What are the major differences between a BJJ academy Rio de Janeiro and one back home?

1: The Sheer Number of Black Belts
Outside of Brazil it’s common for most BJJ academies to have one or two black belts, some higher belts and a lot of coloured belts. In Brazil, when you walk into a BJJ gym it’s more likely you will see anywhere from 10-15 black belts, a large number of higher belts and only a handful of white and blues. But people of all levels are welcome. If you’re new to the sport, a black belt will usually work with you until you’re ready to join in the main class, and many gyms are now introducing dedicated classes for beginners.

2: Less Instruction, A LOT More Rolling
In Rio de Janeiro it’s common to only drill one or two techniques before sparring starts. People are often shocked by how little instruction there is. Instead, you’ll likely go through round after round of king of the mat and rolling. Some large academies, such as Nova Uniao and De la Riva, will only teach one move before sparring starts, whereas others (inc Terere and Carlson Gracie Academy) will teach up to three inter-connected moves.

3: Things Are A LOT More Laid Back
If there’s one piece of advice we can give you, it is this: don’t expect anyone or anything to be on time. Sure, the class will start at the scheduled time, but there may only be two or three people in it. People will filter in for the next 20 minutes or so, conveniently time enough to skip any warm-ups or technique, so they can get right to the sparring! Cheeky, but nobody bats an eyelid.

Article written by Hywel Teague for TrainBJJinRio.com
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The post 3 Differences You’ll Find in a BJJ Academy Rio de Janeiro appeared first on Train BJJ in Rio.

Terere’s competition career peaked around 2003 and he fell away from the scene when he sadly suffered a series of personal problems. An incident on a plane in America saw him briefly jailed and the stressful experience saw him turn to drugs. He spent a number of years suffering with his addiction and various efforts were made to rehabilitate him, yet it wasn’t until an undiagnosed mental illness was finally given the correct treatment did he achieve balance.

After a period spent in Europe teaching at various academies and giving seminars and even a return to competition (including a silver medal at the 2013 European Championships) Terere has returned to Rio de Janeiro and worked hard to open an academy. Though new, it already boasts a strong team and is sought-after by visiting grapplers due to it’s ideal location in Rio’s south zone, close to the nearby tourist hotels of Ipanema and Copacabana.

A Typical Class
After a standard warm-up Terere will usually show around 3 connected techniques. His detailed instruction brings new light to old positions, and while he is comes from the ‘old school’ generation he is very much a modern grappler as evidenced by his recent use of techniques such as the reverse berimbolo in competition. You’ll be given around 5 minutes to drill each position he shows.

Rolling is competitive and spirited. Terere’s reputation as a former champion and high-level grappler has drawn hungry competitors from humble backgrounds keen to experience a similar level of success. He is building a strong team of highly competitive young guys, with extremely sharp and technical teenagers at white and blue belt, yet you will find belts of all colours on the mat including his friends from other academies.

The guys at Terere’s academy are versatile players and fight well from top and bottom, with grip fighting an important part of their toolbox. Though the gym is not large there is enough space for 4 pairs to roll comfortably at the same time.

During competition season the training becomes much more intense, with the team led through high-paced conditioning exercises and takedown drills at the beginning of each session. The team will also do a lot of supplemental training by swimming in the ocean and running on Ipanema beach and up the nearby hills.

Our thoughts
Healthy and happy, Terere has returned to the Rio de Janeiro community in which he was raised and he has opened a BJJ gym in Ipanema. The newly-opened academy is fast becoming a popular spot for visitors and in one session at his gym there were grapplers from France, Italy, Holland and Poland.

Following their leader’s example, everyone at Terere’s gym is extremely friendly and he warmly receives guests to his gym.

Academy Fact File:
Head instructor: Fernando ‘Terere’ plus 2 assistants.
Price: R$180 / month, drop-in fee R$35 for one class
Matspace: Approx 60sqm
Facilities: Matted room, shower, drinking fountain.
Av number of people per class: 12-20
Speak English?: Some
Location: Ipanema
Suggested transport: Bus stop within 5 min walk, General Osorio subway station within 10
MMA / no-gi: No
Other martial arts: No
Years open: Less than one. Opened late 2012.
Titles / champions / championships: Aside from Terere’s own accomplishments, he has Rio state champions at coloured belts training and assisting him with instruction.

