolute World Champion, Xande Ribeiro. After a long and impressive career in Jiu-Jitsu, Saulo was inducted into the IBJJF Hall of Fame in 2012. 

It’s no surprise to find out that Saulo has won numerous major titles throughout his long career in our sport. He is a five time World Champion (2002, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997), a four time World Masters and Seniors Champion (2013 weight & absolute, 2012 weight & absolute), a three time Brazilian National Champion (1998 weight & absolute, 1996), a two time ADCC (2003, 2000) and Pan American Champion (1998 weight & absolute), and a one-time World NoGi Champion (2008). 

Having a black belt in Judo, it’s not really a surprise that Saulo is known for his throws and takedowns. One takedown he uses frequently throughout his matches is the Kouchi Gari, but he also uses both single and double leg takedowns, especially in NoGi. For the most part, Saulo is a top player. Obviously, at the level that he is, his guard is very good also, but he seems to prefer the top game. The choke from the mount is a favourite submission of Saulo's.

Saulo Ribeiro

I actually only stumbled across this match a few days ago. I like enough to make it this week’s match. I was honestly surprised on how good Jason did against a veteran such as Saulo. It wasn't even one sided, it back and forth. At the end, Jason is even close to taking Saulo's back.  

There is actually very little footage of this match, and as far as I am aware this is only the recording which exists. It is not the entire match, but instead is an edited version by Grapplers Quest which shows all the action in the match and cuts out all the filler. Also, the link I provide for mobile viewers is not a YouTube link but instead is a link to a Facebook video. 

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)

Read More »

The Berimbolo Kid's Match of the Week - Week 38 - Fernando 'Tererê' Augusto vs. Fabricio Werdum - Worlds 2004

(The previous edition can be found HERE)

Hello, and welcome to another edition of Match of the Week. This week is Fernando 'Tererê' Augusto vs. Fabricio Werdum from the super heavyweight finals of the 2004 World Championships. 

Fernando Augusto, better known in the BJJ community as 'Tererê', is a black belt under Alexandre Paiva and represents the Alliance team. Tererê is one of the greatest competitors to have ever graced the mats and was once seen by many to be the pound for pound best in the world during the early 2000's. He was also head of the TT team along with Eduardo Telles, and produced many of today's top talent such as André Galvão, Rubens 'Cobrinha' Charles, Lucas Lepri and Michael Langhi.

Tererê is a six time World Champion (2003, 2000 black, 1999 brown, 1998 purple weight & absolute, 1997 blue), a three time Brazilian National Champion (2003, 2001 weight & absolute), a two time World Cup Champion (2003, 2002) and a one-time Pan American Champion (2004). He is also a two time World silver medalist (2004, 2001) and a one-time Pan American silver medalist (2004 absolute). 

It's Tererê's style of Jiu-Jitsu which has made him one of the most exciting fighters to watch. He is known for his flashy, yet super technical style of BJJ. Tererê is become quite synonymous for his guard passing over the years, along with his takedowns. This is not to say Tererê is not a guard player, but his passing is definitely his strength. 

Fernando 'Tererê' Augusto

Fabricio Werdum is a black belt under Sylvio Behring and represents his own team, Werdum Combat Team. Fabricio is best known today for his MMA career, most notably for defeating Fedor Emelianenko back in 2010, breaking his almost 10 year winning streak. As of today, Fabricio is one of the pound for pound best MMA fighters in the world, and is the current UFC Heavyweight Champion. 

Putting his MMA credentials aside, Fabricio has also done very well in BJJ and submission grappling competitions. He is a four time World (2004, 2003 black, 2000 blue weight & absolute) and Pan American Champion (2002 brown, 2001 purple weight & absolute, 2000), and a two time ADCC Champion (2007, 2009). He is also a two time ADCC silver (2011, 2003) and bronze medalist (2005, 2003 absolute). 

Fabricio is well rounded as a grappler, but seems to prefer playing from bottom. In particular, Fabricio uses the butterfly guard to great effect to sweep his opponents, often sweeping straight to the mount. In terms of submissions, Fabricio obtains the majority of his victories by armbar and also by the triangle.

Fabricio Werdum

This match is a classic! The fact that this is the super heavyweight final and Tererê normally competes at middleweight (that's is three weight classes up) makes it even better. I'll shut up now and leave the match do the talking. 

The videos 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)

(If you are viewing on a mobile device, please click HERE)

Read More »

The Berimbolo Kid's Match of the Week - Week 37 - Ryron Gracie vs. Cassio Werneck - World Grappling Games 4 (2004)

(The previous edition can be found HERE)

Hello, and welcome to another edition of Match of the Week. This week is Ryron Gracie vs. Cassio Werneck from the World Grappling Games 4 which took place back in 2004.

