may 2009 - News Archives
What a great day! Not only two of our dearest longtime friends and Black Belts, Professors John Houben and Mike Boyle took time out of their busy schedules to teach Black Belt class this morning but their class was followed by some big promotions! Thank you to all who showed up, and congratulations to the promotees. Here is the list:
From Ocean County BJJ:
Danielle Oneill - Blue Belt
Tara Schick - Bue Belt
Sara Fontenez - Blue Belt
Tim Cunningham - Blue Belt
Justin Siering - Blue Belt
Gary Tonon - Purple Belt Belt
From RABJJ Headquarters:
Mike Karasik - Blue Belt
Aba Andujer - Blue Belt
Ken Trichter - Blue Belt
Ana de Jongh - Blue Belt
Heather Lovero - Blue Belt
Donal Ramos - Blue Belt
Dan Sorkin - Blue Belt
Thank you Professors John Houben and "Uncle" Mike Boyle.
Promotions.
Gary gets promoted.
Group shot.
Promotees and Professors.
Left: Larry Norman, John Houben, Ricardo Almeida, Mike Boyle, Tom DeBlass, Steve Kim, Steven Bongiorno, Dante Rivera.
Special 12-week Black Belt Classes.
05/02/2009
We'd like to thank RABJJ Professors Brian McPherson and Art Keintz for taking time to teach such special BB classes these past couple of weeks. Everyone had a great time and of course, it was great hanging out with everyone.
Enjoy some pictures!
Prof. Art Keintz.
Coaches Jesse Briggs and Jeff Bregman
Professors Larry Norman, Brian McPherson, Ricardo, Steven Bongiorno, Dante Rivera.
RABJJ Association Competition Class.
05/02/2009
RABJJ's competition team is on fire! Congratulations to all of you who competed and the ones who won in the past couple of tournaments in NJ and NY. We'll get everyone's names up very soon, and we couldn't be more proud of all of you.
Thank you RABJJ Associated schools SJBJJ, JBM BJJ, SPA City BJJ, OCBJJ and Brunswick BJJ for their participation and contribution. That's what makes us so strong, everyone understanding that we are all a part of something a lot bigger than ourselves, and that's TEAM RENZO GRACIE!
We'll see you at the next Competition Class. If you'd like to be a part of it, please contact someone in the office for more info.
You guys rock!
Professor Date Rivera Wins!
05/02/2009
That's right, ladies and gentlemen... Prof. Dante Rivera submitted his opponent at Ring of Combat XXIV in Atlantic City, NJ by Guillotine Choke in the first round!
Thank you to RABJJ students in attendance, who did a great job at representing the organization as well as our warrior!
Here are a couple of pictures of the show:
Tight Guillotine.
Victory!
Prof. Dante and his girlfriend Melissa.
Also big congrats to our boy Rafael Sapo (Renzo Gracie Team) on defending his title so well and submitting his opponent on the same show!
Sapo remains the ROC Middleweight Champion!
Prof. Almeida and ROC Founder and Promoter Lou Neglia.
Professor Almeida's Interview Part 2!
05/02/2009
By Andy McGuinley
Greetings to all the students and instructors at the RABJJ academy and its affiliates.
The second part of the interview with Professor Ricardo Almeida is here for your enjoyment. Again if you enjoyed this interview please let your teammates know because if it is a success we will be doing it again in the future. For those students just now checking the “What’s New” page on the academy’s website you missed a great first part of an interview with Professor Ricardo Almeida (so scroll down and get caught up). Enjoy!
First, congratulations Professor Almeida on your recent victory over Matt Horwich, a tough veteran, at Ultimate Fight Night. How do you feel about the win?
Thank you.
So much goes into the preparation for a fight. From my own efforts, through my family’s support, my training partners beating me up and the instructors at the academy taking over some of my Black Belt classes. I couldn’t do it without all these people’s daily support so it feels good to go out and get the win for all of us.
Did the fight go as you and your teammates planned?
Yes and no. We planned on getting the submission but plan B was to box him, take him down and ground and pound. Making sure that I was scoring points on the feet and on the floor.
You mentioned working on your boxing and takedowns, and it was clear in the fight that those two aspects of your game prevailed, was that a part of the game plan?
We knew going into Tennessee that it was the first big MMA event there and all the judges would be boxing judges that probably never judged an MMA match before.
If I could not get the submission we knew it would be important to win the striking battle and make sure that when it went to the ground that I was on top also scoring with strikes.
Can you tell the students about your boxing training (where & who)?
I have been training with Mark Henry he has trained Frank Edgar and Chris Liguori for the past few years.
Chris Liguori and Mark Henry. (Nashville, TN)
I noticed you ducking your chin and moving forward with your head down while you threw your jab. Was that to put some power behind the jab and / or to protect you from a right counter?
Horwich usually comes forward and tries to walk through your punches. Mark wanted me to establish a strong jab in order to sneak the right hand in.
We worked on it tirelessly and it ended up working well in the fight. I was able to score with a few right hands.
Has the addition of Frankie Edgar and working out with his collegiate wrestling team helped you in your takedowns?
