Nakapan Phungephorn teaches at BETA Academy of Martial Arts.

Editing provided by Dan Friedell

Nakapan Phungephorn landed in Vienna, Austria in 2001 to meet with a handful of specially selected teammates to represent the United States at the WKA World Championships in Muay Thai. The same scene was being played out by other competitors – seasoned, tough fighters headed to Central Europe for what was likely going to be the most important match of their careers.

The matches ahead were certain to be hard, that much was expected. But what was unexpected was the onset of a blazing temperature and blurred vision. Nakapan didn’t know what was wrong, and instead of seeking medical care and being advised against competing, he decided to push through the symptoms of what was later diagnosed as strep throat.  What was supposed to be the most difficult test of his competitive career became a nightmare.

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Vanessa Oliveira of the Grappling Fight Team won double gold at the IBJJF 2011 New York Open.

NEW YORK — BJJ black belt Vanessa Oliveira of the Grappling Fight Team (GFT) had three matches at the IBJJF 2011 New York Open and won two gold medals by defeating Emily Kwok of Alliance in the finals of the middleweight black belt division and the black belt open division.

Oliveira, through a translator, said that she defeated Kwok by points in her matches by just playing her game.

In the finals of the men’s adult middleweight black belt division, Vitor Henrique Oliveira of GFT defeated Rodrigo Goncalvez Martins (Rickson Gracie Center) via referee’s decision.

Watch the two match videos from the 2011 New York Open.

———

Vanessa Oliveira (Grappling Fight Team) vs. Emily Kwok (Alliance) in the women’s black belt open division finals.

Vitor Henrique Oliveira (Grappling Fight Team) vs. Rodrigo Goncalves Martins (Rickson Gracie Center) in the finals of the adult middleweight black belt division.

More Match Videos:
MMA Fighter Gabriel Gonzaga wins Master’s Black Belt Division
Rafael “Formiga” Barbosa wins the adult men’s black belt open division
Adult Black Belt Matches

Watch black belt matches from the 2011 IBJJF New York Open.

Daniel Beleza (SAS Team) vs. Luis Pantoja (Yamasaki Jiu-Jitsu) in the featherweight division semi-finals.

Jose Manuel Gonzalez (Nova Uniao) vs. Jairo Rogerio Taborda (Tatu Jiu-Jitsu) in the featherweight division semi-finals.

More Match Videos:
MMA Fighter Gabriel Gonzaga wins Master’s Black Belt Division
Rafael “Formiga” Barbosa wins the adult men’s black belt open division
Adult Black Belt Matches

Check out the action photos from this past weekend’s IBJJF 2011 New York Open. Thumbnails of the whole slide show are below.

Instructions: Click on [SL] for the slide show. To move manually, put the pointer on the large picture and left click on the arrows.

More Match Videos:
MMA Fighter Gabriel Gonzaga wins Master’s Black Belt Division
Rafael “Formiga” Barbosa wins the adult men’s black belt open division
Adult Black Belt Matches

IBJJF held its 2011 New York Open on April 16, 2011 at the City College of New York.

Check out the following black belt matches from the event:

Adult black belt super heavy finals:
Guybson Sa (SAS Team) vs. Jorge Periere (Gracie Humaita)

Adult black belt absolute semi-finals:
Rafael Barbosa (Soul Fighters/Best Way) vs. Tiago Almeida (Gracie Humaita)

Women’s black belt division finals:
Vanessa Oliveira (Grappling Fight Team) vs. Emily Kwok (Alliance) [Match 1]

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Adult black belt super heavy finals: Guybson Sa (SAS Team) vs. Jorge Periere (Gracie Humaita)

Adult black belt absolute semi-finals: Rafael Barbosa (Soul Fighters/Best Way) vs. Tiago Almeida (Gracie Humaita)

Women’s black belt division finals: Vanessa Oliveira (Grappling Fight Team) vs. Emily Kwok (Alliance)

More Match Videos:
MMA Fighter Gabriel Gonzaga wins Master’s Black Belt Division
Rafael “Formiga” Barbosa wins the adult men’s black belt open division
Adult Black Belt Matches

UFC veteran Gabriel Gonzaga of Team Link competed in the masters black belt open division of the 2011 IBJJF New York Open. Watch videos from his matches in the open division.

Gabriel Gonzaga (Team Link) submits Guillermo Salas (Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy) in the finals.

Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Nakapan Phungephorn (Team Lloyd Irvin) in the semi-finals.

Gabriel Gonzaga in the first round of the open division.

Rafael 'Formiga' Barbosa won his match in the lightweight division and defeated super heavy weight Guybson Sa in the finals of the adult black belt open.

NEW YORK — The IBJJF New York Open was held this past weekend at the City College of New York.   Among the highlights of the event was the men’s adult black belt division open.

The finals of the open pitted lightweight winner Rafael “Formiga” Barbosa against heavyweight competitor Guybson Sa of the SAS Team.

