Whats up Joe, How have you been?

Sup Bear? All is well man. Just chill’n hang’n out at the moment.

Whats new in the life of JC?

Well, a lot is new. After having a great year in 07′, I started off 08′ defeating
“The Wildman” Thomas Denny at KOTC and claimed the Lightweight World
Championship title and landing a nice contract with EliteXC as well. It’s been
a blessing thus far.

You been in the game a long time both in grappling and mma. Give us a run down on how you started and where you have trained along the way?

Well, I started with grappling just fooling around with my friends and cousins
back in 1995 but it wasn’t serious then. It was just horse playing being that
we were big UFC fans. My cousin, Charlie Valencia, who was a wrestler and
had some experience with Judo introduced me to Larry Landless one day and
he invited us to his classes at the Boys & Girls Club so we checked it out one day.
Being out wreslted and smashed on the mat by those who knew grappling, I then
took interest in it and looked for a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school in my area in the Yellow
Pages. I found Pedro Carvlaho and soon after that, I rushed to his academy and signed
up. It was 1996 and that’s when I began my BJJ training under a structured belt system.

I trained under Pedro for 6 years and then I left his school and began training under
Aloisio Silva. He gave me my Brown and my Black Belt and I’m still currently flying
the Silva flag as we speak.

What are the biggest changes you see in MMA from the 90’s to today?

The rules and regulations of coarse. That’s a given but mainly, the cross-training
factor. Then, it was style vs style but now, everyone is training just about in every
discipline you can imagine to be a well rounded fighter. Also, in the early days of
MMA, when it was called NHB, the Grapplers were so focused to take the fight to
the mat immediately, and today, the Grapplers want to stay on their feet and strike
more than being on the ground. This is primarily because the guy on the bottom has
a harder time winning a decision because I think there’s still more education that needs
to be tought to these judges who don’t know the art of submission quite yet. Yeah, they
know the basic game of submsion but not the whole technical side of side.

The Grappler is now being more and more the striker now because the level of the ground
game has gotten better also and the grappler is forced to strike with the striker where
as back in the day, it wasn’t the case. You have some Grapplers who preffer to strike now
and finish the fight on their feet and you have some Grapplers who strike to get a clinch to
work the takedown to finish the fight in their own world.

Over all, I think MMA has come full circle and now the level is just going to increase
more and more.

You have the KOTC Belt, How does it feel being the belt holder?

It feels great man. It was a long goal of mine and a very long road to get there too.
I’m glad I made smart decisions along the way because before, I was taking some
dumb fights I had no business taking. I made some bad decision in the past and it
hurt me bad but after revamping and going back to the drawingboard, I was able to
make smarter decisions and think with a more focused mind where as before I didn’t,
I just took the fight because it was a challenge. Fights are always challenging, but it’s
being the smarter fighter that’s even more challenging.

What’s next for JC?

Well, I’m scheduled to defend my KOTC belt against Buddy Clinton on August 8th.
That’s three months away so I’m hoping to get a tune-up fight elsewhere before then
so that I can keep on going with my momentum.

Yeah, I lost my last fight in EliteXC on Showtime but a lot was going on at the time
mentally and physically and not to mention a premature stoppage by the ref…hehe
But no, I’m not going to dwell on that loss. I’m just going to look ahead and get back
in the zone with a clear and focused mind and come back winning.

What’s an average day in the life of JC from am to pm?

Before I left my job, I was an Art Director by day and full time fighter by night.
I also taught BJJ and MMA as well but now that I have no job, I’m pretty much
the full time fighter day in and day out. I wake up in the morning, hit the gym,
I go eat, come home to nap, eat lunch, and hit the gym in the evening. On my
way home fromthe gym, I stop to get a bite to eat and then come home and
rest. The routine is repeated like this daily.

Everyone now and then I’ll take a break, wind down a bit and endulge myself into
some R&R at the movies or a lounge. But when it’s fight time, I’m super focused
and disciplined.

You have been fighting all over the place. Where are some of your favorite places to fight and why?

I’ve fought numerous times abroad and two of my favorite places to fight are in Japan
and of coarse the lovely island of Guam. Japan is an awesome place. At least from
what I experienced. I got a chance to learn about their culture and way of life living on
the side of the rising sun. As for Guam, I love the whole island vibe. The peeps are
cool and the hospitality is very welcoming. Guam is like my home away from home…haha
Being that I’m a “Camacho”, I feel like I’m already accepted as one of Guam’s own.
I’m of Mexican descent but when I’m on Guahan, I’m Chamurro….haha

Who are some of the people you look up into the game you admire?

I look up to everyone in the sport and I admire everyone as well. It takes guts to
do what we do and if anyone get’s in there and puts their name on the line, no matter
if he wins or loses, he’ll get my total respect. I admire courage and I also admire humility.
Being humble goes a long way and if you’re humble, you’re going to win everytime, even if
you lose. Being humble reminds you where you’re from and who you are as a person.
You ain’t better than anyone.

It’s not cool to be arrogant. Confidence is not arrogance. If one trains hard and believes in
his or her craft, then it’s ok to be confident. Arrogance is a whole other attitude.
Everyone has a goal and if you work hard and put all over you mind, body, and soul in aim
for your goal, that goal will be yours and it will be rewarding in the end. Confidence gets you
that.

Who are some of the people you would like to fight? And Why?

Ultimately, I’d like to avenge my losses but who wouldn’t. There’s really no one
in particular who I’d like to fight. All I ask is a chance to fight the one of the best
if not the best in fron of millions of fight fans around the world and be given the
chance to showcase my skills with a great performance.

How much longer do you see yourself in the MMA Game?

I don’t think I’ll be fighting too long. I’m 35 so I have a few years left in me,
but even if I’m not fighting, I’ll always be in the MMA game. It’s way way of
life for me. It’s not something I can just walk away from ya know? I’ll coach,
manage fighters, ref fights, match make, put on tournaments and MMA shows,etc…

I’ll always be part of MMA. It’s in my blood now. It’s part of being me. Shoot, it made
me what I am today.

