Professor Flavio, Coach Vivi and Valentina are coming back home to San Clemente this week!
The Almeida’s enjoyed their stay in Brazil with their families and friends and Professor Flavio accomplished his goals for the GB Association. Now they are coming back home to us.
Professor Flavio will be teaching classes at GBSC this Thursday, so we will see you all on the mats!
Cheers!
GBSC/GBDP Team
JUMP!!!!!
Last Thursday, May 27th, Coaches Felipe Guedes, Charles Gomes, and Francis Diaz once again went to Camp Pendleton to teach a BJJ class to the Marines. It was another great training session for all. The Marines got to absorb some great techniques and the Coaches got a great work out session.
After the class, the Coaches were invited to jump from a 35 foot high diving platform into the pool. This is the same tower the Marines use to simulate jumping out of a helicopter. Of course our Coach Felipe accepted the challenge and jumped off of it twice!
“When I got to the top of the tower the first time, I looked down and almost gave up on jumping,” Felipe says, “It was the highest jump I’ve ever made. I had butterflies in my stomach just like when I’m about to fight in a tournament. After jumping once, I challenged myself to try again. I surprised the guys by doing a front flip off the tower. I had a blast!! Maybe next time Coach Charles, a.k.a. Mr. Firefighter, will have enough courage to jump with me.”
And so, it is now up to Coach Charles to “man up” and accept Coach Felipe’s challenge or jump off the child’s diving board with his water noodle at the kiddie pool at the local city pool.
Until next time…see you on the mats!
GB Team
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Congratulations, Coach Kanai! We are so happy for you and Shina, here at GBSC/GBDP on the birth of your new daughter, Hana Leilani! Lani is our latest baby girl born to fight for GB’s Pink Team and we are excited about her arrival!
We hope to see her soon!
GBSC/GBDP Team
Before he left for his 5 week trip to Brazil, Professor Flavio held a team member meeting. This was a special meeting that included some of the most advanced students who are involved in teaching at GBSC and GBDP. It was a great training session for everyone. After the training, the team members went to El Ranchito in downtown San Clemente for a healthy lunch.
Thank you Professor for the great training session. We all miss you around here. Enjoy your days in Brazil and don’t worry because all the students are taking care of the school and you will be proud of us when you come back.
GB Team
This Saturday our Head Quarters Gracie Barra America will host it’s Women’s Rape Safe Self Defense Class from 10-11am. We would like to invite you as all the Gracie Barra Girls get together for this special event. Lunch to follow at Mimi’s Cafe.
Let’s show Coach Vivi that we are all training while she is out of town!!
Please bring a friend we will have plenty of Gi’s for everyone.
Instructor Caroline Gracie will host this event, ” Keeping the Legacy Alive”.
Marcelo Branda0 – Black Belt Instructor at GBSC/GBDP
By, Deb Blyth
GB Black belt Marcelo Brandao has started teaching some BJJ classes at GBSC/GBDP and the students are all the more fortunate for it because of the breadth and depth of his experience and knowledge in the gentle art. Marcelo started training BJJ in January 1994 at the main school in Rio. He lived about two minutes from Professor Flavio Almeida’s house and grew up with him.
Marcelo’s mom was Flavio’s mom’s friend. Marcelo says he’s known Flavio for so long, he doesn’t even remember when they met. “I’ve known him and his brother, Ricardo, since I was a little boy,” Marcelo says, “I believe I’ve known him for at least 23 years – way before BJJ. I met him at around 5 years old!”
Marcelo says he and Flavio and a big group of friends used to surf together in Brazil when they were young. Flavio was a close friend of his older brother, Pedro. “We all used to hang out, go to the beach, and play soccer together,” Marcelo says, “If we didn’t travel during school vacations, we stayed in our neighborhood and did everything together.”
Marcelo got into BJJ because of his brother, Pedro. When he was 12 years old, and on vacation at his aunt’s house for a month in another state, Pedro called him saying he’d started training BJJ. He said that GB Rio was a “cool place” and that Marcelo was really going to love it.