Address:
Rua Alberto de Campos
Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro

Google maps link

Location:
A short walk from Visconde de Piraja, the main street running through Ipanema. Walk along Farme de Amoedo away from the beach, turn right on Rua Alberto de Campos and walk to the large concrete tower that houses the elevator up to Favela Cantagalo. The academy is just above the entrance and visible from the street.

Website:
www.facebook.com/AcademiaFernandoTerere

Timetable:
Mon-Fri: 9.00 / 10.30 / 8.00 / 10.00

Videos:

Links:
Fernando ‘Terere’ BJJ Heroes profile

The post Terere Academy appeared first on Train BJJ in Rio.

Located deep in the North Zone of Rio in the neighbourhood of Méier the GFTeam headquarters is a modest academy with few facilities, yet it boasts a huge team of competitors. Few foreigners ever venture there, as it is far from the well-trodden tourist areas of the South Zone (Zona Sul). To get to the academy in Méier from Zona Sul requires either multiple bus rides, a local train service, or sometimes a combination of both. It is an area of the city not exactly friendly to tourists – the local population are mostly lower-income working class, and there are many favelas nearby (some as yet unreached by the growing pacification program).

The academy is best left to those who either speak Portuguese or have strong local connections, preferably with transport. A few outsiders have made numerous trips there, including Canadian black belt competitor Jake MacKenzie, who spends seven months in Rio every year based at that academy. Aside from Jake, who is happy to help visitors, few people based full-time at the academy speak English.

A Typical Class
Classes are always well-attended. Warm-ups vary depending on the day. Some days will see standard bodyweight exercises mixed with stretching, whereas on other days the emphasis is placed on sports-specific movements. On these days, the class will perform sets of entries to judo throws, moving onto armbars, sweeps and other jiu-jitsu movements. During these warm-ups the pace is kept high.

The instructor will show 2-3 moves, giving about 10 mins to work each position time before sparring commences. As mat space is limited, around 6 pairs will roll at the same time while the rest of the class line the walls and watch the space.

Rolling is, as to expected, very competitive. Due to their strong reputation and excellent results in competition, many athletes from other teams have decamped to GFTeam in the hope of also tasting success.

Competition team training sessions are only for brown and black belts (with some purples, but by invitation only).

There is a strong camaraderie in the gym, with a number of the team living in the academy in a small space above the mat. Conditions and facilities are basic and below what a tourist would expect; one English visitor who thought he might save money by staying there left after 36 hours as it was not what he expected at all.

Our thoughts
One of the best-known teams in BJJ, the competitive powerhouse that is GFTeam is not exactly a hotbed for visitors due to it’s remote location and relative inaccessibility to foreigners. But it still has the power to attract brave and dedicated souls who wish to experience one of the best training environments Rio has to offer.

There are a number of satellite GFTeam academies closer to the areas of Rio more popular with visitors, including one in Ipanema and one in Recreio. TrainBJJinRio recommends visitors to consider checking these out before attempting to visit the main academy in Méier.

Academy Fact File:
Head instructor: Julio Cesar Pereira
Price: TBD
Matspace: Approx 70 sqm
Facilities: Basic (mat, punchbag, small changing area)
Av number of people per class: 40
Av number of BB’s at training: Up to 20-25
Speak English?: Some of the guys in the gym may speak limited English, but not many
Location: Méier, Zona Norte
Suggested transport: Bus / train
MMA / no-gi: Yes, both
Other martial arts: No.
Years open: 10+
Titles / champions / championships: IBJJF Brazilian national and state team titles, numerous individual IBJJF titles.

Address:
GFTeam
Rua Arquias Cordeiro, 478
Méier, Rio de Janeiro

Google maps link

Contact:
0055 21 3497 0478
gfteam.diretoria@gmail.com

Location:
The gym is an anonymous blue building next door to a mechanic. There is a small sign on the outside of the academy next to the entrance. The gym sits next to the train tracks from the nearby station Méier.

Website:
www.gfteamglobal.com

Timetable:

Coming soon

VIDEO:

An inside look into GFTeam by BJJPix.com

LINKS:

BJJ Heroes team profile

The post GFTeam HQ (Meier, Rio) appeared first on Train BJJ in Rio.

For those with jobs, two weeks is usually the maximum amount of time it’s possible to duck out of work. For those leaving college or university or between opportunities, a couple of months in Rio suddenly becomes feasible.