Where do you want to be 10 years from now?

Alive and healthy and blessed with a family of my own surrounded by positive
people….haha That’s what care to say but as far as the sport goes, I’d like
to be an owner of a chain of several gyms of my own continuing to teach BJJ/MMA.

Being in the game for a long time now, how important do you think it is to cross train at other gyms once you hit a certain level at your home gym?

Well, when you train with the same people everyday, they tend to know your habbits
and learn your movements. They tend to spung what you know and before you know it,
you find yourself sparring your own self because they’ve caught up to you. They learned
your timing, your movements, your strategies and your physical abilities.

It’s important to cross train with other people so that you know what you’re capable of
and you know what you can learn as well. I learned from getting my butt kicked so with
that being said, I’m always a student of BJJ even though I’m and instructor. White belts
to black belts teach me everday.

Who would be a few people in the game today that you would like to train with?

I’d like to train with anyone. Training is fun so whomever I train with I’m always enjoying
the session everytime.

In your eyes what do you think is the 3 most important styles to being a success MMA fighter?

Submission Wrestling, Boxing, and Muay Thai

If I was to ask you to pick between getting your black belt or to date Jessica Simpson for a day what would you choose?

A date with Jessica Simpson. I already have my Black Belt…haha

Seriously though, if I had to choose, it would have to be a date with Jessica Simpson
anyway. Think about it. Do the math. It takes an average person to receive his/her
Black Belt 10 years. An average person wouldn’t have those odds with Jessica Simpson.

haha

What is the best advice you can give to a MMA fighter trying to climb the ranks?

The best advice I can give is always stick to the basics. Stick to what works. Believe in
your skills and capability, and stay focused on your goal whatever your goal may be.

Also, have a good support system behind you. You don’t need anyone or anything
bringing you down.

If you could turn back time to 5 years ago, what would you make different?

Choosing smarter fights and taking this fight game more seriously.

After all this is said and done where do you plan to retire and why?

Where do I plan to retire?….um, I don’t know about where but when the day
comes, when my body can’t take it anymore and when I’m on pain killers
and meds, that’s when I’ll hang up the gloves.

What can we expect to see in every fight with JC?

You can see an action packed performance everytime. I always give it my all and lay it
out all on the line.

You got mad brands throwing you gear, why do you still rock Shoyoroll?

It’s simple, I support those who support me.

Thanks a lot Bear.

Kenny Florian Interview: 3/3/08
By: Bear
For: Shoyoroll.com

SYR: How are you Kenny?
KF: I am great, thanks for the interview.

SYR: How is training going for your upcoming fight vs. Joe Lauzon (JLo)?
KF: Training is going well. I have been itching to fight for a while.

SYR: How do you think you and JLo match up?
KF: I train my ass off year round so I can match up well with anyone. You have to nowadays.

SYR: Do you have a specific gameplan going into this fight?
KF: Yes.

SYR: What do you think has changed to most in your game from the Kenny Florian we saw against Sherk for the belt?
KF: Ahhh, everything. For starters, I am healthy. Before the Sam Stout I had constant pain in my back that was crippling. I could not train much on the ground and when I did, I would be out of commission for a while. I am more experienced, physically 10 times better and technically 10 times better. I believe I am far better than what I was against Din Thomas so thanks to my trainers, I am making progress.

SYR: What is an average training week for KenFlo?
KF: Mon, Wed, Fri afternoons are my strength and conditioning days. Tues, Thurs and Saturday afternoons are my Cardio days. Mon-Saturday nights I have my technical training sessions and sparring sessions. Some mornings I squeeze in some training as well.

SYR: What do you do for fun or in your free time?
KF: I don’t do much. My whole life revolves around training and getting better. When I am not training, I am resting, eating healthy, reading, meditating, watching fights, teaching BJJ or MMA. Whatever I am doing is geared towards improving something for the fight game be it mentally, physically or technically.

SYR: There are many good 155 in the UFC. Besides yourself who would you consider the top 2-3 guys to beat in your weight class?
KF: Lauzon (because he is next). Sherk and BJ.

SYR: You said that you would like to fight Roger Huerta in a past interview? How do you think you match up with him?
KF: I would love to fight Roger Huerta. He is a warrior and has that “never say die” spirit. I admire that and I want to fight guys who will give me a war and go forward.

SYR: Who would you like to fight?
KF:The best guys only. I want to fight the best. I gotta be the champ for that to happen consistently.

SYR: You have been training with Marc DellaGrotte for a long time now. How much of an influence has that made on your game?
KF: Mark has been a great help over the last 3 and half years that I have trained with him. I was a striking novice when I came to him and he has shown me so much.
Built me from the ground up. He is world class.

SYR: Are you doing all your training in Mass. or are you jumping around to different places cross training?
KF: I try to train with different people all the time. I have had the great honor of training with some of the best martial artists on the plant. It was always a dream of mine to just be able to do that. Be a travelling martial artist ya know. I feel blessed because I have done that. This is the key to expanding your knowledge and skill base. I do all my training in Mass though in preparation for fights. I will bring in people all the time though or travel in between fights and train with the best guys that I can find all over the globe.

SYR: You have cross trained in the past with BJ Penn, where JLo has trained as well. Do you think that will help or hurt you? Explain.
KF: Training with BJ out there was very informal. This was after the Sherk fight and was my last hoorah before I got serious into full time training. In Hilo, I didn’t do that much training out there to be honest compared to what I normally do. Today I just suffer everyday, lol. We did a lot of hanging out. I was there to just learn a little, get a little fat, have fun and see Hawaii. BJ was a great host.

SYR: Will it hurt or help me?
KF: I hope they think it will hurt me.

