RGC was well represented in Lisbon this January with athletes from Italy and Croatia. As a team we won the First Place in the Juveniles (under 18 years old) division, thanks to the awesome students we have in Dakovo, Croatia.

Leaded by Zeljko Vukovic (RGC Croatia Head Coach), our youngsters improved their second place in 2011 when we had 2 competitors, and raised the biggest trophy this time, leaving Renzo Gracie Israel and Gracie Barra behind us.

Also a good performance from our Italian girls that scored three medals in the competition. We must work harder and bring a bigger team in 2013 to have better chances in other divisions, but our small group is up to the challenge. Nobody said it would be easy to get there, but we will keep trying and aiming higher each and every year.

Full results of our athletes below:

TEAMS:

Juvenile:

1- RIO GRAPPLING CLUB – 42 pts
2- Gracie Barra – 36 pts
3- Renzo Gracie – 36 pts

INDIVIDUAL:

White Belt Fem.

Gold – Martina Baraccani – Middle
Bronze – Caterina Katia Bettin Bettin – Medium Heavy

Blue Belt Fem.

Silver – Daniela Franco – Light

Juveniles 1 Blue Belt

Silver – Hrvoje Cicvarić – Light Feather
Silver – David Zovko – Midlle
Silver – David Zovko – Open Weight

Juveniles 2 Blue Belt

Gold – Tomislav Bunoza – Feather
Gold – Denny Vuković – Heavy
Silver – Denny Vukovic – Open

Juveniles 2 Blue Belt Fem.

Gold – Iva Mihalj – Open Weight
Silver – Iva Mihalj – Middle Heavy

Blue Belt Senior 1

Bronze – Domenico Vestito Mimmo – Light

Brown Belt Master

Bronze – Matteo Calamandrei – Super Heavy

Our group is expanding due to the hard work we put on, and now the Rio Grappling Club receives a new affiliated school in Athens, Greece.

The cradle of western civilization, where democracy and philosophy were born, has now a school under the RGC, coached by Hermes Dimitropoulos, an experienced grappler and black belt in Judo with many good results in Grappling, Judo and BJJ comps in Greece and Europe. We welcome him and his students and hope that in the future that will bring synergy with the groups we have in Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro.

Soon they will adopt our name and logo. In the cards is a visit from me or Mariusz Koziej to Greece to have a chance to know better our students and show them our way of training bjj.

Other countries may receive RGC schools in 2012, and more clubs adopting our method and philosophy, but will not say much until all is confirmed.

On a side note, our only instructor in France (Basque Country), Joao Batista “Pastel” dos Santos, moved back to London where he will teach Capoeira and BJJ. Mestre Pastel helped me to establish in London back in 2003 and trained with me since then, proving his loyalty even when training in many different places while I wasn’t available. I wish him best luck on his relocation and am looking forward to see him again after the European summer.

The Rio Grappling Club arrived in South Africa in 2007, initially with clubs in Johannesburg and Port Elizabeth.

Now we have bjj and grappling clubs in Cape Town (Rico Hattingh) and Klerksdorp (Tiaan Swart) as well as in PE (Jan-Hendrik Coetsee) and in 5 different locations in Gauteng Province (Tapout Northcliff – Wiekus Swart; Randpark Ridge – Bobby Karaggianidis; Springs and Pretoria – Jurgen Putter and Francois Groenenwald; Bedfordview – Sergio Freitas). Our students are among the best in bjj and grappling in the country, proven time and again in national and regional comps.

We are proud to announce that our network has expanded into the beautiful country of Namibia, under the responsibility of Steven Lochner. Steven has a huge task ahead of him, developing the sport in Windhoek and the rest of the country, but we are confident that with the help of Rico Hattingh and the other RGC instructors in South Africa, he will not be alone in this mission. We welcome him and his students in our organization and are looking forward to see BJJ and Grappling grow popular in Namibia.

The 2 posts below have two different photo galleries, with pretty much the same pictures on them, so I ask our readers to tell us which one is better to view: The one on top published by Windows Live Writer which hosts the photos at the SkyDrive, or the simpler one provided by WordPress under the Title “Seminar in Dubai – Gallery”?

Please let us know by commenting here as the Gallery Style favoured by the readers will be the one chosen for future photos.

I arrived this morning in Dubai to teach for a month at the Emirates BJJ Center, gym of my friend Rafael Haubert. I organised the classes to cover four different subjects on the weeks I will be here, and focus for the first will be guard passes, starting tomorrow at 10.00 am (Sunday, 3rd of July).
Suggestions from the students are welcome for the other 3 weeks. Adapting to the hot weather is a challenge after 15 days freezing in Johannesburg, but is part of the fun

The RGC Firenze (Florence) has a new improved website. Go check them out at RGC Firenze

From 13th to 21st of August, 2011, we will hold our third summer camp, to happen in Italy, close to the city of Ferrara. After two successful camps in the previous years and the great experience of our winter camp last February in Poland, we have put together a program to benefit our students progress in the 8 days of training, providing them an unique opportunity not only to train and spend time together, but we also put the right tools to make them advance technically more than they would in two or three months of regular trainings.

Focused drills, technique and specific sparring are organised in a way that will maximise the progress of beginners and advanced students alike. Half of the available places have been filled already and the success of our camp can be attested by the fact that most of the attendees of the first and second years are coming again.

And besides the great training, the location is just perfect. The hotel between two lakes in the italian countryside is far from the cities and conveniently close enough to the coast for those who want to skip the lakes and head to the beach. Italian classic dishes are served in the meals, making our camp an unofrgettable experience.

Head to our facebook event page to learn more! There you will find more detailed info and link to the hotel Due Laghi.

Facebook event page