Frankie and Chris have both been big additions to the team. Their energy and work ethic just hold everyone around to higher standards.
Andre nicknamed Frankie and Chris the “two little devils”.
Although for this last fight I was not able to go to Rutgers it has helped me a lot.
They have a strong team with solid unity and a very good leader in Coach Goodale. They broke their previous record of wins in one season this year.
Nashville, TN.
Were you close to finishing the fight with that arm in guillotine choke? Did you not want to lose the top position or was Horwich defending / escaping the choke?
For the whole fight every time I tried to lock my hands Horwich was preventing the Guillotine well so I realized I had to get within a scramble.
When I locked the hands and jumped I had him but he defended well by rolling to his back. Once I rolled to the top it just wasn’t as tight so I let go to keep the top position.
What were your corner men telling you in between rounds? I recognized Master Renzo, but who were your other two corner men and what purposes did they serve?
Renzo kept telling me to look for the submission, that I was already controlling the fight and that I should look to finish. Even hough I won the fight I feel there are a few things I want to improve for my next fight. I had a pretty badly bruised rib going into the fight and it kept me from doing any grappling for the last two weeks before UFN18, my Jiu Jitsu just didn’t feel as sharp. Horwich is a very tough guy but I was upset I didn't pass his guard.
My other two corner man were Mark Henry(Boxing Coach) and Dr Alan Brackup who is a longtime friend of mine and was actually the ringside doctor at UFC 1. He was there in case I got cut or anything.
Eileen and Alan Brackup. (Nashville, TN)
The commentators questioned your conditioning in the Cote fight, as well as you being ill for that fight. Is it true that you were ill for that fight?
Yes I had food poisoning for the Cote fight. Immediately after the fight I stated throwing up and had terrible diarrhea.
For sure it affected my performance but It doesn’t change the fact that Cote won the fight. He was the better fighter that night. No ifs, just back to training and learn from my own mistakes and shortcomings to make shure it doesn’t happen again.
At the end of the second round, Horwich attempted a heel hook that was unsuccessful, were you in any danger?
At one point it got tight but Renzo coached me out of it. Having a great cornerman like him is a privilege.
In the third round you looked as fresh as you did in the first round, how did you prepare your conditioning for this fight?
Because of an injury I had last year I had to change my training a little. I was doing a lot of swimming which is great for your endurance, specially late in the fight.
But the credit goes to my coaches and training partners. When you train on a weekly basis with guys like Andre Gusmao, Dante Rivera, Frankie Edgar, Chris Liguori, Igor Gracie, Rolles Gracie and some of our own guys from RABJJ(Professors Brian Walter,Steve Kim, Tom DeBlass, Larry Norman and many more who would make the list too long) it is going to show. I also practiced a lot of rubber guard defense with Professor Bongiorno and the few times I was in Horwich’s rubber guard in the fight I felt really comfortable.
I feel we have one of the best teams in the world and I wouldn’t want to train anywhere else.
Nashville, TN.
When Bruce Buffer announces, “winner by unanimous decision . . . . Ricardo “Big Dog” Almeida,” what does that feel like? It has to be exhilarating, right?
It feels like mission accomplished. MMA is an individual sport but it is a team effort. So many people helped me that after a win I can’t help but feel a little overwhelmed with gratitude towards them.
Earlier I mentioned my family, coaches, training partners and the RABJJ Instructors ( Prof Brian Walter, Prof.Larry Norman, Prof. Dante Rivera and Coach Pete McHugh) holding the fort when I am away. But there are others I need to talk about.
In those 8 weeks prior to the fight I must have rolled with every student who attends Black Belt classes. Thank you guys, you have helped me more than you know.
The students from Basic and Intermediate and Kids Program who I don’t teach on a weekly Basis. Thank you for your support and dedication towards Jiu Jitsu. I am looking forward to having all of you in the Black Belt class.
So you just won your fight and you get back to the dressing room what do you do? Ask Master Renzo how you did, do you celebrate with Ally, call home to Brazil, review the fight tape, pop some bubbly, or just try to take it all in?
For this fight as we were walking back into the tunnels leading to the locker room I bowed to Master Renzo and thanked for all the help. He drove to RABJJ twice a week every week to oversee my training for this fight. It was great having him around so often.
Then I thanked Mark and Dr Alan for taking time away from their family in order to be there in Tennesee with me.
When I got to the locker room I texted Ally right away and thanked her for all that she does for me (she finally decided to watch the fight). Finally I took a shower and went to the stands next to Ally, Eileen and Alan Brackup and Jeff Bregman (who also came to Nashville) and had a beer as I watched the other fights. Renzo went back to his room because his wife wasn't feeling well that night.
Who did you share a locker / warm-up room with before your fight? What is it like? Do the competitors interact or do they leave one another alone?
I shared a locker room with Jorge Rivera, brock Larson and Jeremy Stephens. Everyone was pretty mellow for the most part. When fight time aproaches things get real quiet. Often the only noise you will hear is of fighters hitting pats in other rooms nearby.
When do the doctors examine the fighters (before, after or both)? What did you do after your fight, did you watch the remainder of the fights or go to some big after party (Be honest)?