SYR: BJ has the belt and will defend it against sherk. If you win a few you should be fighting the belt holder very soon. How would it be if you got to fight BJ Penn?

KF: I believe I am ready to fight anyone is the 155 lb division. That is what my mind is prepared for. I cross my t’s and dot my i’s year round. I want to fight the best and God willing it will happen. Style versus style, I believe I am one of the few who can really challenge BJ at every range. Not sure if he will stick around long enough in the weight class but I consider BJ one of the greats. I considered BJ a friend so originally it would have been weird but he is training Joe to beat me so I guess the friend thing is out of the window. LOL. If we meet and fight, it would be a war, no doubt in my mind. I would be ready to challenge him wherever it goes for as long as it takes. To be a warrior, you have the prepared to fight whoever it is. Your mind can only think win. That is how I feel.

SYR: Now a days it seems most mma fighters who have roots in grappling are starting to push fights to stay on their feet. You are a good example. What is the key reasoning behind this?
KF: It comes down to the element of surprise and down to the particular strategy. I would be very sad if grappling based fighters were not doing this. This is MMA. I even hate hearing that this guys is a grappler and this guy is a striker. Nobody in 2008 should have a major weakness right now if you are fighting at the highest levels.

SYR: How long do you see yourself in this sport?
KF: Until my passion for fighting dies. Right now it is burning strong and I am hungry to test myself. I drive to training sessions with my gloves on and mouthguard in my mouth cause I am that excited to train, lol. As soon as that dies, I am done. I am passionate about teaching and will probably move to that after.

SYR: Where’s this sport in the next 10 years?
KF: I hope it will keep on developing. In 10 years the sport will be much more technical and refined. The athletes will be amazing, much better than today I hope. I hope more Latino fighters get into the game too.

SYR: Do you think the pay scale will ever come close to boxing for the elite of each weight class?
KF: In time I believe it will.

SYR: What are some of the things you want to say to up and coming fighters trying to grind their way up to the ufc?
KF: Fight for the right reasons. Fight because you love it and not because you wanna look cool, be famous or be rich. You must be humble, disciplined, mentally tough and willing to learn every day at every training session.

SYR: Out of all the MMA brands out there why the hell do you support Shoyoroll?
KF: I just really love their style. I like companies that dare to be different. I love supporting the small company who insist on doing their own thing and making their own trends. These guys are artists who love what they do. I like that.

SYR: Any last things you would like to add?
KF: Just wanna thank all the fans for their support. Much love to you guys!! Check out kennyflorian.com and myspace.com/kenflo and say hello.

SYR: Quick 10

Best MMA in the world? Anderson Silva
Best Nogi Grappler? Marcelo Garcia
Best Jiu-Jitsu Artist? Rickson Gracie.
Your Mentor? My brother Keith.
Favorite Kimono? Shoyoroll Kimonos!!
Best type of food out there? Organic food, lol. When I can eat it, Italian, Thai are great.
Good things to do before a fight? Focus, and know why you are there.
Best trainer or teacher? Our minds and experience are the best teachers. If your mind is not open and if you do not have a beginner’s mind, no teacher will help you. Experience lights the path for you.
Hottest girl out there? Alessandra Ambrosio or the little blonde pro dancer from “Dancing with the Stars”. Julianne I believe is her name. Yes I watch it, don’t laugh!!
Funniest Movie Ever? Oh man too many. Let’s go with the Borat Movie.

SYR: What have you been up to Tinguinha?

T: Basically I have been dedicating my entire time to the improvement of my school and also some schools I have affiliated with me. Thankfully my school has been growing a lot and to keep the quality and professionalism I need to dedicate a lot of time to it which I do with pleasure.

SYR: How long have you training jiu-jitsu?

T: I have been training Jiu-Jitsu for around 19 years.

SYR: How many different affiliate schools do you have and where?

T: I have around 5 schools affiliated with me, some in Central California, North Dakota and Thailand. Most of them are students of mine that after years of training with me for different reasons had to move away to places where there weren’t BJJ schools and with my full support they decided to open their own schools. I have been teaching jiu-jitsu for around 12 years now and with the experience I acquired all this years I try to pass all my knowledge to them and try to have them follow the same system I implemented in my own school that way we will all have an unity.

SYR: You are now representing yourself instead of being a Gracie Barra affiliate gym. Do you think this has helped you or hurt you?

T: Didn`t hurt me neither helped me. Nothing changed in my school. My philosophy of work is still the same; my way of teaching and my way of thinking are still the same. I NEVER used the Gracie Barra name as a business tool, not to promote myself, or the school. My intention was to promote the Gracie Barra name in the USA and by doing so I would be sharing everything I learned there and was thankful for and not in any way doing for self marketing.

SYR: There are rumors on the Internet that you were upset when Carlos Gracie Jr. and Marcio opened a school in an area where a large amount of students came from?

T: Upset? No, the only person who sometimes gets me upset is my wife. I was not upset, I was disappointed and really surprised by the way things were done. The fact is that half of my students came from that location- Lake Forest, not around, not close but directly from there, but what really made be disappointed and surprised was the way things were said and done. Business can be done in many different ways.

SYR: I’m also sure they give you a notice in advance that they were planning on opening a school in your neck of the woods?

T: There is where my surprise and disappointment comes from. The new GB USA school opening came to my knowledge through the Internet; a jiu-jitsu news forum had an ad for the new school all set to be opened. I saw it in December 2004 and the school would be opened in the next month. I was really surprised and what made me more amazed was that the person appointed to be the instructor of the new school was a person very close to me, who was always welcome into my house, my school, having taught seminars and privates in my school before. After all that I contacted them in Brazil and Marcio told me it was all an misunderstanding and lack of communication which is really hard to believe when we know how much of a traveled person he is, having all my contact information, also being that 3 months before all had taken place he had stayed at my house. I would never opposed myself to help them get settled here in any way if things would have been done differently, my question in all that is: being the US and even California so big of a place how would they find out that Lake Forest was a good place to open a school?

