GD Jiu-Jitsu Events and the AZSBJJF are proud to announce the 2nd Arizona Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Kids Cup on April 24, 2010 at Westwood High School in Mesa, AZ. The tournament will feature Kids (4-15) and Juvenile (16-17) Divisions ONLY. Pre-Registration prices for Kids are $40 ($50 after April 16th) and Juveniles are $50 ($60 after April 16th). The Final Registration Deadline is April 21st, but will be closed sooner if 230 competitors is reached. Don’t wait until the last minute to register, the kids division was sold out at the 5th AZ Open. All Juvenile and Pre-Registered Kids competitors will receive a FREE tournament T-Shirt. 3.5″ Medal for Juvenile Medalists and ALL Kids Competitors. ALL Kids competitors will also receive a Performance Certificate. ALL Competitors will receive the chance to win a Nintendo Wii, regardless of win or loss. The Top 5 Teams will also be awarded trophies. Registration is ONLINE ONLY. Click here to register.

The 5th AZ International Open of BJJ took place at the Westwood High School on March 13th and 14th, in Mesa,AZ. Team GD Jiu-Jitsu had an amazing performance with 9 Medals in the Kids Division (3 gold, 3 silver, and 3 bronze), and 45 Medals in the Adult Division (17 Gold, 15 Silver, and 13 bronze), taking the first place,  Adult Division Trophy home once again.

Here are the standouts of the Team:

White/Adult/Feather – Matt Mamolen and Stephen Barnes repeated the finals of the Kaju AZ/Nava BJJ Tournament, when they closed out the division.

White/Adult/Middle – In the biggest bracket of the tournament, Jeremy Larsen and Mark Garland went at it, and Jeremy won,  securing the gold.

Kristina wins Feather and Open Class

Blue/Female – Kristina Barlaan repeated her No-Gi US Nationals performance, winning again the feather weight division, and the Open Class. Kristina submitted both her opponents at Feather with triangles from upside-down guard and surpassed her Middleweight opponent in the Absolute 11-0.

Issa had 6 matches (6 submissions)

Issa and Christopher sharing 1st place

Blue/Middle/Open – Issa Able went up one division, and still dominated his opponents at Middle. With a total of 6 matches, Issa closed out the Open Class with Christopher Broadnax.

Jacob wins after his two year hiatus from BJJ Tournaments

Brown/Medium Heavy – Jacob McClintock won both of his matches by submission.

Here our Team’s Results:

Click Here for full results

Some of our AZ Open Champions

Team Many Weapons members Gustavo Dantas and Steve Rosenberg prepare GD Jiu-Jitsu kids for the 5th AZ International Open of Brazilian Jiu- Jitsu.  Check out all the pictures at Many Weapons Website

GD JIU-JITSU Events in association with the Arizona State Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (AZSBJJF) is proud to announce its 5^thinstallment of the Arizona Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Open. Typically drawing mainly competitors from Arizona and its neighboring states, the AZSBJJF sent an open invitation to teams from other countries to compete and represent their homeland, transforming the AZ Open into an international event for the first time.

The tournament will feature an international black belt match between a seven-time World Champion from Brazil, GMA Robson Moura (Nova Uniao), and 2009’s national champion of Japan, Nobuhiko Kitahara (Axis JJ), who will be travelling from Tokyo to represent the Jiu-Jitsu Federation of Japan.

“The AZSBJJF’s partnership with the Jiu-Jitsu Federation of Japan (JJFJ) started in 2009, when I met its President, Taka Watanabe, at the 2^nd Rickson Gracie International. I was very impressed with their organization and their dedication to making Jiu-Jitsu a popular and organized sport in Japan”, says Gustavo Dantas, Vice-President of the AZSBJJF and promoter of all its events, who is expecting between 400 and 500 competitors on March 13^th and 14^th.

Wellington “Megaton” (referee), AZSBJJF founder and president, is a fixture at AZSBJJF events. Photo: AZSBJJF

GRACIEMAG Vice-President Luca Atalla on location at AZSBJJF event. Photo: Eric Miller

Here are the winners:

Kids Division

1st place – Team Megaton (217 points)
2nd place - Lion’s Den (194 points)
3rd place – MMA Lab (193 points)

MVP of the Year – Joseph Davis (Team Megaton); Undefeated in 2009, won all 4 tournaments

Adult Division

1st place - Team GD Jiu-Jitsu (444 points)
2nd place - BJJ Revolution (241 points)
3rd place – Team Megaton (197 points)

MVP of the Year – Derling Gonzalez (Team GD Jiu-Jitsu); Undefeated in 2009, won total of 4 gold medals from all 3 tournaments

The 5th AZ International Open of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu will take place on March 13-14, 2010 at Westwood High School located at 945 W. 8th St. in Mesa, AZ 85201.

GRACIEMAG will be covering the event. Competitors have a chance to win prizes such as a 32” LCD HDTV, Sony PSP, and Flip Video Recorder.

The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competition will offer Kids, Juvenile, Adult (Male and Female), Masters and Senior Divisions.

Register for the 5th AZ International Open

Issa won 7 matches!

