We might think of the Smith Family when we think of Gracie Barra. Their 3 kids train with GB and have been with us almost since we opened the school 2 years ago. They are here to stay! The oldest daughter, Sophie is a yellow and white belt with 4 yellow stripes on her belt! She comes to class all the time! It’s great to see how much BJJ she knows now and how great of a partner she is for the newest members of our school! Cute she is, but don’t let that fool you! She trains with all the boys and holds her own!

Emma is the middle child in the family. She, too, is a very cute little girl and even with being one of the smaller kids in the class, her BJJ is like that of someone older than her age! She is tough as nails. Other kids pass her guard, but she has spent countless time recovering guard and looking for the sweeps and she gets them! Thats not all folks, after the sweeps come, and she is in mount, watch out for the arm-bars and the chokes!

Luke, or as I call him LUUUKE, is the youngest of the Smith kids and always has to deal with being small on the mats! Luke is a very talented young man who caught the eyes of the Coaches early on. He recently moved up to the Little Champs 2 class, but being the youngest and the smallest in the family or on the mats is not going to stop this young man from getting to the top! Luke loves his chokes – always asks, “Coach, can i go for the choke now?” He is so eager to learn and always has a smile on his face!

Mr. and Mrs. Smith are always here watching the kids and cheering them and the rest of the kids on as well! They are great role models for their kids and great parents! We here at Gracie Barra want to thank the Smith family, for not only being part of our family, but also for allowing the Coaches to be a part of their lives!

Coach Charles

Drew Vangrin:

Each time I teach a Little Champs class I’m always impressed with the level of excitement, enthusiasm and knowledge that a human being at such a young age can have. It is always an honor to pair up with the parents and be a part of the development of their child, to be a positive influence in their kid’s life and help them guide our young generation in the right direction. At the end of each class, we as Professors and Coaches, have a unique opportunity to connect with the kids and talk to them about our Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Lifestyle Circle.

Last Thursday evening, at the end of our Little Champions 1 Class, I was talking to the  kids about why it is so important for us to train BJJ, self defense, and to focus, be disciplined, stay calm in emergency situations, make new friends, have fun, and of course, to exercise and be healthy.  After I talked to them about exercising and that I had already done my exercise that morning, our dear student Drew Vangrin (5 years old) told me, “Of course you did your exercise so you can keep your job!”  We were all laughing and I asked him what he meant and he said, “You exercise so you can be healthy and teach Jiu Jitsu. If you don’t, you will get fired!!”

So once again, I was very surprised at how intelligent these kids are and how important my role as a Coach is, to be a good example for these kids. Thank you, Drew, for reminding me to exercise and stay healthy so I can keep teaching you some good Jiu Jitsu for many, many years to come. Because of times like that, teaching the kids classes is one of the most rewarding parts of “my job.”

Coach Felipe

Bailey Hoss:

We often recognize students for their acheivements, and yet another one from the Juniors class has made a huge step in his training. He is Bailey Hoss! After he earned his Yellow/ White belt, all of the coaches encouraged him to come to the Adult Fundamentals class to step up his training because of his hard work and determination training in BJJ. He has progressed substantially in the sport and we are very proud of his accomplishments.

Coach Kanai

We want to thank all our GB students, large and small, for their hard work, discipline and efforts in BJJ. We recognize that all of you are doing a great job and we appreciate your dedication to the beautiful art of BJJ. We look forward to seeing you on the mats and are grateful for the time we get to spend with you each week!

Cheers!

GBSC/GBDP Team

At the end of the month, we are having our 2nd GB Soccer Cup! It’s been rescheduled for Saturday, March 27th from 1:00 – 3:00, when all of our BJJ classes are done for the day. It is going to be held at the same park and field – Forster Ranch soccer field behind Truman/Benedict

And after the fun, exciting, and competitive game of soccer, there is more togetherness to share! That same evening, Professor Flavio’s brother, Professor Ricardo Almeida will be on the UFC fight card! More details to come, but we will all be getting together again to watch the fights!

BJJ in the morning, soccer in the afternoon, and UFC at night – who could imagine a better day than that?

Professor Marcelo Brandao:

For those of you who don’t know him, Marcel Brandao is the light-weight black belt who teaches the classes at GB Dana Point on Wednesday nights. He has been friends with Professor Flavio since the age of 6 years old and they grew up together at Barra, Rio de Janeiro and on the Gracie Barra mats. Professor Marcelo is loved by his students for his amazing techniques and kindness on the mats. Check him out every Wednesday at GBDP!!!

Cheers!

GBSC/GBDP Team

On March 15th, the new GBSC Spring Schedule will begin! We have added Juniors Classes on Mondays and Wednesdays too!  Check it out HERE!!

Professor Otavio Sousa:

Professor Otavio will now be teaching the Juniors classes on Mondays and Thursdays. Get ready, kids! He is a phenomenal instructor and competitor and a great guy! You will love his classes!

BJJ 101:

BJJ 101 is coming this Wednesday, March 10th at GBSC! Don’t miss this great opportunity to learn the philosophical and historical foundations of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The class will run from 7:00 p.m. until 8:30 and Professor Flavio will be teaching it. We’ll practice many different techniques and then we’ll spar for 30 minutes at the end of class.

Advanced Kids Class:

Last Friday we had a great Advanced Kids Class, with 14 kids training on the mats. If you’re a White and Yellow belt, 6 years and up, you should come to this amazing class. In the class, kids learn and practice take downs and advanced BJJ techniques, just like the adults do in their advanced classes. They also have a lot of fun during the 30 minutes sparring session!