In a classic match up of light versus heavy competitors, the two went the distance in the match for first place.

Barbosa, who fights out of the Soul Fighters/Best Way camp in Connecticut, had two other matches in the open division, which were won by choke and points. In the finals, Barbosa continued his X-guard strategy, using the sweeps to win by two points (6-4).  Barbosa said, “This guy’s very good, but he’s very tall…(which is) also (good) for my game.”  Barbosa also said that since his opponent had long legs, he was able to get under him and use his X-guard strategy.

Watch Barbosa in the finals against Guybson Sa.

More Match Videos:
MMA Fighter Gabriel Gonzaga wins Master’s Black Belt Division
Adult black belt matches
More adult black belt matches

Grapplers Quest Beast of the East is a submission wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournament organized by Brian Cimins.

ASBURY PARK, N.J. — The Grapplers Quest 2011 Beast of the East was held this past Saturday and featured a record breaking amount of attendees. In addition to the national and international representation at the tournament, the D.C. metro area regularly sends teams of grapplers to the tournament to compete.

D.C. Metro Area Highlights

Team Lloyd Irvin (TLI) took first place in the overall team title, coming in first place in all team divisions. The women’s team division gold was shared with Justin Garcia’s Jungle Gym in N.Y. The TLI contingent was comprised mostly of youth competitors from Lloyd Irvin Martial Arts Academy in Camp Springs, Md. and adult competitors from Crazy 88 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Elkridge, Md.

From Fifty/50 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Arlington, Va., Seph Smith of the BRASA Team won three matches in the advanced no-gi 150-159 pound division to win gold. Smith controlled the pace of his matches and ended up winning all his matches by points.

In the brown belt division, Smith won his first match 36-0, but lost his second match to Dan Boyle of Delco BJJ by a score of 9-0. Boyle went on to win the division with Smith taking second.

Fifty/50 BJJ competitors Kenny Savercool and Ostap Manastryski closed out the featherweight purple belt division, winning gold and silver, respectively. Savercool was also in the finals of the advanced no-gi featherweight division, but was caught with a guillotine choke by Chris Ulbricht of Grapplers Guide. In a stroke of luck, Manastryski won the Autism charity raffle to compete at Grapplers Quest events free for life.

From Dave Trader’s Rage Fight and Fitness in Manassas, Va., BJJ blue belt Michelle Welti took gold in the women’s no-gi advanced class C 140-149 pound division in addition to gold in the women’s advanced no-gi open. Welti’s matches in her weight division were both won by triangle choke. In the finals of the open, she escaped leg lock attempts and controlled scoring positions with a final score of 15-2.

When asked about her thoughts on her matches, Welti said, “I went into this tournament off of a tough first round loss at the Pan-Ams. After that I decided I needed to re-evaluate my game, which I did with the help of my coach, and went into Grappler’s Quest with a whole new mentality.”

Team Yamasaki reported competitors in the kids division, where three medals were earned by youth competitors.

2011 Beast of the East Related Articles:
Brazil battles Russia in the semi-finals of the men’s no-gi advanced open
Team Lloyd Irvin wins Overall Team Title
Action Photography of Competitor Matches

Malachi Edmond (right) of Team Lloyd Irvin won gold and silver in his age bracket (16-17) and also gold in the adult bantamweight blue belt division.

ASBURY PARK, N.J. — This past weekend, the most highly attended Grapplers Quest tournament in history was held at the Asbury Park Convention Hall. Of the teams competing at the tournament, Team Lloyd Irvin (TLI), a Brazilian jiu-jitsu, submission wrestling, and mixed martial arts association based in Camp Springs, Md., won the overall combined team title.

Lloyd Irvin Martial Arts Academy (LIMAA), the headquarters of TLI, brought in 17 total competitors in the kids and teen divisions. TLI affiliates, such as Crazy88 BJJ (Elkridge, Md.) and Ivey League MMA (Annapolis, Md.), also brought in competitors, with a group of approximately 20 adult competitors coming from Crazy88.

Leading the kids were Malachi Edmond and Cedric Bryant of LIMAA, two teenagers under age 18, who both won gold in separate adult blue belt divisions. Edmond and Bryant also competed in their regular brackets, each winning gold and silver medals in the 16-17 year old gi and no-gi divisions. Donnie Achnick, head instructor of the kid’s program at LIMAA, said, “I couldn’t expect a better performance. This was the first tournament we could bring a larger portion of the team.”

The TLI women’s highlights include first place finishes by LIMAA’s Aarae Alexander (no-gi advanced class B), Crazy88′s Alexandria Welch (white belt class A), and Ivey League’s Michelle Francis (white belt class B).

Al Washington of Crazy88 BJJ won gold in the blue belt division and silver in the superweight no-gi advanced division.