SYR: There are also rumors that you did the same exact thing in Brazil by opening a gym not very far from the head Gracie Barra gym in Rio?

T: Marcio uses that as an explanation to the situation he has created and uses it as an example, which is not true. When I was 18 years old and still a purple belt, I started to help a Gracie Barra Black Belt Joao ” Big Head” Salgado who back in the day was a champion of his generation and who was so integrated with the Gracie Barra school that he created the Taz Mania Devil logo, he was also the main guy organizing tournaments with Carlos Gracie Jr., even having business outside of jiu-jitsu with carlinhos, at that time I, helped him teaching in his garage twice a week which was a great experience for me. His garage school was about 20 to 25 minutes from the Gracie Barra school and as far as know Carlinhos was really happy with their arrangement. That, is the Academy Marcio mentions I taught. Since we are on that topic I will take my time to talk about that matter. There are some Gracie Barra black belts who own schools close to the GB head school and they all should be given credit to all the success Gracie Barra has today. A lot of people do not know this but many champions came from those schools. Back in the day instructors like “Gordo”, “Sonequinha”, “Roleta”, “Soca”, ” Draculino”, ” Mamazinho”, ” Big Head”, ” Gustavo Machado”, “Leonardo Seixas”… they all taught in Barra ( place) near the GB school and many of the students coming from those schools that started to get some recognition were sent to the Gracie Barra main school and many of these guys are the Gracie Barra champions of today,that also happened in an older generation as well with Ralph Gracie, Jean Jaques Machado among others, they all had schools in Barra. They taught close by but they all contributed a lot to the growth of the Gracie Barra name as well.

SYR: You and Marcio are very close friends, how has this affected your relationship?

T: Yes, We know each other for a long time. In fact that is why it made me so disappointed. I am not here to judge anybody on why they do things. He made his decisions which I respect but in consequence of his decisions came my reaction and my own decisions which do not mean that I dislike him as a person. I was actually really worried with this whole situation with his school in Lake Forest. I heard serious stuff about conflicts with the law and everything and that all those matters are still not fully resolved, I know him for a long time and I know all his family and I wish he can resolve all those problems and get out of this situation.

SYR: Do you have any hard feelings about the split between your school and the Gracie Barra school name?

T: No, not at all. I spent most of my life in that school, all my friends, all my BJJ experiences were created in that school. I am still in contact with all my friends from there; anytime they are in the US they come to visit me and my school. I have a great deal of respect towards Carlos Gracie Jr. to whom I credit my Jiu-Jitsu knowledge and experience and to whom I am very grateful. I have a history with the Gracie Barra school, I always fully represented them being even one of the first people to take the GB school name to another state, out of Rio de Janeiro as well as to other countries, coming to the US I applied myself to do a very serious work and represent the schools name with professionalism, so nothing can erase all that and nothing will affect all that. I see the change in my schools name as a simple business decision, not changing in any way how I feel about the GB school.

SYR: You are known for your spider guard, what made you choose that style of guard to make your own?

T: It was actually a natural evolution in my training. It was nothing I chose specifically. I play different games in my guard too, but the spider guard was the one my body adapted better to and I felt most comfortable playing.

SYR: What would you say are the 3 key elements when playing the spider guard?

T: The most important elements in my opinion are the hip movements and the leg work. With that combination you will have a real control of the spider guard.

SYR: Do you think the Spider Guard will ever get outdated?

T: No, I do not think so. For sure new stuff will come but that does not mean that the good techniques will get outdated. One thing will complement the other and this is what happens in the natural evolution of things.

SYR: If you could change some rules about jiu-jitsu competitions, what would they be?

T: This is a good question. It looks like a lot of people is unhappy about the BJJ rules in competitions. I think some things would need to be changed to make the fights more dynamic, today there are a lot of problems with people stalling in tournaments or fighting to win by advantage and this is not what the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu philosophy is about. I don’t have the exact answer for that but I think those changes are already being tried, some of the tournaments are changing their rules and some of the federations should be trying to make changes and trying to make this happen but I believe that slowly is already happening.

SYR: What do you think is the most common mistakes that many students make when training jiu-jitsu?

T: A pretty common mistake that happens with the students specially when they are first starting is an ego problem. The students get there and they do not want to tap by any means but the truth is tapping is only a learning process, you can learn a lot from your mistakes and that goes from white to black belt. The learning never stops. Another mistake that I think commonly happens is related to the first one I mentioned is about weakness, a lot of the students try to stay away from their weakness to avoid tapping, for example if you are really good on your top game and not as good in your bottom , usually in all your training sessions you just play your top game and avoid getting on the bottom but if you never play your weakness how are you supposed to improve it.

SYR: You recently took a trip to New York to Renzo Gracie’s school in NYC, How was the experience?

T: It was great. Not only I was at the Renzo Gracie`s school but I also went to the Ricardo ” cachorrao” Almeida and Alexandre ” Soca” `s school and I had a chance to meet some of my old friends like Rafael “Gordinho”, Rolles Gracie Jr.and Igor Gracie, I also had a chance to meet someone new, a really great guy, Gene Dunn, who is a black belt from Renzo`s and who had a big impact on me on the philosophy of martial arts .

SYR: Why do you think Renzo such a good teacher?

T: Renzo`s students kind of speak for itself, he made and is still making so many good students, fighters and instructors that I don’t even need to say no more. He has the complete package as a teacher, he is not only a great instructor but also a great coach, he has a way to pass self confidence and self steam to his students and support them. All those qualities are what I believe makes him so successful

SYR: What are you goals for 2006?

T: I have a lot of plans for my school in 2006, we are adding some classes, making improvements and I will also be coming out with two more instructional dvds, which are already in production.

SYR: Do you plan on competing this year?

