Friday, December 05, 2008
6 DAYS TO EVENT:
Jiu-Jitsu stars at Asian Cup
Everyone after US$ 40 grand in prizes on 12th and 13th
The month of December is here and gentle art fans will not be short of hot Jiu-Jitsu events to talk about. On the 12th and 13th the Asian Super Cup, in Abu Dhabi, UAE, will take place with 40 thousand dollars in prizes up for grabs.
GRACIEMAG.com gained access to the list of athletes signed up for the competition, which is opened to all, in all four weight categories: under 70 kg, 80 kg, 90 kg and over 90 kg. Try outs for the South American Asian Super Cup, also known as the Abu Dhabi, to take place in Porto Alegre on November 2, served as incentive for the fighter, as the winners of the categories managed an all-paid trip to compete. Initially there were four spots that went to Rafael Mendes (70kg), Guto Campos (80kg) Otávio Souza (90kg) and Charles Cachoeira (over 90kg). However, Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed decided to invite Michel Maia (70kg) and Claudio Calasans (80kg) for deeming them have to performed exceptionally well at the Abu Dhabi trials.
Those are the big names of those who earned the free trip. Those who think they will have an easy time after arrival are kidding themselves. Also heading to the Emirates are super tough names like Michel Langhi, Sergio Moraes, Gabriel Vella, Antonio Peinado, Zaid Mirza, Mario Reis, Lucio “Lagarto” Rodrigues and others.
Check out the list of names signed up as of now and stay tuned to GRACIEMAG.com for further information on the Asian Super Cup.
70 KG
1-Rafael Mendes - Brazil
2-Michel Maia – Brazil
3-Tiago Fernandes– Brazil UAE team
4-Reza Monfaradi – Bahrain
5-Seena Monfaradi – Bahrain
6-Marcio Livio – Brazil UAE
7-Mario Reis – Brazil
8-Moacir Mendes – Brazil
80 KG
1-Cleber Lopes – Brazil
2-Gustavo Campos – Brazil
3-Claudio Calasans – Brazil
4-Michael Langhi – Brazil
5-Sergio de Moraes – Brazil
6-Mohamad Mirza – Bahrain
7-Yasubey Enomoto – Switzerland
8-Eduardo Rios – Portugal
9-Nic Ruben – Finland
90KG
1-Otavio de Souza – Brazil
2-Edmilson Conceição – Brazil
3-Ammar Mutie – UAE
4-Marcelo Freitas- Brazil UAE team
5-Paulo Ricardo – Brazil UAE team
6-Zaid Mirza – Jordan Team
+90KG
1-Antonio Peinado – Brazil
2-Gabriel Vella – Brazil
3-Charles Cachoeira – Brazil
4-Lucio Rodrigues Lagarto – Brazil
5-Raphael Haubert – Brazil
6-Pedro Schmall – Brazil
7-Janne Pekka - Finland
Thursday, December 04, 2008
SUPER CUP:
Asian Cup final stretch
Carlao Santos making final adjustments
While most folks are in end-of-the-year mode, Carlao Santos is hard at work. December is just around the corner and the black belt is making final preparations for the Asian Super Cup, to take place this 12th and 13th of December, in Abu Dhabi, UAE. GRACIEMAG.com borrowed a bit of the organizer’s time to find out how the final stretch of the tournament promising to bring together some of the greatest gladiators in the gi is going. Check it out:
How are final preparations for the Asian Super Cup going?
It’s rush time here in Abu Dhabi, the event has made in to the schedule for celebrations of the United Arab Emirates national day, which is December 2nd. We coincide with celebrations of that date. All the sports media in the country is covering the event.
What is your assessment of the trials held in Porto Alegre?
Great. Couldn’t be better, as we’re bringing the best pure Jiu-Jitsu fighters over for the big show here in Abu Dhabi. It also serves to show the media in Brazil that a country’s entire royal family supports a sport looked down upon in Brazil. Therefore, who knows we might be able to change a lot of people’s minds about our sport over in Brazil.