In the men’s division, Crazy88 BJJ comprised most of the TLI adult team competitors, with some of the medal contributions from Malcolm Vaughan (gold in purple belt cruiserweight), Matthew Rihani (gold in intermediate welterweight, silver blue belt welterweight), and Kwami Mensah (double gold in executive advanced lightweight and executive blue belt).

Al Washington scored two medals with a gold in the blue belt superweight division, and a silver medal in the no-gi advanced division. Washington took second in his no-gi division to M-1 and Bellator MMA veteran, Alex Oleinik, of Red Devil and K-Dojo.

Additional Crazy88 representation came from competitors such as 17 year old Devan Delbrugge (bronze, adult blue belt), Tom Shrum (silver, blue belt), Katie Oliphant, Mike “Project Mayhem” Aquila, Larissa Zwanenburg, Russell Atkinson, and Atakan Ince.

Crazy88 BJJ owner and head instructor Julius Park said of his team that, “Everyone is better now then they were before the tournament.”  Although he felt there were some questionable calls, he stated, “I am happy with how everyone did.”

2011 Beast of the East Related Articles:
Competitor Photographs
Brazil vs. Russia closes out Beast of the East Men’s No-Gi Advanced Open
Event and Competitor Photography Part 2

Entrance into the Grapplers Quest event

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ASBURY PARK, N.J. — The Grapplers Quest 2011 Beast of the East tournament was held this past weekend at the Asbury Park Convention Hall. The event featured submission wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu divisions for men, women, and children. Competitors from the U.S. and outside of the country came to compete for championship belts, medals, and cash prizes.

According to the Grapplers Quest website, Team Lloyd Irvin won the overall combined team title, followed by Jungle Gym, and Team Marcelo Garcia.

Check out the event photography and competitor action.

Instructions: For the slide show above, click on the arrows to move between the slides.  Commentary may be provided at the top of some of the photos.  The thumbnails below are included in the slides.

2011 Beast of the East Related Articles:
Competitor Photographs
Brazil vs. Russia closes out Beast of the East Men’s No-Gi Advanced Open

Grapplers Quest Beast of the East 2011

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ASBURY PARK, N.J. — The Grapplers Quest Beast of the East submission wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournament was held at the Asbury Park Convention Hall this past weekend.  A total of 250 champions were crowned at the record breaking event which featured gi and no-gi divisions for men, women, and children.

National and international competitors grappled for championship belts, medals, cash, and prizes.

Check out the competitor photography from the tournament.

Instructions: For the slide show above, click on the arrows to move between the slides.  Commentary may be provided at the top of some of the photos.  The thumbnails below are included in the slides.

2011 Beast of the East Related Articles:
Brazil vs. Russia closes out 2011 Beast of the East No-Gi Advanced Absolute
Event and Competitor Photographs Part 2

Fans watch in disbelief as the Russian team MMA fighter, Alex Olienik, attempts a leg scissor and choke submission on Oliveira. The double attack was used to submit an opponent previously in the division.

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TRADUCAO PORTUGESE

ASBURY PARK, N.J. – The Grapplers Quest 2011 Beast of the East submission wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournament was held on April 9, 2011 at the Asbury Park Convention Hall. The event attracted record breaking attendance, with almost 4000 people at the event.

At stake were championship belts, medals, and $14,250 in cash and prizes for winners in selected championship divisions.

The highlight of the event was the men’s no-gi advanced absolute, where MMA fighter Alex Oleinik, a Bellator and M-1 MMA veteran from Red Devil/K-Dojo would be in the division with other advanced competitors to compete for a purse of $1,000 and a pass to “Compete Free for Life.” After many hard fought matches in the open division, the competition resulted in a Brazil vs. Russia match up, in a classic battle of technique vs. strength.

K-Dojo teammates Oleinik and Rustam Chsiev barreled through their opponents using strength moves and submission holds characteristic of martial arts training from the northern Caucasus of Russia. Oleinik leveraged his size advantage over a previous competitor by squeezing his legs around his opponent while in the guard position, which resulted in a tap out. For Chsiev, an ADCC North American and Grapplers Quest champion, opponents who chose to stand up with him during the tournament followed similar patterns of being lifted and landing on their backs.

Chsiev's strength was evident when the Russian powered out of a triangle attempt by Barbosa.

In a contrast of styles, the Brazilian competitors Rafael “Formiga” Barbosa of Soul Fighters/Best Way and Vitor Oliveira (GF Team in Brazil), were prepared to meet their opponents in the semi-finals using the technique and leverage that is emphasized in jiu-jitsu. The competitors also competed throughout the open division to reach the semi-finals.