T: I have been competing in tournaments since I was a kid. I really like to compete and that fire still burns inside of me but right now I am 100% focused in my school and I like to apply myself entirely to everything I do. When I feel that things are in the right track and I have a little bit more time to dedicate to training I would sure like to get back in tournaments, just for fun.

SYR: What do you think you learned most in the year 2005?

T: 2005 was a year of experience and a lot of growth. I learned much much more than I ever expected. It was a year of personal growth in every aspect.

SYR: What do you think your gym offers that other gyms may not?

T: I can’t talk about other schools because I don’t know how they are like or what they offer but what I can say about my school is that we offer a nice and friendly environment and that we are very serious and committed with the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu philosophy and every aspect of it. We have a very personal approach to each student and their evolution while training at our school through different systems and programs our students are able to fit their needs and safely learn one of the most effective martial arts in the world.

SYR: Is there anything you would like to add (sponsors, friends, thanks)?

T: I would like to thank all my friends for all the support they constantly give me, I will thank also all my students for their commitment to our philosophy and to our school. All the Gustavo Machado competition team, they have always welcomed me and supported me, I would like also to thank my family specially my wife that have been assisting me with the school since day one. I won’t mention names because each and every one of them are really important in my life. I would like to also thank Torah Kimonos, jiujitsushop.com and fightlife.com for all the support they give me and my school.

SYR: What have you been up to Rener?

RG: Nothing man just doing it. Just making it happen here at the academy with my brothers. Things are moving. We are getting ready to plan our 3rd annual IGAFF ultimate championship that is coming up in August 13th and 14th. So I been working on that and trying to make it bigger then ever.

SYR: In the third annual any updates?

RG: It’s still early and we have a lot of time. We are going to go to the next big upcoming tournaments and see what kind of guys we want to bring in and right now we have some good sponsors so we are working on getting more sponsors. We are still in the formation stages but we plan on having some good guys for sure.

SYR: How is the academy doing anything new?

RG: The academy is doing fine, things are growing, we just recently about a year or two ago we had the inauguration of the museum we have here we showcase the whole family. It shows illustrator clippings and old artifacts of my Grandfather (Helio Gracie) from way back in the 1930’s of his original fights and how the whole revolution took place. So it’s pretty nice for a lot of the people who have been involved in it and practice it now, some don’t know where it really all came from and it give a chance for people to see what its really all about. Also my grandfather will be here in May 14th -15th my grandfather is giving a seminar here at the academy and its open for everybody so if you want to get a spot in there you should reserve a spot. Call the academy here. But he is having a seminar here on the 14th which is a 6hr seminar and on the 15th he has the book release party for his Gracie Jiu-Jitsu master tech book which is his first and only instructional book he is putting out so he is going to be signing copies of that for everybody as well.

SYR: How much will the seminar cost?

RG: The seminar cost $90 for a 3 hr session or the whole six hours for only $150 bucks and the book is great too and will be available the next following day. The book is sick to its Hardbound, Full-Colored Photos, History of the Gracie Family the whole story, All the techniques of course, and a whole section dedicated to the Gracie diet that explains the food combinations and principles that we followed for so long.

SYR: Do you know if your dad will be promoting any other black belts or will you and Ryron be doing all the promotions from now on?

RG: Ryron and I will be doing the promoting but of course my dad will have the final say because he knows all the students here. But pretty much everyday Ryron and I roll with the students often so we know what they are made of and if anybody gets promoted it will be me or Ryron’s recommendation, then my dad will have the final approval

SYR: Is it true that you had a scholarship to Stanford? Why didn’t you accept?

RG: No, I didn’t have a scholarship but I was wrestling in high school and I did alright. I placed in southern California and I was ranked #4 in the state for quite a while. In terms of wrestling I didn’t even wrestle I just did jiu-jitsu you know and it was funny because I was using my jiu-jitsu techniques for wrestling in a wrestling match and it happened to work out just fine and confused a lot of guys who wrestled me and it got a lot of attention because I beat a lot of good guys and it grabbed the attention from some scouts. I was in contact with Stanford for a while but they never really gave me a scholarship but because I had really good grades in high school they reached out to me. But I decided it would be better for me to be around the academy and to stay here in southern California especially with the academy and the kind of operation we have over here. Being that it’s such a family run business my time was better invested here. Where if I went to school it would be good to get a degree or what not but that good for someone who want to get a career but my career is pretty much carved out it was not completely necessary for me to do that.

SYR: Do you consider Gracie Jiu-Jitsu any different then Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or do they both mean the same thing to you?

RG: No, they are the same thing. Brazilian jiu-jitsu is what the Brazilians call it that don’t want to give credit to the Gracies. Of course my grandfather developed the whole thing from scratch it was all the Gracies then they thought their people and it branched out little by little. All Brazilian jiu-jitsu traces back to the Gracies. So all the people who call it Brazilian jiu-jitsu are the ones who study it that are not Gracies that don’t want to give credit to the Gracies. So they call it Brazilian jiu-jitsu since they are all Brazilians anyways. But it’s all the same thing!

SYR: Who is your favorite Gracie Fighter these days?

RG: I think they are all good bro I mean everybody has so many different paces. A lot guys are so different. I mean some guys are more defensive fighters, some guys have more attack, many different style. For example Ryan Gracie is just an animal where is you have somebody like Royce or Royler are more defensive and just take the opportunity when they can. Depending on who’s fighting and who they are fighting. There is no favorite they are all great. My grandfather also who should be the one who deserves the most credit and I appreciate the most. He is the one who had the biggest challenge because he didn’t have it handed down to him he just learned it developed it from scratch basically and made it what it is today. So everybody else had the easy way of just learning it and changing it to their own little styles and challenging and fighting the rest of the world but basically my grandfather is the one who deserves all the credit.

SYR: Do you plan on fighting in MMA?