We do a battery of exams ( Blood, EKG, Physical etc) in the weeks leading up to the fight.
Generally after the weigh ins doctors perform another physical and after the fight a doctor will come to your locker room to check up on you. if there are any problems there are ambulances standing by to take a fighter to the hospital if needed.
After parties or any kind of party are a little too hectic for me. I like to stay around the people who are close to me. I remember for my fight @ UFC 81 I had dinner wih Renzo, Prof. Steve Kim, Prof. Tom DeBless and Coach Haz Ibrahim who all came to Vegas.
For this fight Frankie Edgar and Chris Liguori surprised me by showing up the day of the weigh ins with some of their family family members.
I was very greatful. Everyone knows the way the economy is now and traveling is not cheap.
Frankie’s dad took us all to a really nice steak house they had in town and we celebrated our victory in great company.
Left: Jerry Nappi (Frankie's father-in-law), Mark Henry, Frankie, Ricardo, Frank Annese (Frankie's dad), and Chris Liguori.
There is a cliché that it is all about the journey and not the destination. Is that true for your fights? Is it ever a let down when all of the preparation and the fight is finally over or do you quickly set a new goal?
I like to stay busy.
Right after my fight was over, still inside the octagon, Joe Silva (UFC’s match maker) came to congratulate me and we already worked out details for my next fight.
I believe that when I have a goal to look forward to I get more focused and train much harder. I don’t plan fighting when I am 40 years old so I want to stay real busy while I can.
After the fight you announced that you are dropping down to the welterweight division, and that your ultimate goal is to be the UFC Champion. What made you make this decision?
During most of my training for this fight my weight was hovering around 190lbs. Renzo was the first one to notice I was light and suggested I think about fighting as a Welterweight. Then other guys started noticing how light I looked, and everyone kept suggesting I should fight at 170lbs.
I finally made the decision that after my fight with Horwich I wanted to drop to Welterweight.
The welterweight division is loaded with talent, and according to mma-weekly seven of the top ten fighters in the world all fight in the UFC, not to mention your teammate Matt Serra and champion George St-Pierre. WOW! Can you put into words your thoughts on this division?
The Welterweight division has been the most competitive for a few years now with Matt Hughes, BJ Pen, GSP and Matt Serra trading places as champions.
There are also some really tough contenders like Thiago Alves, John Fitch, Josh Koscheck and many other guys.
I am looking forward to some big fights.
The UFC is known for always putting together competitive fights and there is never an easy fight. On our school’s website Ally said the students will “absolutely love this one,” so I’ve done some preliminary research and I think I have narrowed down possible opponents. I know you cannot confirm your next opponent, but give me your thoughts on these fighters; Rory Markham, Karo Parisyan, Josh Koscheck, Carlos Condit, & Martin Kampman.
Does it give you confidence that you have trained with George St-Pierre, and that your teammate, Matt Serra, has already defeated him?
It was a privilege to have the chance to train with GSP he is an unbelievable martial artist and a great guy.
But what gives me most confidence is our team. To be under Master Renzo Gracie’s guidance and to have come up with guys like Matt Serra, John Danaher and Shawn Williams. Renzo gave us the tools to be not only fighters but also instructors so we could keep building the team.
Now we have the younger guys from Renzo’s school in the city ( Rolles, Igor, Andre etc) and our RABJJ Black Belts and MMA fighters.
We all train together on a weekly basis and the results have been very positive.
I remember when Master Renzo was getting ready to fight BJ Penn in 2004 guys like Prof Brian Walter, Tom DeBless and Dante Rivera where only purple belts but spent their whole summer helping out during the training sessions. Now they are three accomplished Black Belts and the seed for their success was planted by the team work we have all had toward each other for the past almost 10 years.
How do you plan to manage your weight, and do you watch fight tapes on your opponents?
Since my next fight is as a middleweight and I have been walking around at 195lbs I don't have to worry about the weight cutting for now.
As for watching tape on opponents, I believe they are a very important part of the preparation for a fight. My good friend Russ Ward has a library of fight videos and always puts together DVDs of opponents for pretty much everyone on the team. I try to get my hands on the videos early on and watch it on a weekly basis.
When will you begin to prepare for your fight in August?
I usualy like to have 12 straight weeks of training so I am starting pretty soon.
Will you be preparing for this fight differently since welterweight fights are typically a faster pace than the middleweights?
One of the advantages of going down to 170lbs is I will be at least as big if not bigger than most my opponents so it makes easier to control the pace of the fight.
Usually I like to alternate between heavier partners and lighter partners.
With the heavy guys I work on power and strength. This last fight we knew Horwich was very strong in the clinch so I worked a lot with Andre Gusmao who is 220lbs and Prof Dante who has very strong body locks, it made me very comfortable in the clinch.
With the little guys I will work more on speed and e technique. if I can keep up with guys like Prof Bongiorno and Frankie Edgar I will be ok with the welterweights.
Any final thoughts?
I want to thank my family, all of the teachers and students for making the Academy such a great place. Summer is junst around the corner, this is the time to get in the best shape of your life. See you on the mats. Thanks Andy.
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