Ryron Gracie is a black belt under Helio Gracie and represents the Gracie Academy. Ryron is the eldest son of UFC founder, Rorion Gracie and grandson of Grandmaster Helio Gracie. Over the past few years, Ryron has become quite familiar to both the BJJ and MMA world due to the Gracie Breakdown series on YouTube where he and his younger brother, Rener, breakdown techniques used in UFC and other prominent MMA fights. Today, Ryron is also one of head instructors of the Gracie Academy in Torrance, California.

In terms of competition results, Ryron has very few. This is mostly due to his thoughts on the points system which is used in the majority of sport Jiu-Jitsu competitions. Recently, he has competed in submission only events such as Metamoris demonstrating his rather unique strategy. However, he is in fact a one-time United Gracie (2001), Gracie International Open, and Gracie Worlds Champion (2012). 

Due to his lack of competition, it's kind of hard to comment on Ryron's style of Jiu-Jitsu, as well as his favourite techniques. From what I have seen however, his supreme ability and technique is undeniable. His knowledge is incredible and he seems to be comfortable from virtually any position, whether it be a good or bad spot. 

Source: ProElite

Cassio Werneck is a black belt under Ricardo Reis and currently fights for his own team, Cassio Werneck BJJ, but previously represented Brazilian Top Team (BTT) and the Oswaldo Alves Academy. Cassio is one of the best black belts of the early 2000's. He has fought many legends of our sport including Marcelo Garcia, Tererê, and Marcel Louzado. 

Over the years, especially in the late 90's, early 00's, Cassio had great success in competition. He is a three time Pan American Champion (2003, 1998 & 1997 brown) and a one time World (2003) and CBJJO Brazilian Cup Champion (2002). He is also a three time Pan American bronze medalist (2004, 2001, 2000), a two time Brazilian National bronze medalist (1999, 1998 brown), and a two time World silver medalist (2004, 1997 brown). 

Cassio is very well rounded in his game. He doesn't really have a set game as such. However, when I observed some of his matches, he did seem to like the muscle sweep off his opponent standing, the triangle, and various sweeps from the butterfly guard. When the match started, he almost seemed quite comfortable in his takedown ability. 

Cassio Werneck

At this point in Match of the Week, I typically give a brief summary of the match without trying to give away the result. Not today, however. I thought that it would be good if you just watch the match without any prior introduction. So enjoy! I'm sure you thoroughly will. 

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)

Read More »

The Berimbolo Kid's Match of the Week - Week 36 - Augusto 'Tanquinho' Mendes vs. JT Torres - 2012 Boston Open

(The previous edition can be found HERE)

Augusto 'Tanquinho' Mendes is a black belt under 9th degree red belt, Francisco Mansur, and represents Soul Fighters. Tanquinho is both an accomplished competitor and referee in the sport of Jiu-Jitsu. Since 2011, Tanquinho has been the center of BJJ media after some impressive victories over some of the top athletes in our sport including Ryan Hall, Rafael Mendes, Guilherme Mendes, and Rubens 'Cobrinha' Charles.

Tanquinho is a two time Abu Dhabi World Pro (2013, 2011), South American (2010 weight & absolute) and Rio Open Champion (2010, 2009). He is also a one time World (2013), World NoGi (2012), and American National Champion (2012). In superfights, Tanquinho is the 2013 Copa Podio Couples Challenge Champion and the 2014 World Jiu-Jitsu Expo Champion. 

If you could some up Tanquinho, it would be well rounded. He doesn't really have any preferences in his game. He is neither a top or bottom player, but instead is comfortable from anywhere. Tanquinho is simply dangerous from any position. The same is true for submissions. He doesn't have a preference, he just goes with what appears to him at the time.

 

Augusto 'Tanquinho' Mendes

JT Torres is a black belt under Lloyd Irvin, and currently represents Atos Jiu-Jitsu, but is well known for his time as part of Team Lloyd Irvin. JT is one of the most accomplished American grapplers to date with medals in nearly every major competition at the black belt level. He is a fan favourite at competitions due to his exciting style and being an American in an over populated Brazilian division. 

JT is a three time Asia Open Champion (2012 weight & absolute, 2010), a two time American National Champion (2014 weight & absolute), and a one-time World NoGi (2013), Pan American (2015), Pan American NoGi (2010), European (2015), and American National NoGi Champion (2014). 