RG: Ya that the plan. Ryron is getting ready and pride is coming at him pretty heavily to fight over their in Japan so they are in negotiations for Ryron’s first fight in Japan. I guess we want to think about him potentially fighting here in the UFC also so I’m not to sure what we are going to do 100%

SYR: Under any specific rules?

RG: We might do that. If we were going to fight in one of those organizations, the guys who will be fighting, we don’t want to give them the opportunity, and we want to make sure when the fight ends by someone winning and someone not losing if you know what I mean. We want to make sure that this victory is determined by somebody actually winning rather then somebody being able to not lose the fight. What we mean by that is a lot of guys that are going to fight us knowing what our game is and knowing how were are going to want to fight will fight instead of trying to win the fight will try and fight to let the time run out, decision, victory, draw or a lot of times they can call that a victory. So we want to make sure when we go in there we are not doing it for the sport or money. We are doing it to actually show whose better, the rules are going to limit really who the better fighter is that everybody will decide. So we want to make sure that we modify the rules so the better fighter always wins weather its somebody else or us.

SYR: If you fight MMA will your use your Kimono in the ring?

RG: It depends on who you fight. If you fight another guy who does strictly jiu-jitsu it might not be a good idea because he can use the Gi. But if you fight a guy that is a striker the Gi is not a bad idea because they tend to hold on to it. There are pro’s and con’s it depends who you are fighting though.

SYR: Does the Gi help your Nogi game?

RG: I think wearing the Gi definitely helps me with my Nogi for sure because there are a lot of the things you can do better with the Gi on of course but there is more things you have to worry about. So when you take the Gi off I feel like unbeatable, I feel unbeatable with the Gi but without the Gi it’s like impossible catching me.

SYR: Do you know if there will ever be a Gracie Academy MMA Team?

RG: We have some students now who are fighting and some guys who are coming up and training with us heavily and getting ready to fight for sure.

SYR: Do you train strictly Gracie jiu-jitsu or do you cross train wrestling and kickboxing/boxing?

RG: No we train Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, Boxing, we do everything.

SYR: A lot of famous people have trained at Gracie Academy Torrance. Can you name a few stars that enjoy jiu-jitsu every now and then?

RG: Ed O’Neil (Purple Belt close to Brown Belt), Michael Clack Duncan (Blue Belt), Rakka from Dilated Pupils, Actor Simon Rex, Tommy Lee, and more.

SYR: Does he plan on splitting off from his dad and starting his own academy, possibly a partnership with you and your two brothers Ryron/Ralek?

RG: We don’t plan on ever splitting up, but we will open are going to open a school in the Beverly Hills area. It will be a smaller place but it will a lot easier for people in that area to get there.

SYR: In the past many doubted the style of Jiu-Jitsu that was being taught at old Gracie Academy? Ryron, Ralek, and You started to compete and silenced a lot of the haters. What do you think peoples biggest mistakes while training jiu-jitsu?

RG: What we have more then anybody is we have more of a solid foundation. When I see a lot of guys out there that are really good that win a lot, do good, crazy, have a lot of wild techniques but they get caught in the bacis moves. Basically I think the difference between us is that we are a little more conservative when we fight but by doing that our game is a lot more consistent. When we fight its pretty much the same result which is we either win by submission or if the fight goes to time the person we are fighting may win by a point or two but I never ever been close to being caught in a submission by anybody. When I win I have only won by points like one or twice in my life and the rest has been by submission. The reason for that is because my basics are so solid even when I fight a lot of black belts even world champions who foundations are really not that solid although they have good sweeps, half-guard, or competition jiu-jitsu when they fight somebody like me who is more focused on the submission aspect of the whole game.

SYR: Have you ever trained with your Uncle Rickson? If so how that is and what do you think about training with Rickson?

RG: I never rolled with Rickson. I would like to roll with him if I get a chance though.

SYR: Do you train specifically at the Torrance academy or do you float around and train w/ other family schools in the U.S. or Brazil (Rickson, Ralph, Cesar, Carlos Jr., Carlson, etc.)?

RG: If I’m in the area I’ll check out the other schools but no we have a big operation that take up a lot of our attention here so we don’t really have time to go every where else. But I’m more then open then when I’m in town to train with the other schools.

SYR: When in Brazil where do you train?

RG: I train with Royler (Gracie Humaita), Carlos Gracie Jr. (Gracie Barra), and my grandfather Helio Gracie. I train a lot with my grandfather at his ranch. He still trains me a lot. Whenever I can, train all over the place.

SYR: Where do you see Jiu-Jitsu in the U.S in the next 10 years?

RG: I think its growing tremendously and it’s going to be more mainstream with the popularity of the UFC and the popularity of NHB style fighting and people know the root of NHB fighting is jiu-jitsu.

SYR: How is your back after surgery? What type of surgery did you have on your back? How serious a problem was it? How long was he out of the game and how does it feel now? How long will you be back 100%?

RG: About a year ago exactly. No it was serious when it happen but know I feel perfect and better then I was before so now a good to go. I’m 100%

SYR: Do you ever plan on competing in ADCC?

RG: We could do that. This year since I’m coming of the injury I have only been training for the last 4 or 5 months ago so I have not been training as much as I should be but yah I’m getting back in the mix. But sure I would not be against it. One of these days I would like to be in there.

SYR: Would Rener be interested in fighting Marc Laimon to avenge his brother’s loss?

RG: I can fight him but he has to promise he’s going to fight and not run. I don’t want to go there and do a track meet with him running from me the whole time

SYR: Anybody out there that you would love to match up against on the mat?

