We would like to invite women from all GB Schools to get together Saturday, Feb 28 at 9am for a fun “Class e Breakfast” at GB Irvine.
We will have an outstanding class that will be followed by a breakfast where students from different GB Schools chance to meet, know each other better and have fun.
To pictures from our last “Class e Breakfast”: CLICK HERE!
Gracie Barra Encinitas Team.
We would like to congratulate all the students that participated at the GB Tournament this weekend. Master Nelson and Prof. Rafael are very proud of all of you regardless your result, because we know how much it takes just to be there. Another thing that made us equally proud or even more was the Team Work and Family Spirit between all our students, everybody was so supportive to one another and that is the exactly the environment and attitude that we try to create everyday on our mats.
Thank you dear students and friends, it was an honor to be there this weekend with you guys!!!
Below is a list of all the students that competed this weekend. See you in the mats!!!!
| Name: | Division: | Belt/Rank: |
|---|---|---|
| Nathan Aichele | Male Adult [18-29] - Medium Heavy | Blue |
| Paulo Carvalho | Male Adult [18-29] - Middle | Blue |
| Waylon Christensen | Teen [13-15] - Light | Yellow |
| Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek | Little champs [4-6] - Light | Yellow |
| samantha lamirand | Teen [13-15] - Rooster | White/Yellow |
| jacob lamirand | Juniors [10-12] - Light | White/Yellow |
| Jason Erno | Juniors [10-12] - Rooster | White/Yellow |
| Abel Castellanos | Little champs [4-6] - Feather | White/Yellow |
| Themos Pentakalos | Seniors [36+] - Middle | White |
| Steve Nalick | Seniors [36+] - Middle | White |
| Matthew Richard | Masters [30-35] - Super Super Heavy | White |
| Odilon Maia | Masters [30-35] - Light | White |
| Jesse Geer | Male Adult [18-29] - Middle | White |
| Serafino Edwards | Male Adult [18-29] - Middle | White |
| Jonathan Lim | Male Adult [18-29] - Light | White |
| Sean Sayers | Little Champs II [7-9] - Feather | White |
| Jorden Brown | Little Champs II [7-9] - Super Feather | White
|
Gracie Barra Encinitas Family.
Everything is looking great for tomorrow. Even the brackets are prepared and online. Remember you will always have the option to fight on the open division after you weight division fights are done that’s the reason why you will find your name on both weight and open division.
To see your bracket: CLICK HERE!
All GB Season Openner 2009 competitors will receive a well deserved “Competitors Kit” containing: Tournament Shirt, BJJ Magazine, GB Wrist Band ans Stickers.
Here is the Tournament Shirt design:
Gracie Barra: Keeping the Legacy Alive!
Our dear student Jorge Galvan, who will be living in Japan for the next 3 years, sent us an e-mail wishing everybody good luck at the GB Tournament,check it out:
“Hi Prof. Rafael,
Just want to wish every one competing good luck next week. I have finally
started training. The class is cool its two hours long one hour of warm-ups,
drills, and some techniques and the second hour of rolling. The instructor
is cool, but I can tell that he is not as technical as Master Nelson and
yourself. Anyway its pretty much the only game in town. So please say
hello to everyone for me and good luck and kick some A**! Next week.”
Thank you Jorge, we miss you a lot at the school,
Gracie Barra Encinitas Family.
Hello GB Team members!
February 22nd is Carnival Time!!
This edition of “The b in BJJ” will try to make you understand a little bit about the Brazilian Carnival or Carnaval Brasileiro, which is the biggest popular party on earth.
A Little History:
The Brazilian Carnival (Portuguese: Carnaval) is an annual festival in Brazil held 40 days before Easter and marks the beginning of Lent. During Lent, Roman Catholics are supposed to abstain from all bodily pleasures, including the consumption of meat. The carnival, celebrated as a profane event and believed to have its origins in the pagan Saturnalia, can thus be considered an act of farewell to the pleasures of the flesh.Brazilian Carnival as a whole exhibits some differences with its counterparts in Europe and other parts of the world, and within Brazil it has distinct regional manifestations. Brazilian citizens used to riot until the Carnival was accepted by the government as an expression of culture. That was because the Brazilian carnival had its origin in a Portuguese festivity called “entrudo”.
Nowadays:
Well, if you go to Brazil on the Carnival you will find a party anywhere you go, but depending of what region you are you will see a diferent style of carnival. We mainly have three different styles.
If you go to big Cities like Sao Paulo and specially Rio de Janeiro you will be able to see the “Schools of Samba” parade.
Samba schools are very large, well-financed organizations that work year round in preparation for Carnival. Parading in the Sambadrome runs over four entire nights and is part of an official competition, divided into seven divisions, in which a single samba school will be declared that year’s winner.
Members of the “Estacio de Sa” samba school perform atop of a float that pays tribute to the statue of Liberty during the opening of the traditional Brazilian carnival parade in Rio de Janeiro, 18 February 2007. Some 150 thousand people attend the parade.
If you go to the country side you will be able to watch some religious parades and also enjoy the Carnival at the Sports Club in town where the carnival bands will be playing all night long.
The third option would be to go to the Northeast states where the music and the dance has a huge influence on people’s life. Over there you will reserve your place in one of the famous “blocks of carnival” where thousands of people party on the streets basically following a enormous truck with a famous brazilian band performing on top of the truck, called “Trio Eletrico”.
This is a great video that shows a little bit of the Carnival in Rio, maybe now you can have a idea how much Brazilians miss Brazil on the Carnival time!
It is with great sadness that Gracie Barra announces the passing of Grandmaster Helio Gracie. At 95 years of age, the great icon and one of those most responsible for Jiu-Jitsu’s success in Brazil and the world died on Jan 29th, at Beneficencia Portuguesa Hospital, in Petropolis, mountain region of Rio de Janeiro.
We are sure his spirit will live in the hearts of all BJJ lovers and practitioners.
The Gracie Barra School leaves here an homage to a the Great Grand Master and our gratitude for all he has done for this incredible and noble art.
Our hearts go out to his family.
Photo: Gustavo Aragao.