** = split division with teammate.
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Accompanied by Ivey League’s MMA‘s Wayne Johnson, Crazy 88 BJJ sent six competitors to the Rupture Northeast Jiu Jitsu Championships in PA.  It was a small competition of ~150 competitors but the team went to support Jon Delbrugge in his superfight vs. Chris Wing.  Jon won 9-2, sweeping his opponent from the half guard 3x and passing his opponent’s guard (video of the match can be found here).  Team Lloyd Irvin won the Team Title and BJJ United’s Jared Weiner defeated De La Riva’s Tony Passos.

Matt “Jumani” Rihani won the No-Gi Beginner division and went 3-1 in the Gi, taking Bronze there.  This was Matt’s first competition other than the In-House competition a few weeks back.

Chris “Short Round” Tran continued his summer of BJJ with another tournament (he has been competing almost every weekend) and ended up winning a Gold and a Silver.

Big Sal utilized his “B” gameplan to full effect; his record at the end of the day was 8-0.  Big Sal was in full crazy mode, pulling mount and other craziness, but finding a way to win, despite being down 10-0 in some matches.

“Lawyer” Dave had 3 fights, winning all three (including his first Purple Belt gi victory). Being a push-through competition, Dave fell back early in his matches but came back late and was able to secure the finish.

The Crazy 88 Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competition team did not take a summer vacation and continues to compete all over the world. It was back to Rio de Janeiro for Crazy 88′s Tye Ryan Murphy and Third Law BJJ‘s Roberto Torralbas as they would enter the IBJJF’s Rio International Open, a 4-day tournament for <30 years olds,  which runs concurrently with the International Masters and Seniors.

Tye Ryan Murphy started things off with a choke from the back after racking up 10-0 against his opponent from BTT (unconsciousness ensued).  He then choked his second opponent unconscious with a choke from the front headlock position.  In the quarterfinals, he faced eventual division winner, Luiz Fernado from Gracie Barra PE in Northeast Brazil and lost 2-0 (2-3) with some controversy.  Apparently the scoreboard was not being updated and it read 0-0 (2-3) *Tye winning by one advantage* until the whistle blew in which case it was discovered that it was 2-0.  During the match, Tye also had a sweep back so there was a lot of confusion over whether it was 0-0 (scoreboard) or 2-2 (mental count).  Either way, a good showing by Tye.  All part of the process for the 2011 World Championships!

Look for a longer writeup to be posted on our blog from Tye upon his return to the USA.

Blue Belt Medio (1 of 2)

Roberto Torralbas won his first Jiu Jitsu match 8-0 with 4 takedowns (!) and then took the back to defeat his quarterfinals opponent 4-0.  In the semifinals, he faced Francisco Iturral (Alliance) who had footlocked his first two opponents.  Unfortunately, Roberto ended up being the 3rd opponent to fall victim to the grappler from Alliance Ecuador – a “crazy” footlock as Roberto almost took his opponent’s back.  Francisco ended up taking a fourth foot with him and won Gold.  Roberto is icing up his ankle and is looking forward to the Open division tomorrow!

Purple Belt Medio (2 of 2)

** = split division with teammate.
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The Kids Martial Arts team was down in Virginia today competing at US Grappling’s Junior Championships. The competition was for children and teens only and offered both Gi and No Gi divisions.  It was also one of the few tournaments that was double-elimination, allowing the competitors to get at least 2 matches per division.

As the results indicate, all the kids fought really well but special recognition has to go out to Chris “Short Round” Tran who stepped up to the Advanced divisions without complaint and grinded out his way to two finals – winning one and losing the other.   Also, Austin “American Idol” Moore got onto the mats and fought hard despite his circumstances; Austin is a former Crazy 88 BJJ student who moved to Texas where he has not been able to do BJJ.  He asked to spend the entire summer training at Crazy 88 and got a full week in before going into the competition.

Great job everyone!

(l-r) Shawn Suser, Seth Fillers, Chris Tran, Coach Jon, Mason Hollis, Brendan Bill, Trystan Balderston

** = split division with teammate.
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We had a few Crazy 88 BJJ rookie competitors head up to US Grappling’s Diamond State Games.  The event had both Gi and No Gi divisions.  Travis Outten was the star of the show, winning his White Belt division and taking 2nd in the Absolute despite being a lightweight.  Great job guys.

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Great job by the Crazy 88 Childrens BJJ team at the GQ US Nationals event in Morristown, NJ.  The team consisted mostly of competition veterans but we did have Chis Tran and Andre Shiller compete for the very first time (and do awesome)!  Also, of special note is Brendan “Spike-a-Doodle” Bill, Seth Fillers, and Shawn Suser taking the plunge into the Advanced division.

Champions On and Off the Mat!