The first semi-final match would pit Oleinik against Oliveira, pairing the heavyweight Russian MMA fighter against the smaller sized Brazilian. To many people’s surprise, Oliveira scored a take down to go up 2-0, putting Oleinik on his back. The Russian later went to his guard and attempted a double submission attack on the Brazilian. “He was trying to do the scissor and the choke together,” said Oliveira through a translator. However, the attacks were unsuccessful. Oleinik then came back to score a takedown, putting the Brazilian on the mat. Oliveira would stand up again, and the Russian, still latched on behind him, would take him down again. Much to the disappointment of the K-Dojo coach, the referee did not rule it as a takedown. The match would end in a tie, and the referee would give the decision to Oliveira. “He was thinking he had to finish with Formiga so they could finish the absolute together,” said Oliveira’s translator. A vocal K-Dojo coach would voice his displeasure for not receiving points, however, the decision would stand.

BJJ black belts Vitor Oliveira (GFT in Brazil) and Rafael 'Formiga' Barbosa of Soul Fighters/Best Way (Connecticut) close out the men's advanced no-gi absolute division.

In the next match of the semi-finals, Rafael Barbosa took on Rustam Chsiev. Chsiev, who had previously won the 190 to 199 advanced no-gi division, would be forced to play an unfamiliar strategy. Barbosa engaged the Russian from his back, working his way to the X-guard. After splitting his opponent, Barbosa got the sweep and moved behind his opponent. From there, Chsiev never got back on the score board. The rest of the match had Chsiev attempting to pass the guard, but to no avail.  The match would end with Chsiev still trying to pass the guard and Barbosa would win by points. “I know this guy’s stand up (is) awesome,” said Barbosa.  ”He is explosive but not tight pressure.”

After the matches, the Brazilians would close out the division and win the prize money.  Barbosa’s thoughts on his match would sum up the contrast of style between the matchups, “Very strong…very strong…(but) no technique.”

Related Articles:
2011 Beast of the East Competitor Photos
Event and Competitor Photographs Part 2

ZACH DAVIS’ “THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER” PARTY – WEDNESDAY

On April 13, Zach Davis of Evolve Academy/Team Lloyd Irvin will host another Ultimate Fighter party at a location to be announced in Montgomery County, Md. The party will start at 7:30 p.m. and will feature free give aways, such as TapOut shirts, to people that come and show their support. Up coming details about the party will be on his site at www.zachdavismma.com.

SHOGUN FIGHTS 4 RETURNS TO BALTIMORE, Md.

Local D.C. metro fighters are scheduled to fight at the largest MMA show in Maryland on April 30, 2011 at 1st Mariner Arena. Current local D.C. area fighters are Dustin Pague (MASE Training/Tony Passos BJJ), Jason Morris (Evolve Academy/Team Lloyd Irvin), Marshall “The Unknown Warrior” Thompson (Evolve Academy & Warrior Gym), Adrian Belcarris, and Dean Lavin (Team Assassin).

Dustin Page made a strong performance in his last appearance at Shogun Fights 3, winning by first round TKO via strikes.

In his last appearance at Shogun Fights, Jason Morris was coaching Zach Davis in his final fight before the Ultimate Fighter. Now, Morris will step in the cage as a fighter and take on Cole Pressley of Clinch Academy.

Marshall Thompson continues his comeback to MMA after battling injuries. The former WKA National MMA champion (2007) will take on Siyam Yousefi in a 135 pound bout.

* Update: Added Adrian Belcarris and Dean Lavin (Team Assassin)

FIGHTING OUT OF TOWN

Week-in and week-out, local fighters go out of town to compete in other fight shows. Please wish these fighters good luck on their road trip endeavors!

MIXED MARTIAL ARTS

April 8 – Atlantic City (New Jersey) – Ring of Combat XXXV – Elijah Harshbarger, Gold Medal Grappling (Team Lloyd Irvin)
Live Stream: View Event
April 9 – Akron (Ohio) – NAAFS – Proving Ground MMA Series 4 – Rosanna Garcia, Evolve Academy (Team Lloyd Irvin)

MUAY THAI

April 12 – Thailand (Patong) – Aaron Jimmerson, Fairfax Jiu-Jitsu
April 17 – Thailand (Kohsamui) – Rene Rodriguez, Fairfax Jiu-Jitsu/Yamasaki-Springfield
April 29 – NYC – WKA Fight Night – Hiro Perera, Fairfax Jiu-Jitsu

ELITE FIGHTING CHALLENGE 8 AFTERMATH

This past weekend, the EFC 8 MMA event was held in Lynchburg, Va. After the fights, I caught up with E.J. Mecklenburg of BETA Academy/Team Lloyd Irvin who won a decisive first round victory over Josh Clark of the Strikers Union Fight Team in North Carolina.  Mecklenburg’s quick take down and ground-and-pound resulted in a broken nose for Clark and a first round submission by way of choke.  After the bout, Clark engaged Mecklenburg in conversation about the fight.  When asked about their brief discussion, this is what Mecklenburg had to say:

“The guy that I fought came up and we were talking. I wasn’t sure exactly what he was trying to do. It was casual at first, then…I don’t know if he was trying save his ego or egg me on…he was trying to put something out there like he wanted to fight again, and he actually said he wanted a rematch and that ‘I would be the guy leaving with the broken nose next time.’ I thought it was kind of childish, kinda silly, especially after it was a pretty decisive win in my mind. I told him that if he wanted it that bad, he could take the four hour trip up to D.C. and we can have one…I don’t know exactly what was going through his mind, but it was really weird. I don’t think it was the most respectful thing to do after getting smashed like that.”

BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU AND SUBMISSION WRESTLING HIGHLIGHTS

Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championships

The Abu Dhabi World Pro Championships will be held during the period of April 8-16 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center in the United Arab Emirates.  Severals competitors from local teams have won pro-trial tournaments to earn sponsored trips to the World Pro Championships.  The tournament is open to all competitors, however, pro-trial winners qualify for sponsored travel and lodging.

Sponsored competitors:

Black Belt, Ryan Hall, Fifty/50 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BRASA Team)
Brown Belt, Jimmy Harbison, Lloyd Irvin Martial Arts Academy
Purple Belt, D.J. Jackson, Lloyd Irvin Martial Arts Academy
Purple Belt, Kenneth Brown, Evolve Academy (Team Lloyd Irvin)
Blue Belt, Pere Briggs, Lloyd Irvin Martial Arts Academy
Blue Belt, Megan Lomonof, Fifty/50 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BRASA Team)

Please send any corrections or additions to MMAinDC.com via the “About” page.

New Yamasaki Academy Location In Woodbridge, Va.

Yamasaki Jiu-Jitsu black belt Joe Cunningham will be the head instructor at the new location. Classes run Monday through Saturday and will include BJJ, no-gi grappling, and mixed martial arts.

Location:
13546 Minnieville Road, Woodbridge, VA 22192
For more information, call: (703) 261-9657

Editor’s Note: Thank you to everyone who contributed information for this article.

Students working out at Fifty/50 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Arlington, Va.

The Fifty/50 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy was founded by Abu Dhabi medalist Ryan Hall and pro-grappling competitor Seph Smith.  A women’s BJJ program was later established by Jen Flannery.

Brazilian jiu-jitsu is a martial arts style based on grappling techniques and submissions. The art was popularized in the United States by Royce Gracie in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.  Royce used grappling techniques to control and submit larger opponents during his matches.

Check out the slide show and captions to learn about the women’s Brazilian jiu-jitsu program at Fifty/50 BJJ.

Instructions: Left click on a photo. Click on the bottom arrows to move through the slides. Clicking on the image may end the viewing early.

The Brazilian consulate in downtown D.C.

Calendar of events in April for the martial arts community in D.C., Va. and Md. Mixed martial arts, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, submission wrestling events!

MIXED MARTIAL ARTS AND GRAPPLING TOURNAMENTS

4/2 Elite Fighting Championship

http://www.efcfights.com/
Description: Mixed martial arts (MMA) fights in Lynchburg, Va.
Lynchburg Armory
Lynchburg, VA

4/16 Barbarian Fight Club

www.barbarianfightclub.com
Description: Mixed martial arts fights!
Doors Open: 6:30 PM
Amelia County Highschool
8500 Otterburn Rd.
Amelia, VA 23002

4/16 The Good Fight: Virginia Open!

www.thegoodfight.tv
Description: Brazilian jiu-jitsu and submission wrestling tournament for kids and adults.
5700 Warhill Trail
Williamsburg, VA 23188

4/23 Warrior Fighting Championship: Rumble In The Cage

www.warriorfc.biz
Description: Mixed martial arts fights!
Daniel Technology Center
18121 Technology Drive
Culpeper, VA 22701

4/30 Shogun Fights 4

www.shogunfights.com
Description: Professional mixed martial arts fights!
Event Start: 7:00 PM
1st Mariner Arena
201 W. Baltimore Street
Baltimore, MD 21201

4/30 BattleFC: MMA Fights

www.battlefc.com
Description: Mixed martial arts fights!
Fredericksburg Armory
1700 Jefferson Davis Highway
Fredericksburg, VA

2011 Pan-American BJJ Championships

The annual IBJJF Pan-American BJJ Championships were held in Irvine, Calif. last week at the University of California Bren Events Center.  Divisions from white belt to black gave opportunities for all experience levels to compete.  Teams from the D.C. metro area and surrounding counties send competitors every year to the annual tournament.

The stakes are high, with plane tickets and lodging being major hurdles for participation.  U.S. and international teams competed for medals and top honors.  The event was broadcasted live on the Internet by Budovideos, making this the most publicized Pan-Ams in history.

A Milestone Is Reached

Master Lloyd Irvin reported on his Facebook page that Team Lloyd Irvin became the first non-Brazilian team to place second in the adult team division along with placing third in the women’s team division.  The team did most of its damage in the adult divisions, with some of the highlights including medals from JT Torres (black belt, lightweight bronze), Jimmy Harbison (brown belt, gold and bronze open class), Willie Leonard (purple belt, double gold), and DJ Jackson (purple belt, double silver).  The women’s adult medalists included placings from purple belts Sijara Eubanks (gold open class and silver) and Rachel Demara (gold, and silver open class).  In men’s Senior 3, Michael Atkin of Crazy88 BJJ took gold in the brown belt heavyweight division.