The Abu Dhabi West Coast Trials took place in Santa Cruz, CA on January 24th. Acting as a qualifier for the richest and most prestigious Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu event on the planet, the Abu Dhabi Pro, the West Coast Qualifier featured the best of the best congregating upon the shores of Northern California in the United States.

The winners from the American event will compete against the best grapplers and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athletes from across the world and for the chance at winning a massive USD$145,000 in cash and prizes at the Abu Dhabi Pro on April 15th to 17th. The 2009 AZ BJJ State Champion, Issa Able (GD Jiu-Jitsu/Nova Uniao), will represent Arizona Combat Sports in Abu Dhabi. Issa had seven matches to win the Blue Belt Light weight, and the Blue Belt Open Class under 161 lbs.

Propelled by the support of the government of Abu Dhabi, the Abu Dhabi Pro supported personally by his Highness the SupremePrince and Commander In Chief of the United Arab Emirates National Army, H.H. Sheik Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Winners of the qualifiers will have allairfares,accommodation, and meals paid for and they will also have a chance at the cash and prizes in Abu Dhabi.

Issa Able, who is only 19 years old, was born in Iran, but he has been living in the United States since the age of 11. With only 18 months of training, Issa already has an impressive resume. Since July 2009, besides his AZ State Title, Issa won the 2009 U.S. BJJ Nationals, U.S. No-Gi Nationals, 1st Southwest BJJ Classic, and finished the year winning his first World title at the No-Gi Worlds in Carson, CA, making his instructor, Gustavo Dantas, and his sponsor, “Many Weapons”, very proud. In Abu Dhabi, he will be competing for a chance to win $6000 (Weight class and Open).

Issa’s accomplishment was also accompanied by outstanding performances from other fellow AZ champions.

In the Black Belt Division, Steve Rosenberg went all the way to the finals, but ended up losing by referee’s decision (2 x 2) in a very close match to Marcos Torregrossa.

Even though the 2009 Southwest Classic standout, Christian Broadnax won the Blue/Middle Divsion, he lost in the “Heavy” Open Class over 161 lbs, not being able to qualify to the Pro Tournament, since in the blue belt division, only the winners of the Open “Light” and “Heavy” would go to Abu Dhabi. His brother, also a 2009 Southwest Classic Champion, Christopher Broadnax, lost to his team mate Issa, in the finals of the Blue/Light. Christopher lost his second match in the “Light” Open class.

2009 AZ State Champion, Kristina Barlaan, took 3rd at the Female/Under 139 lbs. Kristina lost by a referee’s decision (4 x 4).

Here are our team’s full results:

Issa Able – 1st place (Blue/Light) and 1st place (Blue/Open under 161 lbs)
Christian Broadnax – 1st place (Blue/Middle)
Steve Rosenberg – 2nd place (Black/Light)
Christopher Broadnax – 2nd place (Blue/Light)
Kristina Barlaan – 3rd place (Female/Under 139 lbs)

Source: www.ufc.tv

FAIRFAX, VA, January 11 – AZ Combat Sports Fighter, Aaron Simpson, kept his perfect record intact the hard way, surviving a full-on first round striking assault from Tom Lawlor to battle back and earn a razor-thin three round split decision victory.

The two 185-pound prospects immediately engaged, and it was Lawlor who was surprisingly winning the striking battle, as he repeatedly rocked Simpson. As the round progressed, he kept the pressure on, and while Simpson’s head was in the fight, it was obvious that his legs were not. Lawlor, cautiously aggressive, continued to press the action, but he refused to get reckless.

Looking to turn the tide, Simpson went back to basics, taking Lawlor down in the second minute. Lawlor battled back to his feet, and got a brief takedown of his own before pinning Simpson against the fence. After breaking, Simpson stalked, and the two locked up again. After separating, Simpson got off a few hard shots, but it was Lawlor who ended the round with a guillotine choke attempt.

The third began with more standup exchanges before the two locked up against the fence. Simpson pushed the action, but Lawlor remained dangerous throughout. Midway through the round, Simpson started to take control, eventually sinking his hooks in from the back with under two minutes left. With nothing going on there, Simpson let him loose, but continued to take command against the tired Lawlor, yet the two still finished the fight with a brief flurry.

With the win, Simpson improves to 7-0; Lawlor falls to 6-2, 1 NC

Weight: 125lbs
Record: 6-0
Palace Fighting 125lbs World Champion!
UWC Fighting WORLD CHAMPION
2x Pan American Jiu-Jitsu Champion!
Ranked as the #1 125lbs Fighter in the United States
WEC Number 1 pick at 125lbs!

UFC/WEC Contract Fighter

Weight: 135 lbs
Record: 16-10
King of the Cage 135 lbs. World Champion
King of the Cage 145 lbs. Canadian Champion
AFC 135 lbs. World Champion
Hook n Shoot 135 lbs. North American Champion
2 x Pacific Northwest Champion
Canadian Muay Thai Champion
Shooto, Superbrawl, Shootboxing Japan, K-U Japan, Abu Dhabi veteran.

UFC/WEC Contract Fighter

Weight: 135 lbs. – 145 lbs.
Record: 9-1, 1 win by KO
Ring of Combat Tournament Champion at 155lbs
Bad Boy Boxing 155 lbs Champion
WEC 135lbs Fighter