Rodeo Takes Time Off Coaching to Work on His Upcoming Novel

All the Team Lloyd Irvin Kids Together

Crazy 88 BJJ Team at NAGA VA Beach

** = split division with teammate.
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Nathan Allen Took 3rd in His First Tournament!

Josh Almost Went into Cardiac Arrest from Nervousness but Still Won Gold!

Our Up-and-Coming Womens Team!

Lakita Wins the Blue Belt Division as a White Belt!

Big "Sal" with the Man Who Named Him, Kurt Ratcliffe - Lots of Gold b/w the Two of Them!

Devastator Wins Purple Belt Gold and Advanced No-Gi Open Belt

We had two first time competitors going this weekend, Chris Tran and Andre Shiller.

First up was Chris Tran and he got right to business. His first match was the longest match of the day. Chris worked early for the takedown,for his efforts he got caught in an anaconda choke but was able to fight through it and secure side mount. Chris applied all his knowledge that he’s learned in his time training and quickly moved to mount and then back mount. His opponent was able to reverse the position but Chris quickly transitioned to a fight ending triangle choke! Chris’s next two matches followed the same script, his second match Chris’s foe tried to pull guard but Chris did a good job in controlling the knee and setting up the knee cut. This time he finished his opponent with a kimura from cross body. Big congrats to Chris for his double gold performance!!

Madeline Donnelly

With no one in her division, Madeline was awarded a gold medal and offered to either; move up to the advanced division or; bump a weight class. After the coaches talked and talked to Madeline we decided to make the weight class jump. Despite being outweighed by more than 20+ pounds Madeline fought like a champ. She took her opponents back twice but the weight difference was too much to overcome and Madeline ended up losing on points…great effort!! In gi, Madeline was looking to redeem herself and she did in a big way!! She dominated her opponent standing and on the ground enroute to a 30-0 win!! It looked more like the Pittsburgh Steelers beating the Baltimore Ravens than a Jiu Jitsu match!! Double gold for Madeline!!

Shawn Suser

This was Shawn’s first try at the Advanced Division and he got a firsthand look into why it’s a difficult division to win. Shawn fought hard all day and was able to use some of the techniques he’s learned in the Juniors classes and was able to find areas that needs work. Like a true Crazy 88 kids competitor, you will see him back in class working to improve on his two 4th place finishes!

Andre Shiller

This was Andres’ first competition and didn’t disappoint! For the day Andre went 1-2 but gained a lot of experience and knowledge for future tournaments. His first match was hard fought and he showed the skills that he’s been working on in the Black Belt Club. His guard opening was spot on! In the end Andre lost a tough battle on points. His second match was against his own teammate Tyler Neal. It was an epic battle, both had takedowns and sweeps with Andre coming out on top of this slobber knocker 11-9! His last match of the day had him squaring off against another Team Lloyd Irvin competitor; even without the coaching , Andre stuck to his game plan but fell short on points again but learning valuable lessons to take back to the training room! Andre finished the day with 1 Silver and 1 bronze…not bad for first time out!

Vanessa Fillers

This was Vanessa’s fist dip back into the competition scene since the mix up at the Baltimore BJJ championships earlier this year. In her first match Vanessa was able to jump guard and defend the pass very well. She displayed very good guard control, but at the end of the day she lost two tough matches but was able to finish with 1 bronze medal!

Tyler Neal

Tyler’s first match in no-gi went like the last few have gone. Tyler shot in for a double leg takedown perfectly but landed in closed guard and left his neck out a little too far and found himself locked in a tight guillotine. Tyler tried to fight it and escape but was forced to tap. His second match was the slobber knocker against teammate Andre Shiller (see his highlights). In Tyler’s only gi match he fought hard again and what could only be described by Coach Danny as “the best osto gari” of the tournament but again wound up on the losing end of a points decision. Tyler ended the day with a 4th place finish in no gi and a bronze medal in gi!

Mason Hollis

Mason has been on the medal stand before and this one was no different. In Mason’s no-gi match he had to face a much bigger kid. Mason tried to shoot for the takedown but was stuffed by the larger kid. After an intense struggle Mason’s opponent was able to lock in a fight ending anaconda choke. Mason’s second match was with the gi on this time, and all the hard work on grip fighting paid off. Mason was able to dominate the grips and force the takedown. Once is was on the ground it was a matter of time before Mason got the armbar and won via submission. Two Silver medals for Mason!!

Brendan “Spike” Bill

Spike was another one of our kids that took the dive into the advanced division, and he let them know he was there by winning a bronze medal! His first no-gi match was a tough 9-0 loss but is closed guard is showing marked improvement! Spike’s second match went more according to plan. The kid shot in for a takedown and landed in Spike’s closed guard. Spike was able to secure his opponent in a guillotine choke after breaking his posture. It was only a matter of time until he got the tap. Spikes final match in gi was tough. His opponent was very aggressive. Spike spent the entire match in trying to get back to closed guard from cross body. In the end Spike drew the short straw in a points loss. Great job though….bronze in both no-gi and gi!!