Additional teams from the area also made their marks at the tournament, mostly in the masters and senior divisions.

De La Riva Jiu-Jitsu in northern Va. and Maryland was led by black belt Master’s competitors Tony Passos and Vicente Junior (Crofton, Md.), who both achieved gold in their respective weight classes.  In the adult division, William “Billy” Shannon came away with gold in the purple belt heavyweight class.

Some additional master’s division highlights came from Seph Smith of BRASA Team (Fifty/50 BJJ) winning silver in the light brown belt division, and Isaac July, Jr. of Big Brothers (Team Leo Dalla) winning gold in the purple belt medium heavy division.

For Team Yamasaki, some highlights include Senior 3 performances by Brian Beauchamp and Doug McGiffin.  Beauchamp scored double gold in the brown belt division, and Doug McGiffin took home the gold in the black belt heavyweight class.

Master Leo Dalla took silver in the Senior 1 black belt division.  Jeff Gordon of the Pedro Sauer Team took away gold in the Senior 2 brown belt division and Noelie Danworth of Ikehara JJ (Gaithersburg, Md.) took away silver in the black belt Senior 1 (featherweight division).

Listed below are some of the individual achievements for academies in the D.C. metro area and surrounding counties.

* Editor’s Note:  Any additions or corrections should be emailed to me on the “About” page.  Due to the scope of work, I was only able to limit results to the D.C. metro region and surrounding counties.  Also, thank you to everyone who helped contribute information to this listing. Results were verified on the IBJJF.org website.

* Last Updated: 5:00 PM Friday.

Adult Team

Team Lloyd Irvin, Second Place, 45 points

Female Team

Team Lloyd Irvin, Third Place, 25 points

Juvenile 2 Division

Juvenile 2 Blue Belt

Devon Delbrugge, Silver, Medium Heavy, Team Lloyd Irvin (Crazy88 BJJ – Elkridge, Md.)
Devon Delbrugge, Silver, Open Class, Team Lloyd Irvin (Crazy88 BJJ – Elkridge, Md.)

Adult Division

Adult White Belt

Aaron Mikell, Bronze, Medium Heavy, Yamasaki Team
Greg Gibson, Bronze, Heavy, Big Brothers (Team Leo Dalla)

Adult Blue Belt

Jeremy West, Silver, Feather, Team Lloyd Irvin (Camp Springs, Md.)
Curtis Schaeffer, Silver, Heavy, Yamasaki Team
Alfonso Washington, Bronze, Ultra Heavy, Team Lloyd Irvin (Crazy88 BJJ – Elkridge, Md.)
Alfonso Washington, Bronze, Open Class, Team Lloyd Irvin (Crazy88 BJJ – Elkridge, Md.)

Adult Purple Belt

DJ Jackson, Silver, Middle, Team Lloyd Irvin (Camp Springs, Md.)
DJ Jackson, Silver, Open Class, Team Lloyd Irvin (Camp Springs, Md.)
Billy Shannon, Gold, Heavy, Team Passos
Evan Gideon, Bronze, Heavy, Team Lloyd Irvin (Crazy88 BJJ – Elkridge, Md.)
Kenneth Brown, Silver, Ultra Heavy, Team Lloyd Irvin (Evolve Academy – Gaithersburg, Md.)
Willie Leonard, Gold, Open Class, Team Lloyd Irvin (Camp Springs, Md.)
Willie Leonard, Gold, Ultra Heavy, Team Lloyd Irvin (Camp Springs, Md.)

Adult Brown Belt

Jimmy Harbison, Gold, Middle, Team Lloyd Irvin (Camp Springs, Md.)
Jimmy Harbison, Bronze, Open Class, Team Lloyd Irvin (Camp Springs, Md.)

Adult Black Belt

JT Torres, Bronze, Light, Team Lloyd Irvin (Camp Springs, Md.)

Women’s Adult

Adult Women’s White Belt

Monica Barlow, Bronze, Feather, Team Lloyd Irvin (Crazy 88 BJJ – Elkridge, Md.)

Adult Women’s Purple Belt

Rachel Demara, Gold, Middle, Team Lloyd Irvin (Evolve Academy – Gaithersburg, Md.)
Rachel Demara, Silver, Open Class, Team Lloyd Irvin (Evolve Academy – Gaithersburg, Md.)
Sijara Eubanks, Gold, Open Class, Team Lloyd Irvin (Camp Springs, Md.)
Sijara Eubanks, Silver, Medium Heavy, Team Lloyd Irvin (Camp Springs, Md.)