When Marcelo got home and went there, he signed up right away to start training. “It was the best thing I did in my life,” he says. His instructor was Marcio Feitosa, who was a purple belt at the time. His professor was Ze Beleza. “Everything I know – my Fundamentals, I got from Professor Marcio and Professor Beleza. Professor Soca was my 2nd professor. He is now the owner of Soca Jiu Jitsu. I learned all of my submissions from him.”
Marcelo says GB Rio is like GB America in Irvine. It’s a two-story building with two mats. The adults trained upstairs and the kids trained downstairs. Marcelo says he trained everyday, five days a week, two hours a day. Some of the other students he trained with included Professor Marco Joca, Igor Gracie, Gregor Gracie, and Professor Rafael Ramos (GB Encinitas). “I never trained with Professor Flavio,” Marcelo says, “He’s always been the tallest guy. He went upstairs to train with the adults as soon as possible. He’s always been a pretty big guy.”
Marcelo finally got his chance to train upstairs when he became an orange belt at the age of 15. “Everybody was there,” Marcelo says, “Ryan Gracie; Renzo Gracie used to come train; Flavio, and Marcio – you got to see all the black belts – the one’s who’d win all the tournaments. It was a privilege to watch them train. It was even more of a privilege when I got to train and spar with them. It was amazing.”
Marcelo says the students also got to train and spar with Master Carlos, which he says was an honor. Master Carlos was at the school everyday. Sometimes he would teach classes and sometimes he would spar with the students. He set a good example for all of the instructors and students to follow.
“When I got my purple belt, I asked Professor Marcio if I could help instruct,” Marcelo says, “Hey said, ‘yes,’ so, I started coaching on the mats. Gustavo (Pires) and Marcelo (Souza) used to help, too.” Eventually, Marcelo started teaching the morning classes at GB Rio. He received his black belt at the end of 2005.
In 2009 Marcelo had the opportunity to teach for Gracie Barra in the U.S. His first stop was Tennessee and then he was asked to teach in California. Marcelo started teaching at GB America in Irvine for a couple of months, then moved on to GB Anaheim Hills. Soon after, Marcelo started teaching at GB Dana Point and GB San Clemente.
GBSC and GBDP students should know that they are in very good hands with Marcelo. He’s a 3-time national champion, a state champion and he won 3rd in Worlds as a purple belt. He also won a U.S. state tournament as a brown belt. “I love competing, but teaching is my passion,” Marcelo says, “I think it’s the best thing you can do. I really enjoy passing my knowledge on to others. I followed what Master Carlos, Marcio, and other professors did. I don’t have to be the best; I just have to help others and pass along my knowledge. I love to do that. My students have become my friends.”
Marcelo says he’s having a lot of fun in Dana Point and San Clemente. “I can tell that people are really cool. I’m meeting a lot of new people and they’re really nice. I’m glad to be here.” And we are glad to have him with us….Thank you, Professor Marcelo, for all you do for us!
Cheers!
GBSC/GBDP Team
Dear All, see below all the pictures from Gracie Barra San Clemente Students that were promoted last week. Students can download their pictures and save it as a memory of such a special moment!!! Cheers GB San Clemente Team
A Fun and Memorable Women’s Self-Defense Class:
Brandi Devericks, Eric Devericks’ wife, brought in about 25 women and kids from her church group to take a self defense class at GBSC. There were many instructors there to lead the group: Professor Flavio, Professor Ana Laura, Coach Charles, Coach Vivi, and Coach Caroline to name a few!
Professor Flavio led the ladies through a variety of self-defense techniques, which they loved! It was a really fun class and we appreciated the opportunity to educate them on how to avoid and escape from an attacker! You never know when you may need to use these invaluable skills!
Thank you to Eric and his lovely wife, Brandi, for bringing their group of friends in and for allowing us to spend this time with them. Here are some pictures from the event:
Cheers!
GBSC/GBDP Team