Seth Fillers

Just like Spike and Shawn, this was Seth’s first try at the advanced division. Seth went 1-1 in no gi. Losing his first match by points but was able to rebound in his second match to take the bronze! In gi, it was much of the same, in his first match Seth handled his opponent with relative ease winning 10-2. His second match in gi was a points loss to his teammate from Camp Springs, Romeo. Two bronze medals for his effort!

Great job today by the Juvenile Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Team and Tracey Goodell.  Tracey ended up winning another Gold, this time in the Purple Belt Open.  Tracey was only promoted two weeks ago which drives critics crazy as they can not decide if we are sandbagging (forcing our competitors to fight in divisions below their skill level) or destroying the standards (by promoting our competitors too quickly) LOL!

JT “Spiderman” Torres and Mike Fowler were also up today for the pre-quarterfinal rounds of the Black Belt divisions.  JT submitted both his opponents with chokes from the back and will face Gilbert “Durinho” Burns tomorrow in a rematch of the Brasileiro finals.  Mike Fowler defeated Adriano Silva before losing on points to Abu Dhabi Pro Gold Medalist, Claudio Calazans.

Check out the team results below…

• Tracey Goodell: GOLD @ Purple Female Open
• Shane Hill-Taylor: SILVER @ Blue Juvenile Rooster
• Cedric Bryant: BRONZE @ Blue Juvenile Light Feather
• Jacob “Bro” Huffman” BRONZE @ Blue Juvenile Middle
• Krystal Allen: GOLD @ Blue Juvenile Female Light Feather
• AaRae Alexander: GOLD @ Blue Juvenile Female Middle, GOLD @ Blue Juvenile Female Open
• Kiana Washington: GOLD @ Blue Juvenile Female Medium Heavy, SILVER @ Blue Juvenile Female Open

If you are looking to become involved with the Worlds Best Kids Martial Arts program or the United States Best Womens Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Program, you need to check out Team Lloyd Irvin NOW!

TEAM STANDINGS AFTER DAY TWO

(All Adult Blue Belt & Purple Belt Divisions Completed except Purple Opens)

“Never before has an American team secured this many Gold medals at the BJJ World Championships before.”

Adult

1. Alliance – 53 pts
2. Lloyd Irvin – 50 pts
3. Gracie Humaitá – 28 pts

Female:

1. American Top Team – 36 pts
2. Lloyd Irvin – 31 pts
3. Gracie Humaitá – 24 pts

Juveniles, Brown, and Black Belts fight tomorrow!

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Evan “Oz” Gideon was making bold predictions before this tournament and he made sure they came true - winning 10 matches to a single loss.  Oz tore through the Medium Heavy division, defeating notables Carsell Swain (Pan Am Bronze medalist) and wrestler Kenny Johnson (Machado JJ) in the early rounds.  On the other side, Manual Diaz (Sandro Batata) defeated two very tough grapplers - Pan Am Silver Medalist, Marcus Sosa (Claudio Franca) and 2009 World Medalist, Jason Boivie (Marin MMA).  The Championship match was tough but Oz pulled out the victory with a single advantage!  You can see the match on our Baltimore Martial Arts fanpage.

Because of his Gold medal, Oz was selected for the Open division.  Oz made the most his opportunity and made it to the finals where he lost on advantages to the Super Heavyweight Silver Medalist.  On the way, Oz was able to hold off Marcus Sosa, the grappler who had defeated him earler in the Pan Ams, and tie up the series.

Oz Gazes Into the Abyss

Brad ”Fred” Pearson was on fire at the Worlds, hitting big takedowns, passing guards, and controlling from the top position and became Crazy 88 BJJ’s first World Purple Belt World Medalist in history with 4 wins and 1 loss. Brad stuck to his strengths, avoided his weak spots, and it showed his results.  In the finals, Brad got caught up in a front headlock and ended up losing on a heartbreaking 2-0 score but it was an awesome performance overall.

Mike Atkin with World Silver Medalist, Brad Pearson

Other Team Lloyd Irvin Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Medal Winners (We kicked *ss!!!!!):

• Tracey Goodell: GOLD @ Purple Female Light
• Andris Brunovskis: GOLD @ Purple Feather
• Willie Leonard: GOLD @ Purple Ultraheavy
• Frank Camacho: GOLD @ Blue Middle
• DJ Jackson: SILVER @ Blue Middle, BRONZE @ Blue Open
• Rachel Demara: BRONZE @ Blue Open
• Kenneth Brown: BRONZE @ Blue Ultraheavy

Tomorrow will be the Purple Belt Open and Brown Belt divisions as well as the first few rounds of the Black Belts.

Jon Discusses Strategy In Between Matches with Julius and Lloyd

Timmy Spriggs Fought Well, Winning Three Matches, Despite Only Training During School Vacations!