Remember champions, the more you put into your training, the more you’ll get out of it. Every class is a great opportunity for you to learn and improve your Jiu Jitsu. The Advanced Kids Class is every Fiday from 4pm to 5pm at the GB San Clemente location.

I hope to see you there!!

Coach Felipe

QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

“Enjoy present pleasures in such a way as not to injure future ones”    Seneca

Cheers!

GBSC/GBDP Team

Due to the rain, the Soccer Cup Challenge was canceled and rescheduled. It’s now set for Saturday, March 27th from 1:00 – 3:00 (after all BJJ classes have ended for the day). Please bring Gatorades and waters to share! There’s a sign up sheet in the lobby. Please indicate how many of you are coming to play, so we can set up teams. We will have kids and adults teams.

New Spring Schedule:

The new Spring Schedule starts March 15^th. Check it out:    *CLICK HERE*

Text and Win:

Take advantage of our BJJ special!! Simply text the word GRACIE to 41411 and win 1 free month of training at the Gracie Barra Dana Point and Gracie Barra San Clemente schools! Start your 2010 with a great resolution and an awesome deal! Forward this great special to friends and family! It has never been so easy to get you started! See you on the mats! This is for new students only.

Buddy Week:

It’s Buddy Week! Just give us a call to let us know you are bringing a friend so we can get a uniform ready for them!!

BJJ 101:

BJJ 101 is on Wednesday, March 10th at GBSC from 7:00pm to 8:30pm with 30 minutes sparring after. Hope to see you there!

Cheers!

GBSC/GBDP Team

Professor Marcus “Soneca” Neuenschwander just opened Gracie Barra Long Beach in December 2009 and already has over 65 students training at his school.

At his first women’s class in February 2010, 16 women showed up for the class. Not only is his business “humming” along, but his personal life is also at a high point. He recently married Kyvia Gracie and they had their first daughter, Kiana, in October. Life is sweet for Neuenschwander for sure.

Neuenschwander says his dream has always been to have his own family-oriented GB school, “Master Carlos, Marcio Feitosa and I made the decision to come to Long Beach and I’m very happy here. We didn’t know it at the time, but our location is in a very family-oriented neighborhood.”

Neuenschwander says he wants to give the community a nice place to learn GB’s self-defense techniques and the BJJ lifestyle, “The school is growing fast. We already have 65 students after two months, but it’s not just the number that’s making me happy. What I’m excited about is that all the students are having fun and coming together like a family. They’re taking care of each other. The students organized the first GBLB breakfast. They like the family environment and it’s what I’ve always dreamed of being a part of. It’s really cool.”

“Soneca” was trying to open the school at the same time his wife, Kyvia, was having their baby, “I originally hadn’t planned on opening a school so fast, but that changed when I found out Kyvia was pregnant. Then I really wanted to open a school immediately for my family. It got a little crazy because there was so much going on in my life all at the same time. One minute before I stepped inside the hospital room for my wife’s C-Section, I was getting calls that they were trying to put the mats down at the school! Everything’s great now, though. The baby’s fine, and the academy’s good.”

Self-defense class. Photo: Paula Young

Neuenschwander was a student of Professor Aldo “Caveirinha,” who is a black belt under Master Carlos. “I started BJJ as a kid at 13. He passed on to me all of Master Carlos’ ideas and showed me how BJJ can change your life. I learned how to live a healthy lifestyle and respect my colleagues at an early age. Those lessons changed my life and formed the person I am today. I want to pass those same ideas down to my students so they can enjoy the same healthy BJJ lifestyle and have it change their lives in the same positive way that it did mine.”

Neuenschwander has won gold in multiple state championships in Brazil. He won gold in the Brazilian Nationals Team Tournament and as a black belt; he came in 3^rd place at the European Open, 3^rd place in the No Gi Worlds, and was Dutch Open Champion and American National Champion in Gi and No Gi. But what sets this competitor apart from many other competitors is his team-oriented mind-set, “Everybody wants the gold medal,” Neuenschwander says, “But if that’s all you focus on, you start to lose the teamwork. So, sometimes I just go to tournaments to represent the team. Even if get bronze, I get points for the team. If I lose, I know I did my best, so I don’t get upset for myself, I get more upset that I didn’t get points for my team.”

Neuenschwander says that although he has a busy business and family schedule ahead of him this year, he still plans on competing at every IBJJF tournament on the calendar. But at the end of the day, Neuenschwander’s just a family guy: “I have two brothers and three sisters back in Brazil. Now I have my own family here and I’m trying to build my academy into an extended family. It makes me happy.”

by Deb Blyth

What a surprise for our GBSC Students when legendary black belt BJJ artist, “Professor Ze Radiola” came to the school on Friday night for the Black Belt Class, together with his student Professor Otavio de Souza. It was a very special class and some great BJJ techniques were learned.

Professor Radiola was a Professional Surfer in Brazil, but after he met Master Carlos Gracie, he started to learn Jiu Jitsu and began to dedicate his life to the art. His academy became a power house of champions in the North East of Brazil. He built some of GB’s greatest champions like Braulio Estima, Victor Estima, Otavio de Souza, Lucas Rocha, etc…

Thank you, Professor Radiola for visiting us! We loved learning from you and what a nice person you are!

GBSC/GBDP Team