RG: No. There are so many guys that are good and any guys that are good I would like to roll with them just to see what it’s like and feel different guys rolling. I fought a lot of guys that I though were good and I rolled with them and they really were as good as I thought they were and they were just hyped up to be more then what they are because I roll with them and I see their foundation and their technique is pretty much one dimensional and their whole game is not very complete. A lot of guys are limited potential because they train so specifically for competition and when it comes down to it and they come here to the academy and they roll in a no competition environment that really can’t close a lot of deals. I don’t know bro I just like to roll with guys who like to fight and go for the kill, Guys that want to win the fight instead of get a couple points and stalling.

SYR: What are some of the common pro’s and con’s being raised with the Gracie last name?

RG: Good Question. There is so many and they are all good. You make friends and you have the opportunity to teach so many people in your life its ridiculous and the best is being able to help so many people. So many people come to you, respect, learn, and appreciate you so much handing them something that was just giving to you. I was like 13 years old teaching class 45 year old doctors and lawyers and stuff and they are loving me thinking I’m amazing and I’m just teaching them the stuff that was handed down to me my family and my grandfather, father, and my Uncles. It’s just to be good to be taught something at such an early age and be so perfciant at something at such a young in my life. I’m 21 years old and I have been training for 23 years and it’s great.

There are not really any bad things its all about how you make it. If you force up against someone who puts you under pressure then pressure can be good. It will inspire you to take you to the top. It’s all on how you look at it.

SYR: What are some of the other things you enjoy besides training jiu-jitsu?

RG: Jiu-Jitsu, I like to go to the beach swim and body surf. I like to sleep a lot. I eat a lot.

SYR: If you could change one thing about the grappling community today what would you change and why?

RG: I would change the rules for all the tournaments. I would change all competition rules to our rules. Therefore the people are that much more encourage chasing after the victory instead of scoring the points and stalling which is ruining jiu-jitsu today.

SYR: What do you think it takes to take Jiu-Jitsu to the mainstream like Kung-Fu and Taekwondo?

RG: Organization! We need help from more the American people to be more organized so it can be unified and a set of rules whatever it may be and with that and the organization of the tournaments and the weight classes and everything once it gets in order. It’s going to go to the top for sure because people like it, its growing faster then other martial art, and it has the potential to bigger then all of them for sure. But there is no organization so until then we are going to be on hold.

SYR: Anything you would like to ad to the interview?

RG: Check our website it is www.gracieacademy.com, for tournament those of you who want to compete its going to be august 13th to 14th and there will be early registration to save you a couple of bucks. You can go to www.igjjf.com and go check it out and register online. We got a lot of good sponsor’s Samabazon, Tapout, Ultra dot media and the rest of the sponsors on the site. My grandfathers book signing and seminar is going to be a blast for those of you who are interested register early call the academy (310)782-1309 and register for the seminar w/ my grandfather may 14th and the book release party will be the next day at 5pm. Get your book or bring your book and get it signed by the Grand Master.

One of the innovators of the no-gi revolution in the United States of America
speaks.Shoyoroll.com catches Eddie “The Twister” Bravo before an evening training session at 10th planet for an in dept interview. Eddie tells all about the no-gi and gi war, taking out Royler Gracie at this year’s ADCC, The revolution of the rubber guard, and Guam¹s beautiful women!

SYR: What’s up Eddie, What have you been up to?

Twister: Just been building my school, getting ready for ADCC and training Chuck Liddell for his rematch w/ Randy Couture, and trying to meet as many beautiful women as possible.

SYR: ADCC has been coming up in Long Beach in your Hometown U.S.A have you been invited yet?

Twister: Not officially but unofficially they have invited me. I have spoken with them but it’s not official yet.

SYR: If so why or why not and what do you expect this year?

Twister: I think there is going to be some crazy matches. We’ll probably get to see Jean Jacques Machado vs. Marcello Garcia. Everybody wants to watch that and even Cameron Earle is in that same division, it’s going to be crazy. Every ADCC is just getting better and better. And plus that one twister guy is going to fight Royler Gracie in a rematch. (Laughs) That should be interesting.

SYR: Do you know if the rumor is true if you and Royer will be matching up first?

Twister: It’s all rumor so far. But it could be true. I hope I get him first, that would be great. That would be fantastic, the sooner I get the chance to tap him again, the better.

SYR: If you do meet Royler first what submission will you be looking for? The Twister?

Twister: Of course I’m going to be looking for a twister. Apparently they are making it legal again. To submit him, I’m going to try and get him in a twister. I’ll tap him with anything it really doesn¹t matter. But if I had it my way it would be a twister.

SYR: Have you been training for the ADCC? If so where and who do you work out with?

Twister: I still train at Jean Jacques Academy. I’m still a black belt under him and he is my master. I still train there and that has not changed. But that’s about it no other schools all I need is Jean Jacques and that’s it!

SYR: Any people you are excited to see in this year’s ADCC?

Twister: Yeah I’m excited to watch Jean Jacques fight especially if he fights Marcello Garcia or Cameron Earle. I’m also curious to see how Javier Vasquez is going to do as well. I would like to see Javier Vasquez fight Leo Viera. I would love to see how that match would turn out.

SYR: Your long time rival and friend Javier Vasquez will be in ADCC this year. How do you think he will do this year’s ADCC?

Twister: I think besides me he has more offense in that division then any of the other guys. He definitely has more offense than Royler, and way more offense then Leo Viera, that’s for sure. Baret Yoshida has a lot of offense but I think Javier Vasquez has more offense then anybody in that whole weight bracket except me.

Continue Reading

SYR- So what next for Javier Vazquez
JV- I’m fighting in Japan next week vs. Rumina Sato

SYR- How did you get lined up a big name like Rumina Sato?
JV- Actually they came to me, I guess about 6 months ago Terry (king of the cage) offered Shooto if he wanted to come fight me here in the states. After my last fight we got the call and they to fly me out there.

