
Category: BishopBjj News

Epic Pan Jiu jitsu Matches

Checkout my personal collection of favorite Pan matches. Which is your favorite? Vote below.
Clark Gracie vs. Lapela
First up, Clark Gracie vs. Marcelo Mafra. This match was so interesting to watch live. You almost couldn’t believe Clark was able to will himself to victory at the end. It reminded me of Buchecha winning the absolute in 2012 in the final seconds.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vD1QOAh-W_Q?rel=0&w=560&h=315])
Kron vs. Buchecha
Wait, Kron and Buchecha have competed before? Oh yes. Having witnessed the match in-person, I have to say it was one of the most intense and active matches I’ve ever had a chance to see. It’s the match that first made me notice Buchecha. It also shows just how scrappy Kron is.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1M0Uz2KpQc?rel=0&w=560&h=315])
Cobrinha vs. Rafa Mendes
Few matches make you hold your breath to the point of exhaustion like this one did to everyone in attendance. Cobrinha and Rafa have fought many times. Most of their matches have been very close with the winner only getting a slight edge over the other. Every match except THIS ONE!
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dul-rG1QFvY?rel=0&w=420&h=315])
Jacare vs. Terere
At the time this was the clash of the titans. Looking back this was an epic battle of athletes. there are few competitors now with the equaled athleticism of Jacare and Terere.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1v0Bodj3fKw?rel=0&w=420&h=315])
Roger Gracie vs. Lovato Jr.
Lovato had made a name for himself. He was the best American competing at the time, and Roger was beginning to be at his peak. The match is textbook Roger Gracie. It shows just how good he was in that peroid.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vb66kMc2ZlA?rel=0&w=420&h=315])
Obviously, many of mine are of the modern era. I can’t help it. This is the era I’ve experienced. Not only that, but all the epic matches in history are not all represented well online. Hopefully with the advent of IBJJFTV this will not be a problem for future generations.
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Everybody loves the Pan Ams. It has become the largest annual jiu jitsu tournament in North America. It provides a prestigious opportunity for everyone regardless of age or rank to compete in a fair and professional environment. Say what you will about the IBJJF. You will be hard-pressed to find anyone else o the planet that can run a tournament over 5-days as efficiently as they have for the past 10 years. This year promises to be another year filled with top competitors, exciting performances, and growing numbers.
The Pan began in 1995 and has since become one the major gi jiu jitsu tournaments in the world, and has featured illustrious absolute champions such as; Xande Ribeiro, Saulo Ribeiro, Marcio Cruz, Jacare, Rigan Machado, Roger Gracie, Andre Galvao, Rodolfo Vieira, and Marcus “Buchecha” Almaeda – to name a few. So what can we expect from the Pan this year? Every year brings new challengers, new techniques, and new story lines. The Pan has become the tone-setting platform for each jiu jitsu season. What can we expect to see in 2014?
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Lapels
– The last few years we’ve seen a dominance and prevalence of guard work. Just like in many other sports, trends tend to see a backlash after a few years. We’ve started to see guard passing reemerge as dominant tournament style. Guys like Rodolfo Viera, Leandro Lo, and Lucas Lepri have reminded the world that no guard is a safe guard. Recent understanding and innovations to current guards have allowed these guard passers a new level in precision in their efficiency here recently, and in that vain I would expect to see the guard players begin adapting to these innovations. In response to this, look to see a lot more guard players exploring lapel-based guard techniques that can tie up opponents, and force them into uncomfortable scenarios.Keenan Cornelius may be beating the lapel guard drum now (see video), but it was actually Budo Jake on our podcast last year that pointed out that he was seeing this more and more among the top academies. Look no further than someone like Cobrinha, who played situp guard all last year with the same-side lapel fed between his opponents legs (see our breakdown). Guys, like Cobrinha are always way ahead of the curb, and typically where there is success, there is parody. I would expect to see a lot more of this style of guard in 2014 – starting with the 2014 Pan Ams. -
Science!
Ever since we conducted our first study in 2012 there has been a rash of talk around statistically reliable tactics. We certainly are not ego-centric enough to assume this is solely due to work that we have conducted, but rather to a change in paradigm. Athletes and coaches look at competition holistically and over time that becomes more and more precise. Jiu Jitsu is beginning to evolve into a more complex sport than ever. Look no further for proof of this claim that the abundance of BJJ breakdown YouTube pages. Notable ones include BJJ Scout and Marcos Torregrossa.
Just imagine what jiu jitsu analysis, commentary, and competition will look like in 10 years after this first wave has broken. Modern jiu jitsu is the simplification of time-tested jiu jitsu and the complexity of new athletes. How will athletes that are currently 10 and 11 years old approach the sport when they enter adulthood? I believe we will start to see these large-scale analysis repercussions this year. Competitors have had a full year to analyze these perspectives. The access to jiu jitsu techniques grows everyday, and the availability in 2014 is unprecedented. So we expect to see unbridled growth occur this year like never before. That means that competition should grow more fierce at every level, as all information becomes more readily available. -
Fewer competitors?
Perhaps it’s just me, but it appears that there are less competitors registered for the 2014 than in years past. How could this be? Jiu jitsu is growing and jiu jitsu competition is in a golden-age of sorts. So what gives?I would propose that the growth has actually attributed to the decline of participation in some of the larger tournaments. Whereas in years past many top purple, brown, and black belts could only find large pools of competitors at a handful of tournaments, now a host of IBJJF and other large tournaments regularly support large purple, brown, and black divisions.
Could this trend possibly continue in the future? It seems quite possible with the addition of the new qualifier system proposed by the IBJJF in 2015. With more competitors needing to qualify for large tournaments like the World Championships, competitors may begin to migrate towards more local tournament engagements.
Podcast #13: Jimmy Pedro