But how much time you spend in Rio can affect your jiu-jitsu in different ways, so what’s right for someone might not be right for you.

How long should I stay in Rio?

First off, what are you looking for?

• Do you want to sharpen up your skills for an upcoming tournament?
• Do you want to sample the jiu-jitsu lifestyle in the cradle of the arte suave?
• Or are you looking to get promoted?

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The Short Stay: sub-2 weeks / The Quick Fix to Your Game
People come to Rio to train BJJ for anything from a few days to a few months. Most short stay trips fall in the 10-day to two-week range. For those with responsibilities back home, this is about the maximum possible time they can get away.

If you’re here for two weeks, you’ll want to train twice a day to really make the most of your time in Rio. An AM and a PM session with a trip to the beach in-between sounds like a dream, right? The only problem is, training at a level double of what you’re used to back home for a sustained period of time isn’t realistic. After about two to three weeks, your body will start to give up on you.

A two-week stay is perfect for someone who wants to drop into Rio, hit it hard for a short period of time, then go back home and kick ass. A few weeks among the sharks in Rio will do a lot to tighten up your game. The guys back home won’t know what hit them when you return. Their pressure will feel like nothing in comparison, and they’ll be moving in slow motion.

Guys who come to Rio usually train hard and party hard while dashing around the city checking out all the sights before disappearing home in a cloud of dust. If you’re going to be here for 2 weeks or less, be prepared to make the most of it – it’s a big city and there’s lots to see and do.

Medium Stay: 2-4 weeks / The Full Rio Experience
Lucky you, you managed to wrangle a few weeks away! Great, you can use the time to dive completely into the whole Rio experience, right?

Woah there a second – not so fast, amigo. You one-monthers are going to need to pace yourselves. I can’t tell you the amount of times we’ve seen guys arrive in Rio full of energy and enthusiasm only to get chewed up and spat out two and a half weeks into their trip. The spend the rest of their time broken, sick, or just burnt out and plain fed up, and go home with an overall bad taste in their mouths.

The problem is they try to match the short-termers, training session for training session and all-night party for all-night party.

If you’re here for about a month, then ease off the throttle a bit. Don’t be afraid to take a day off when you feel sore. Missing one training session is not as bad as missing a week because you’ve ignored the signs of over-training or you tried to train around an inconvenient injury that blossomed into a chronic ailment.

Use your time to get to know the place, a month is a long time and you don’t need to spend it all in a smelly gym. Hit the beach, see the sights and unwind – after all that training, you’ll need to.

Medium stay: 1-3 months / Becoming A Local
This is about the perfect length of time to really get the feel for the jiu-jitsu lifestyle. You’ll be able to fully experience the way of life in Rio, BUT this actually doesn’t mean you’ll see or do more…

What you’ll probably notice is that the longer you stay in Rio, the more you’ll find yourself slowing down. The pace of life in the city is infectious. Brazil is general is very laid back in comparison to life elsewhere, and Rio is an extreme example of this.

If you’re not careful your training will slow down, you’ll settle into a routine that means you’ll miss out on what’s happening in the city, and you’ll end up seeing less than someone who is here for two weeks and full of motivation.

Take care not to sack off those morning training sessions because you can “always make up for it in the evening class”. Keep doing that and your training will likely unravel and you’ll be on the mat no more than you were back home, spending the rest of your time on Facebook. Urgh.

Long term: 3-6 months / Getting Promoted
Of course, not everybody has got the funds to come out for such a long time but if you do then a long-term stay in Rio has many different benefits than a short trip. You’re better positioned to learn the language, make friends and get a look at the ‘real’ Rio de Janeiro.

A three-month stint is about the minimum you should put in if you’re serious about getting promoted, as that’s how long any self-respecting coach will want to take a look at your and see how your game is progressing.

Don’t make the mistake of just coming out here looking to tap everyone and prove how good you are – this won’t exactly endear you to your training partners, as it’ll only prove you’re an overly-competitive egomaniac.

Getting promoted in Brazil isn’t just about your performance on the mat. Consistency and attitude are more important. A coach will want to see you in the gym on a regular basis, and he’ll want to see you doing more than just collecting arms. Helping out your fellow grapplers is high on their list of expectations, so be prepared to be a contributing member of your gym if you really want to get promoted.

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The post How long should I train BJJ in Rio? appeared first on Train BJJ in Rio.