SYR- Rumina is know for his acrobatic style, do you have a set game plan going into the match?
JV- Yes, I got to stop that. I have realistic game plan. It has the potential to be one of those matches because of him. He can probably bring out the best in me. I think he’s going to push me to the edge just to see how good I am. As far as wrestling he’s got nothing on me. As far as striking I don’t think he much better than I am. I think it’s going to be hell of a fight for me. His style no matter what will give me a hard time. I think there are other top guys out there that will give me an easier fight then him.

SYR- Any big fights after Shooto that you would like to fight?
JV- I always want to fight PRIDE, UFC I don’t know if the moneys right. But as far as individual fighters there are a group of fighters that I would like to fight.

SYR- Anybody impractical that you would like to fight?
JV- Pulver, Serra, and Uno most of the guys in the UFC, right now this is such an important fight, this is all I’m thinking about. But if I win hopefully I can make a career in Shooto or Japan.

SYR- So is it going to be a big transfer for you going from KOTC rules to Shooto rules?
JV- I think most of the rules are the same, if anything I think there are more rules over there in Japan. I don’t think you can elbow or forearm. I think you can elbow on the feet but not on the ground. That’s going to bad because I like to use elbows but pretty much everything all the same. Maybe getting used to the gloves would be about it. Other stuff like fighting in the ring instead of in the in a cage. I know how to use the cage, but I like to fight in the middle of the ring, which I prefer. I think the fighting in the ring allows more submission because when A guys in trouble he can pin you up against the cage.

SYR- So what a brief history on yourself.
JV- I started as a wrestler in junior college. Three years in high school. Then after all that I ended up hooking up with betissi monserri he introduced me to the sport. Within about a year and a half I started doing some open hand tournaments and I continued doing jiu-jistu tournaments. Eventually my name was growing a little then Terry came up with KOTC and I ended up fighting three. Ever since then my ways have changed a lot. I don’t have to learn how to stike, my wrestling was way above anybody else’s. Now days you just have to learn how to strike or most of all survive.

SYR- It’s a more complex game to what NHB used to be now days?
JV- Stand up has changed the sport; it used to be stand up once in a while but there standing fighters up all the time now. Now you have to learn to strike. I didn’t want to know how had no real interest in it, but now its pretty fun. I have stand up its just I have not used it yet.

SYR- You’re currently a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu from Rodrigo Medeiros?
JV- Yes, I kind of done with tournament (BJJ)

SYR- You have pretty impressive record over the last five years, do you know of head about how many tournaments/competitions you have won/loss.
JV -I have won about 30 tournaments and I have about 60 wins and 5/6 losses. After a while I kind of lose track

SYR- Do you feel its in grappling it is more challenge with the gi or without the gi?
JV -I think no gi is a little harder due to the sweat element. With the gi it says consistent, you don’t have to worry about people slipping out. As soon as you start adding in the sweat factor I think it’s a lot harder to pass the guard, score points, and keep position no gi.

SYR -Who are some guys that you have challenges on the mat that you give high marks too?
JV- I would say Eddie” twister” bravo, every match is real close. He always gives me a tough time.

SYR- So whom do you train with now days?
JV- I train with Jason, Romie Aram and I have been training a lot with John Alesio, Tim “Crazy Tim” Credeur, Rodrigo Medeiros, JJ Machado.

SYR- Who are some of the Guys that you think have change the sport?
JV- My weight personally I feel Jens Pulver, Uno, Sato, Frank Shamrock, and BJ Penn. Your starting to see guys that are well rounded but are very specialized. Guys like Sakuraba that are always coming up with new things. I have a lot new thing I just have not been able to show because I have not been pushed, when I get pushed I will get to show a lot of stuff that nobody else does. Hopefully one day I will be somewhat like an innovator.

SYR- Going back to the Bj Penn you guys challenged as blue belts years back. How was that?
JV- I have nothing but respect for the guy. One of the nicest guys you will ever meet. We have always had a mutual respect towards each other. I think he is a great competitor.

SYR- Have you been to been any other place besides the USA to train?
JV- I was going to go to Brazil for the worlds this year. But this fight with Rumina came up so scratch that!

SYR- Do you ever feel that in the future you want to compete in the worlds/pan-ams?
JV- I wanted to do it this year (worlds). Pan-Ams are always on the other side of the country. I don’t know why there not here the best guys are from out here. I have fought guys who have won the pan ams and beat them, so it doesn’t mean that much to me. I would like to win the worlds.
So is there anybody that you would like to train with that you have not?
Rickson, Royce, and JJ Machado but I trained with him now. But Rickson because he is supposes to be the best!

SYR- What’s up with the pink trunks? Any real reason?
JV- Well the first trunks were pink I was thinking of trying different ones for every fight like pokemon, cowboy. Just in different characters. But the pink trunks got a real crazy response. Some people though I was hilarious and the others thought I was gay. But got a good response from it. But for the record I’m not gay! But for the Sato fight it’s going to be something different.

SYR- Is there any other you would like to add in the interview?
JV- You can check out my site at me at www.millenniajiujitsu.com. I would like to thank my team Romie, Tim, Jason, John, Rodrigo, JJ Machado, Terry (KOTC), Mark, and superman. I would like to thank my family and lastly my father. Who just recently pasted away. I want to dedicate this fight to him.

Thank you Javier

Shoyoroll Quick 10
1. Best NHB Fighter? Mishima, Pequeno,
2. Best Grappler (no-gi)? unknown
3. Best Jiu-Jitsu Artist? BJ Penn
4. Your mentor? Victor Romo, Larry Mantunabi, Rodrigo Medeiros, John Ouano, Betssi mansurri
5. Favorite kimono? Ouano
6. Best place to train? Millennia Jiu-Jitsu
7. Good Things to do before Competition/Fight? Warm up, Visualizing, Relax
8. Best Trainer/Teacher? Betissi, Tim, Rodrigo, Jason, Romie, Rodrigo
9. Hottest girl out there? My Girlfriend, Swear to God
10. What do you do for fun? Watch Fights, Hangout, Race Remote Control Cars