Check out the latest edition of our podcast featuring special guest Jimmy Pedro. We also discuss the 2014 IBJJF European Championship, the forthcoming Pan Ams, steroids in jiu jitsu, read some fan mail, and more…
FUJI Sekai Review

By: Tyler Bishop
We haven’t had the chance to do many gi reviews recently, but one that is always searched on our site is for the FUJI Kassen. recently FUJI launched their new Sekai, and several readers have asked me about my opinion on it.
I personally think the Sekai is the best gi FUJI has produced. It certainly is my favorite in terms of style and material, but I think the fit is what makes it really come in to it’s own. It’s my favorite in the FUJI line. I’ll also mention that the new women’s model comes in a W0/A0 model that is perfect for girls in the lighter weight classes. This is important as many of the previous gi’s only came in A1 or larger.
Instead of giving an in-depth analysis of the gi, I have attached a video from Travis Stevens that I think give a good overview of the gi itself. I’ll let you be the end judge from there.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VpNqPYWGuE&w=560&h=315]

Checkout our latest podcast featuring special guest, world champion Hillary Williams. We breakdown 2013, look forward to 2014, look at the IBJJF controversy, and discuss a wide array of unique and engaging topics.
Join us an find out what the jiu jitsu community is raving about. Hopefully you’ll enjoy our improved setup and sound quality.
Jena Bishop Highlight 2013

Check out Jena’s highlight video from this year. It was a big year for her. She earned her first world championship and punched a ticket to the Abu Dhabi World Pro. She is currently preparing for her first full year at black belt.
Note: Her friends lovingly call her “the truth” because she has a propensity for “telling it like it is”, no frills haha.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8royhmYCJI&w=560&h=315]

http://www.bjjpix.com/index.php/en/11-jiu-jitsu/406-st-louis-s-power-couple-the-bishops
Our friends at BjjPix recently conducted a fun interview with us (link above) where we discussed everything from how we got started and winning world championships, to who wins when we spar. For those that have enjoyed all the material we have put together, this should provide some insight as to where it all comes from.
Special shout out to Emilio Carrero for doing great work on the interview.
Are There PED's In Jiu Jitsu?

By: Tyler Bishop
I am currently working on an article for a major jiu jitsu publication discussing PED’s in Brazilian jiu jitsu. It’s something that is usually talked about off the mats between confidants, but just how many competitors are using steroids, growth hormone, and the alike?
I need your help. Please fill out the poll below.
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Also, I am soliciting anyone willing to go on the record and discuss their experience using PED’s while training jiu jitsu (benefits, side effects, etc.). Use the form below to contact me. Thanks, Tyler.
[contact-form][contact-field label=’Name’ type=’name’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Email’ type=’email’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Comment’ type=’textarea’ required=’1’/][/contact-form]

Check out the latest edition of the BishopBjj.com podcast!
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