Master’s Division

Master’s White Belt

Scott Donroe, Bronze, feather, Yamasaki Team

Master’s Blue Belt

Andy Ruffner, Silver, Ultra Heavy, Team Passos (De La Riva JJ)
Samuel Carter, Silver, Super Heavy, Big Brothers (Team Leo Dalla)

Master’s Purple

Chris Colley, Silver, Light, Big Brothers (Team Leo Dalla)
Isaac July Jr., Gold, Medium Heavy, Big Brothers (Team Leo Dalla)

Master’s Brown Belt

Seph Smith, Silver, Light, BRASA Team (Fifty/50 BJJ – Arlington, Va.)

Master’s Black Belt

Tony Passos, Bronze, Middle, De La Riva JJ (Sterling, Va.)
Vincente Junior, Gold, Light Feather, De La Riva JJ (Crofton, Md.)

Senior 1 Division

Senior 1 White Belt

David Hawa, Silver, Ultra Heavy, Yamasaki Team

Senior 1 Purple Belt

Victor Ciocoiu, Silver, Light, Big Brothers (Team Leo Dalla)

Senior 1 Black Belt

Noelie Danforth, Silver, Light Feather, Takeyoshi Ikehara JJ

Senior 1 Black Belt

Leo Dalla, Silver, Ultra Heavy, Big Brothers (Team Leo Dalla)

Senior 2 Division

Senior 2 Black Belt

Morgan Paraskevas, Silver, Medium Heavy, Yamasaki Team

Senior 2 Brown Belt

Jeff Gordon, Gold, Feather, Pedro Sauer Team (Gordon MMA – Gaithersburg, Md.)
John Berardino, Silver, Light, Big Brothers (Team Leo Dalla)
Kelly Grissom, Gold, Heavy, Big Brothers (Team Leo Dalla)

Senior 3 Division

Senior 3 Brown Belt

Michael Atkin, Gold, Heavy, Team Lloyd Irvin (Crazy88 BJJ – Elkridge, Md.)

Brian Beauchamp, Gold, Medium Heavy, Yamasaki Team
Brian Beauchamp, Gold, Open Class, Yamasaki Team

Senior 3 Black Belt

Doug McGiffin, Gold, Medium Heavy, Yamasaki Team

U.S. Grappling Submission Only was held at the Dulles Sportsplex in Sterling, Va.

Team Leo Dalla Wins Adult Team Title at U.S. Grappling

The team results for the tournament that past weekend were posted today on U.S. Grappling’s website. The results are as follows:

Adult Team Points
1st – Leo Dalla
2nd – Fifty/50
3rd – Lloyd Irvin

Adult School Points
1st – Vanguard
2nd – Fifty/50
3rd – BETA Academy

Team Leo Dalla included affiliate academies in Woodbridge, Manassas, Crystal City, and Stafford. The “Big Brothers” team was largely composed of a contingent of competitors from Vanguard Gym. BJJ black belt Doug Esposito, owner of Vanguard Gym said, “…I am very excited and happy to be part of the team that took the lead on both Team and School points! The guys worked very hard training for this event, and they deserve all the credit for getting out there on the mat and finishing their matches!”

As part of his comments about the rankings, Esposito also offered these thoughts: “I also think it is notable that all the other schools and teams in the top three are either directly linked to Dalla, or are second generation influenced by Dalla’s lineage, coaching, and teaching.”

Esposito’s thoughts reflect the history of BJJ in the D.C. metro area, in which Mario Yamasaki and Leo Dalla were the first BJJ black belts to bring Brazilian jiu-jitsu to the area over 15 years ago in Rockville, Md.

Team Assassin Gears Up For M-1 Global Challenge XXIV

Viet Le’s Team Assassin in Alexandria, Va. will send Marcus “Menace” Daniels to make his pro debut at M-1 this Friday on March 25, 2011. Daniels started MMA as a self trained fighter and eventually joined Team Assassin. He completed his amateur career with a 8-4 record and was 2-1 since joining the Luiz Palharez BJJ affiliate. He describes his style as explosive and entertaining. “I surprise myself a lot of times. I don’t really have a game plan when I fight. I just go for it,” he said.

His bout at M-1 will be against MMA Institute’s Bryan Lashomb, whos bout against Yamasaki Academy’s Alejandro Zea at Operation Octagon won him the 135 pound title in 2010. Daniels’ bout with Lashomb will be a rematch in which the “Menace” will look to get his first win against the hometown favorite from Old Dominion University. “His style of fighting was very pressure oriented. It will be another fight that is extremely interesting and definitely not one that is meant to keep anyone bored at any given time,” said Daniels.