What are the greatest challenges the organization faces?
To me it has to be the refereeing, since for the first time black belts will be fighting here, but we are using shorter fight times, of 6 minutes, and use CBJJ’s basic rules. But points will only be scored if it’s 100% clear. I hope the fighters and referees do well in this challenge. I always tell my referees here to always make sure there’s no stalling and the fighters are always going after the finish. I do this because I want the fight to be a great spectacle and the spectators to have no doubt as to who the winner is.
What are local expectations in receiving some of the best Jiu-Jitsu fighters in the world?
They are excited, as it will be the first time they will be near the best black belts currently fighting.
Normally competitions are dominated by Brazilians, do you expect there to be any surprises from other nationalities?
At black belt yes, but I’ll warn you now: if the Brazilian blue belts think they are going to come here and have an easy time they’re fooling themselves.
How many countries have competitors signed up for the competition?
More than 25 countries and 150 fighters are already signed up for the event here.
Is there any message you’d like to send to the public and competitors during this final stretch before the tournament?
That my dream and that of his highness Sheikh Zayed Bin Mohamad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and his father, uncles and cousins is becoming a reality, making Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu professional, now at this tenth event of mine here in Abu Dhabi. Now our partner Zaid Mirza will in the week after our event here, hold his first international Jiu-Jitsu event in Jordan and also following the same lines as this one, to award the fighters with big money prizes. Therefore, a lot of people are coming to fight at the Asian Super Cup in Abu Dhabi and later will go to Jordan to fight, making it a small professional Jiu-Jitsu circuit. That’s the idea. A little down the road there’ll be more events, and then the dreamed of professional world circuit will be a reality.
Carlao Santos making final adjustments
While most folks are in end-of-the-year mode, Carlao Santos is hard at work. December is just around the corner and the black belt is making final preparations for the Asian Super Cup, to take place this 12th and 13th of December, in Abu Dhabi, UAE. GRACIEMAG.com borrowed a bit of the organizer’s time to find out how the final stretch of the tournament promising to bring together some of the greatest gladiators in the gi is going. Check it out:
How are final preparations for the Asian Super Cup going?
It’s rush time here in Abu Dhabi, the event has made in to the schedule for celebrations of the United Arab Emirates national day, which is December 2nd. We coincide with celebrations of that date. All the sports media in the country is covering the event.
What is your assessment of the trials held in Porto Alegre?
Great. Couldn’t be better, as we’re bringing the best pure Jiu-Jitsu fighters over for the big show here in Abu Dhabi. It also serves to show the media in Brazil that a country’s entire royal family supports a sport looked down upon in Brazil. Therefore, who knows we might be able to change a lot of people’s minds about our sport over in Brazil.
What are the greatest challenges the organization faces?
To me it has to be the refereeing, since for the first time black belts will be fighting here, but we are using shorter fight times, of 6 minutes, and use CBJJ’s basic rules. But points will only be scored if it’s 100% clear. I hope the fighters and referees do well in this challenge. I always tell my referees here to always make sure there’s no stalling and the fighters are always going after the finish. I do this because I want the fight to be a great spectacle and the spectators to have no doubt as to who the winner is.
What are local expectations in receiving some of the best Jiu-Jitsu fighters in the world?
They are excited, as it will be the first time they will be near the best black belts currently fighting.
Normally competitions are dominated by Brazilians, do you expect there to be any surprises from other nationalities?
At black belt yes, but I’ll warn you now: if the Brazilian blue belts think they are going to come here and have an easy time they’re fooling themselves.
How many countries have competitors signed up for the competition?
More than 25 countries and 150 fighters are already signed up for the event here.
Is there any message you’d like to send to the public and competitors during this final stretch before the tournament?