As a fan favourite, JT's style of Jiu-Jitsu is great to watch. To sum it up in a nut shell, JT is a guard player. Pure and simple. Don't get me wrong, he is perfectly comfortable on top, and he has displayed his fair share of takedowns, but he is best known for his guard. In particular, his spider guard, but also works great from the closed guard, de la riva, and even the 50/50 guard. 

JT Torres

A tough match from two great competitors. Both of them exchange sweeps and submission attempts. There are even some nice close back take attempts in there. The guard work from both athletes is also great to watch. Even though at times the match can be slow, I still really enjoy this match since I saw it on an episode of IBJJF TV. 

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)

Read More »

The Berimbolo Kid's Match of the Week - Week 35 - Roger Gracie vs. Rodrigo Cavaca - 2006 Worlds

(The previous edition can be found HERE)

Welcome to another Match of the Week! This week's match is Roger Gracie vs. Rodrigo Cavaca from the 2006 World Championships. 

Roger Gracie is a black belt under Carlos Gracie Jr. and represents Gracie Barra. Roger is a man who needs no introduction. He is the greatest competitor of all time, having won the World Championships as a black belt a record ten times. He is also the son of Rolls Gracie black belt, Mauricio Gomes. Today, Roger has a very successful academy (Roger Gracie Academy) in London, England, and has had great success in MMA, competing in Strikeforce, UFC, and ONE FC.

In total, Roger's achievements in Jiu-Jitsu and Submission Grappling are too long to list. Here is a summary of his black belt achievements. He is a ten time World Champion (2010 weight & absolute, 2009 weight & absolute, 2008, 2007 weight & absolute, 2006, 2005, 2004), a three time ADCC Champion (2007 superfight, 2005 weight & absolute), a two time European Champion (2005 weight & absolute), and a one-time Pan American Champion (2006 absolute). 

Roger is known for his very basic style of Jiu-Jitsu. You will not see him play any 'modern' type positions or do any flashy moves. Instead, you will see him rely on the most basic moves in Jiu-Jitsu. His Jiu-Jitsu is extremely efficient and his defence is incredible. Roger is notorious for using the cross choke from the mount, a submission which he has seen great success with throughout his time in competition.   

Roger Gracie

Rodrigo Cavaca is a black belt under Élcio Figueiredo and fights for Zenith. Cavaca was once one of the main coaches of team Checkmat, and helped produce some of today's stand out talents from his academy in Santos, São Paulo, Brazil. Some of these competitors include Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida and Michelle Nicolini. In 2013, Cavaca left Checkmat in order to form his own team, Zenith, which he co-leads along with Robert Drysdale. 

Cavaca is a three time European Champion (2014, 2010, 2009), a two time Brazilian National Champion (2010, 2008), and a one-time World (2010) and South American Champion (2014). He is also a three time Worlds silver medalist (2013, 2011, 2009) and a three time Pan American bronze medalist (2010 weight & absolute, 2008). 

For such a big guy, Cavaca is very flexible. He often plays inverted guard, something which you rarely see at the higher weight classes. Throughout recent years, Cavaca has become well known for his use of the straight ankle lock in competition. He is typically executes the submission from the 50/50 guard, another position which he has become notorious for using. 

Rodrigo Cavaca

An old match, but a good one. In this match you really get to see Roger's basic but yet very effective style of Jiu-Jitsu. Very tight and heavy constantly all the way through. Cavaca is an amazing guard player in his own right, but it is no match for the guard passing of Roger Gracie. 

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)

Read More »

The Berimbolo Kid's Match of the Week - Week 34 - Lucas Leite vs. Roberto 'Cyborg' Abreu - 2007 NoGi Worlds

(The previous edition can be found HERE)

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)

Read More »

The Berimbolo Kid's Match of the Week - Week 33 - Claudio Calasans vs. Marcus "Buchecha" Almeida - 2011 CBJJE Pan Ams

(The previous edition can be found HERE)

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)

Read More »

The Berimbolo Kid's Match of the Week - Week 32 - Michelle Nicolini vs. Luanna Alzuguir - 2013 Brazilian Nationals

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)

    

Read More »

The Berimbolo Kid's Match of the Week - Week 31 - Romulo Barral vs. Saulo Ribeiro - 2007 Worlds

(The previous edition can be found HERE)

After taking a week off, I'm back with another Match of the Week! This week's match is Romulo Barral vs. Saulo Ribeiro from medium heavy finals of the 2007 Worlds. 

Romulo Barral is a black belt under Vinicius "Draculino" Magalhães and represents Gracie Barra. Romulo is one of the best fighters in the medium heavy weight division and in the world. In 2007, Gracie Mag named Romulo as the number one BJJ competitor in the world. Today, Romulo runs a very successful academy, Gracie Barra Northridge.