Locals Represent at Pan-Am Jiu-Jitsu Championship

Teams from all over the area will send competitors to compete in every belt division in Irvine, Calif. According to the brackets on the IBJJF website, these were the black belts from the D.C. metro area:

Ryan Hall, Adult, Featherweight, BRASA Team
J.T. Torres, Adult, Lightweight, Team Lloyd Irvin
Daniel Ives, Adult, Middleweight, Team Lloyd Irvin
Tony Passos, Masters, Middleweight, De La Riva Jiu Jitsu
Nakapan Phungephorn, Masters, Medium Heavy, Team Lloyd Irvin
Leo Dalla, Senior 1, Big Brothers
Noah Booth, Senior 1, Big Brothers
Noelie Danforth, Senior 1, Takeyoshi Ikehar
David Trader, Senior 2, Dave Trader BJJ
Doug McGiffin, Senior 3, Yamasaki Academy

At U.S. Grappling Submission Only, there are no time limits or points, so competitors cannot win by decision.

STERLING, Va. – The U.S. Grappling Submission Only tournament was held on March 19, 2011 at the Dulles Sportsplex facility. The submission only tournament featured grappling matches that were decided only by submission. Points were not awarded to the participants and there were no time limits.

Andrew Smith, part owner of U.S. Grappling, expressed his thoughts on the tournament format. “In my view, it is the way to go with tournaments. To me it is very exciting,” he said. “I wish we could do every tournament in this format.” Current interest in submission only tournaments is growing, but still behind the traditional point systems used in most major amateur tournaments.

From a competitor standpoint, Smith added, “There is no ‘The referee screwed me over on points.’ Every match has the satisfaction of an ending with a submission.” As a participant in the advanced no-gi division, he won gold in the 175 pound weight class.

U.S. Grappling’s prior submission only tournament in the area was in Winchester (2008). To the competitors this past weekend he said, “Definitely, I’d like to say thank you for coming out and supporting this format.” He hopes to have another submission only tournament in the area at a later date. “We want to work around some of the existing organizations,” he said.

More U.S. Grappling Submission Only Articles:
U.S. Grappling Submission Only Photos: Part 1 (part one).
U.S. Grappling Submission Only Video Highlights

Seph Smith plans to compete as much as possible in 2011. His next tournament will be the Pan-Ams in California.

STERLING, Va. – U.S. Grappling Submission Only made a return to northern Va. this past weekend at the Dulles Sportsplex facility. Brazilian jiu-jitsu and submission wrestling teams from all over the mid-atlantic region came to compete in gi and no-gi divisions for men and women.

Among the standout performers in the men’s division was Seph Smith of Fifty/50 BJJ (BRASA Team) in Arlington, Va. Smith came away with a 4-0 record winning gold in the men’s advanced 162 pound no-gi division and the brown belt division. He used a variety of submissions on the day including a rear-naked choke, a guillotine, a gi choke, and an armbar from an elevator sweep. His toughest match of the day came from Vanguard Gym stalwart Mike Pope, who is the current Operation Octagon 155 pound MMA champion. A hard charging Pope escaped submission after submission attempt by Smith in the finals of the no-gi advanced division. “That match was like 20 minutes long,” said Smith. His opportunity came in transition when he caught Pope with a guillotine choke. Although Smith was never threatened with submissions, Pope was at peak form for his MMA title defense this Saturday at the same venue. “He was tough as s—,” said Smith.

When asked about his current streak at U.S. Grappling, Smith said that he is 16-0 for 2011 at the tournament circuit.

Michelle Welti is a BJJ instructor of women's classes at Rage Fight and Fitness in Manassas, Va.

In the women’s division, a limited amount of competitors gave Michelle Welti of Dave Trader BJJ two matches on the day, in which she came away with wins in the advanced no-gi and blue belt divisions. Like many gi grapplers in the amateur ranks, Welti expressed concern about doing no-gi competition. “I was a little bit nervous…but once I got the match to the ground, I felt pretty comfortable.” She eventually won the no-gi match with a rear naked choke. Welti’s future plans are the compete as much as possible. “In a couple of days I’m going to the Pan-Ams,” she said. She also plans to compete in Grapplers Quest, NY Open, Copa Nova, and the Mundials (World Championships).

Watch the slide show below to learn more about the U.S. Grappling tournament and the competitors.

More U.S. Grappling Submission Only Articles:
U.S. Grappling Photography Part II
U.S. Grappling Submission Only – Video Highlights

Andrew Smith, a partner in U.S. Grappling said of submission only tournaments that, ''It's the real deal. There is no controversy. Either you give up or you don't.''

STERLING, Va. – The U.S. Grappling Submission Only tournament was held this past weekend at the Dulles Sportsplex facility in northern Va. Approximately 150 competitors from the mid-atlantic region competed in the tournament that offered gi and no-gi divisions for men and women.

Watch the video highlights from some of the competitors including first place medalists Seph Smith (Fifty/50 BJJ, BRASA Team), Andrew Smith (BJJ Revolution), Michelle Welti (Dave Trader BJJ), and more!

More U.S. Grappling Submission Only Articles:
U.S. Grappling Submission Only – Photography Part 1
U.S. Grappling Submission Only – Photography Part 2