Graciemag’s schedule

Our newsroom has been busy during the past week as we were finishing the December issue.

It’s kind of strange to mention the December issue on the very same day we are officially launching the November issue.

Well, it’s because there’s a natural gap between these two dates. This is how this gap is filled with:

Quote of the day…

… totally true according to our crew:

“In Brazil,  every single one has a friend millionaire and another one really really poor”

Roberto DaMatta, Anthropology teacher (In newspaper “O Globo”)

What about that, master Aragão?

‘The Real Deal’ report at Graciemag.com

The artificial snow that fell when Fedor Emelianenko entered in scene was a remarkable way to freeze the climax of ‘The Real Deal’, name of Pride’s first show in the US, that happened in that October 21st night in Las Vegas. But even more remarkable and cold was Fedor’s swift armbar [...]

Click here to read the full report about the first Pride to happen in the US grounds.

Pride US countdown

We are a few hours away from the beginning of the first issue of Pride in the US.

Despite there will be no special title in dispute in Las Vegas tonight, we all will seat in a couch and watch. No just because it’s a Pride event, no just because Fedor, Coleman, Shogun, Randleman, Henderson, Belfort, Barnett and many other great fighters will act on it.

I asked Renzo Gracie a few hours ago if he thought the event would be good.

Welcome to the board

John Tabor, 30, is a chess addicted.

As Tabor woke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself in his bed, transformed into a flesh-and-bone Bishop.

It’s how he must be feeling now, after being hired

YouTube age

Nowadays, it is hard for one to surprise other in fighting.

You don’t need to be a geek to find your opponent’s action on Net. With an easy search, you are able to do this, and it will be even easier from now on, with the advent of, well, these YouTube times.

Let’s think about a Master Helio Gracie bout in the 1940s. It was difficult for any of his foes to prevent themselves against the Master’s Jiu-Jitsu skills. In that period, a few people happened to know the techniques, and, we all agree that, to fight against a skilled Jiu-Jitsu fighter without knowing the style, is a suicide.

Obviously, there are many secrets one can hide still. Many small details are not in the videos. For instance, everybody in the MMA world today know what a guillotine is about. And, still, fighters are caught in that hold very, very often.

What one is not able to hide today is his personal style. And this is a recent bad news.

There will go a short anecdote to illustrate that thesis:

Six years ago,

A grappling blog suggestion

Yes, our blog rules, but so does another one. For those of you interested in Jiu-Jitsu and grappling in general, there is no excuse not to take a look at the blog of Rio Grappling Club, a martial arts team that has academies in Europe, North- and South America. Go check it out at http://www.riograpplingclub.blogspot.com/.

Anderson Silva, upset of the year?

Wow, who’d say that after only a couple of fights in the UFC, Brazil’s Anderson would become the promotion’s middleweight champion by defeating Rich Franklin! Anderson has always been a talented striker, but there’s no denying this is a huge surprise, and at a good time too – right after Rodrigo Minotauro and Renato Babalu missed their chances of becoming champions. Call this whatever you want, this is an unexpected vengeance for Brazilian fans.

Long live the king

Kelly Slater captured his eighth world surf championship this Friday, after a prestigious second place in the lefties of Mundaka. Still there are two events to go this year–Brazil and Hawaii–, but he can celebrate in advance already as no one in the race is able to reach his 7800-plus points.

Talking to an idol

Man, working here is so cool. Yesterday I talked to Mr. “Perfect” Ernesto Hoost, a man I got to know some years ago, when I had no idea I’d ever be a part of a martial arts magazine, on Playstation’s K-1 game which I used to play with my friends. This interview will not be available in our bilingual Gracie Mag, but in our Portuguese-only Nocaute. However, we do intend to publish it on our English website eventually, so stick around.