That my dream and that of his highness Sheikh Zayed Bin Mohamad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and his father, uncles and cousins is becoming a reality, making Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu professional, now at this tenth event of mine here in Abu Dhabi. Now our partner Zaid Mirza will in the week after our event here, hold his first international Jiu-Jitsu event in Jordan and also following the same lines as this one, to award the fighters with big money prizes. Therefore, a lot of people are coming to fight at the Asian Super Cup in Abu Dhabi and later will go to Jordan to fight, making it a small professional Jiu-Jitsu circuit. That’s the idea. A little down the road there’ll be more events, and then the dreamed of professional world circuit will be a reality.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Friday, November 28, 2008
TEAM PLAYER:
EMIRATES BJJ TEAM PLAYER:
Diver takes plunge in a national first
Adel Abu Haliqa, an Abu Dhabi resident, trains at the Armed Forces Officers Club
ABU DHABI // Every time Adel Abu Haliqa steps into the water he knows he could set another national record. He set two last week alone, which is fairly impressive for a 36-year-old whose day job is running a shop selling traditional clothing.
That is because Mr Abu Haliqa last weekend became the first Emirati to compete in a world championship for freediving, which involves plumbing the depths on only one breath.
He took up the sport only two years ago, but his progress has been so rapid that he competed in the world championships in Eindhoven, in the Netherlands, setting two UAE records in the process.
The sport uses the same skills harnessed by generations of pearl fishermen in the UAE, although practised in a safe and controlled environment.
Mr Abu Haliqa, who trains at the Armed Forces Officers Club in the capital, said he hoped other Emiratis could reconnect with their pearl-diving heritage and become interested in freediving.
The championships in Eindhoven were divided into two competitions. The first saw divers hold their breath underwater for as long as possible. Mr Abu Haliqa, who has also trained as a freediving instructor, recorded a time of three minutes, 31 seconds.
In the second part, competitors had to swim underwater over as long a distance as possible using one giant fin. Mr Abu Haliqa managed to swim 73 metres, almost one and a half times the length of an Olympic-size swimming pool.
“I know I can do better and I have done better before,” he said. “But you need to make sure you are fresh at the end, the judges are looking for a diver to be completely conscious at the end.
“I have seen many people black out and then get disqualified, so I had to be careful.
“The national records are both there now, but I am going to work harder and look to better them, and hopefully Emiratis will start noticing the sport so that, maybe, we will have more Emiratis competing next time.”
The championships were won by Mikko Pontinen, of Finland, who managed to stay underwater on one breath for seven minutes, 31 seconds, and, in the second competition, swim on one breath over 178 metres.
Freediving is seen as one of the most dangerous sports on earth, although Mr Abu Haliqa said it was perfectly safe if practised correctly. In April last year, Loic Leferme, a renowned French diver, died while freediving off the coast of Nice.
Sara-Lise Haith, Mr Abu Haliqa’s instructor, followed his progress in Eindhoven via live web updates, and said he could aim for even greater achievements in future.
“I was in tears. I know it sounds stupid, but I knew how badly Adel wanted to do this and he has worked so hard. There was a lot of patriotism behind him, and through what he has achieved, he has set an example for everybody else in this country, and shown that you don’t have to black out or take risks to be successful as a freediver.
“It was very emotional and he has set a very strong foothold for this sport in the UAE.”
Ms Haith said the next step could be for Mr Abu Haliqa to compete in a team championship in Sharm-el-Sheikh, in Egypt, in April, although he would need an Emirati teammate to do so.
“We would need only one other Emirati to come forward, and if they were to succeed, they will get points and a world ranking. We need to find another Emirati with the same sense of diving responsibly as Adel, and then we could move forward.”
In the meantime, Ms Haith said, some outdoor freediving sessions were at risk because of the “red tide” currently afflicting Fujairah.