Romulo is a four time World Champion (2013, 2012, 2009, 2007), a two time Pan American (2007 weight & absolute), Brazilian National (2007, 2006), and Asian Open Champion (2006 weight & absolute), and a one-time ADCC (2013), European (2013), and World NoGi Champion (2009). He is also a six time World Silver Medalist (2014, 2011, 2010 weight & absolute, 2009 absolute, 2007 absolute) and Pan American Bronze Medalist (2013 weight & absolute, 2006).

When you think of spider guard, you automatically think of Romulo Barral. Over the years, he has become synonymous with the position. Submissions wise, Romulo is also well known for the use of the triangle throughout his matches. He executes this very well from the spider guard position. He also uses the cross collar choke from mount extremely well.

Romulo Barral

Saulo Ribeiro is a true legend in the world of Jiu-Jitsu. He is a 4th degree black belt under Royler Gracie and is also a black belt in Judo. Saulo is the older brother of two time absolute World Champion, Xande Ribeiro. After a long and impressive career in Jiu-Jitsu, Saulo was inducted into the IBJJF Hall of Fame in 2012.

It’s no surprise to find out that Saulo has won numerous major titles throughout his long career in our sport. He is a five time World Champion (2002, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997), a four time World Masters and Seniors Champion (2013 weight & absolute, 2012 weight & absolute), a three time Brazilian National Champion (1998 weight & absolute, 1996), a two time ADCC (2003, 2000) and Pan American Champion (1998 weight & absolute), and a one-time World NoGi Champion (2008).

Having a black belt in Judo, it’s not really a surprise that Saulo is known for his throws and takedowns. One takedown he uses frequently throughout his matches is the Kouchi Gari, but he also uses both single and double leg takedowns, especially in NoGi. For the most part, Saulo is a top player. Obviously, at the level that he is, his guard is very good also, but he seems to prefer the top game. The choke from the mount is a favourite submission of Saulo's.

Saulo Ribeiro

I actually only saw this match not so long ago. I must say I was impressed! This fight is almost eight years old, but I really did think it was great. It starts off really good for the first few minutes, with both competitors exchanging sweeps and submission attempts. It does slow down a little in the middle and near the end, but I still thought it was a great match overall. 

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)

Read More »

The Berimbolo Kid's Match of the Week - Week 30 - Caio Terra vs. Samuel Braga - 2007 NoGi Worlds

(The previous edition can be found HERE)

Welcome, to the 30th edition of Match of the Week. This week’s match is a great one! It is Caio Terra vs. Samuel Braga from the 2007 NoGi Worlds. 

Caio Terra is a black belt under Paulo Mauricio Strauch and represents his own team, CTBJJA (Caio Terra BJJ Association). Caio is one of the most talented competitors of all time, utilising superb technique throughout his matches due to his small size. Terra's journey to the black belt is also one of the fastest in history, with it only taking him three and a half years.

As well as being one of the most technical, Caio is also one of the most decorated champions in history. He is a seven time World NoGi Champion (2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008), and a three time Pan American Champion (2013, 2012, 2011). He is also a two time World (2013, 2008), European (2014, 2015), European NoGi (2013 weight & absolute), and Pan American NoGi Champion (2011, 2010). 

Caio is best known for the use of his dynamic half guard game, and his reliance on 'modern' Jiu-Jitsu techniques. This is something that Caio has become especially known for in recent years. Due to his small size, Caio demonstrates phenomenal technique in his matches. He really is living proof of technique always conquering strength. 

Caio Terra

Samuel Braga is a black belt under Vinicius "Draculino" Magalhaes and fights for Gracie Barra. Samuel is best known as being one of the fathers of berimbolo, a technique which is very popular in competition today. Today, Samuel runs his own academy in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Again, Just like Caio, Samuel is a very accomplished competitor. He is a five time World (2010, 2008, 2005, 2004 brown, 2002 purple) and Brazilian National Champion (2005 brown, 2004, 2003 purple, 2002, 2001 blue). He is also a one time World NoGi (2007), Pan American (2004 brown), Brazilian National Teams Champion (2003 purple).

As I mentioned earlier, Samuel is one of the original people to use the berimbolo. As a result, you see him utilise this position a lot in his matches. He also uses the de la riva guard to great effect throughout his matches. 

Samuel Braga

Both of these fighters have very similar styles, so it makes for an interesting match. Both competitors show off their tricky guard work, and they exchange sweeps, back take and leg lock attempts. A very good 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)

Read More »