Diver takes plunge in a national first
Adel Abu Haliqa, an Abu Dhabi resident, trains at the Armed Forces Officers Club
ABU DHABI // Every time Adel Abu Haliqa steps into the water he knows he could set another national record. He set two last week alone, which is fairly impressive for a 36-year-old whose day job is running a shop selling traditional clothing.
That is because Mr Abu Haliqa last weekend became the first Emirati to compete in a world championship for freediving, which involves plumbing the depths on only one breath.
He took up the sport only two years ago, but his progress has been so rapid that he competed in the world championships in Eindhoven, in the Netherlands, setting two UAE records in the process.
The sport uses the same skills harnessed by generations of pearl fishermen in the UAE, although practised in a safe and controlled environment.
Mr Abu Haliqa, who trains at the Armed Forces Officers Club in the capital, said he hoped other Emiratis could reconnect with their pearl-diving heritage and become interested in freediving.
The championships in Eindhoven were divided into two competitions. The first saw divers hold their breath underwater for as long as possible. Mr Abu Haliqa, who has also trained as a freediving instructor, recorded a time of three minutes, 31 seconds.
In the second part, competitors had to swim underwater over as long a distance as possible using one giant fin. Mr Abu Haliqa managed to swim 73 metres, almost one and a half times the length of an Olympic-size swimming pool.
“I know I can do better and I have done better before,” he said. “But you need to make sure you are fresh at the end, the judges are looking for a diver to be completely conscious at the end.
“I have seen many people black out and then get disqualified, so I had to be careful.
“The national records are both there now, but I am going to work harder and look to better them, and hopefully Emiratis will start noticing the sport so that, maybe, we will have more Emiratis competing next time.”
The championships were won by Mikko Pontinen, of Finland, who managed to stay underwater on one breath for seven minutes, 31 seconds, and, in the second competition, swim on one breath over 178 metres.
Freediving is seen as one of the most dangerous sports on earth, although Mr Abu Haliqa said it was perfectly safe if practised correctly. In April last year, Loic Leferme, a renowned French diver, died while freediving off the coast of Nice.
Sara-Lise Haith, Mr Abu Haliqa’s instructor, followed his progress in Eindhoven via live web updates, and said he could aim for even greater achievements in future.
“I was in tears. I know it sounds stupid, but I knew how badly Adel wanted to do this and he has worked so hard. There was a lot of patriotism behind him, and through what he has achieved, he has set an example for everybody else in this country, and shown that you don’t have to black out or take risks to be successful as a freediver.
“It was very emotional and he has set a very strong foothold for this sport in the UAE.”
Ms Haith said the next step could be for Mr Abu Haliqa to compete in a team championship in Sharm-el-Sheikh, in Egypt, in April, although he would need an Emirati teammate to do so.
“We would need only one other Emirati to come forward, and if they were to succeed, they will get points and a world ranking. We need to find another Emirati with the same sense of diving responsibly as Adel, and then we could move forward.”
In the meantime, Ms Haith said, some outdoor freediving sessions were at risk because of the “red tide” currently afflicting Fujairah.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
JORDAN BJJ:
The Capital Challenge International is aiming to be the World's biggest Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu prize competition by offering an incredible total prize of $150,000. As if it weren't enough, the Challenge will feature a $100 bonus for each submission, making it the biggest and most exciting BJJ Challenge to compete in and to watch
Capital Challenge International for BJJ
Date: December 19-20, 2008
Time: Doors open at 12:00 P.M.
Place:Amman, Jordan
Orthodox club-Abdoun
Airport: Queen Alia International Airport
Transportation from airport to hotel: Yes, included
Visa: can be purchased at the airport upon arrival for $20.00
www.bjjcapitalchallenge.com
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
BJJ DEMO:
TODAY IN AL TAMAYOZ MODEL SCHOOL IN AL AIN,
EMIRATES TEAM MAKE JIU-JITSU DEMONSTRATION
TO 400 KIDS TO INTRODUTION
THE BASE MOVIMENTS OF BJJ SPORT.
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