Limited space is availible for both semianrs so reserve your spot now!

Garcia Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

3670 Boca Chica Blvd. Suite 6

Brownsville, Tx 78521

(956) 542-5060

www.gbjj.net

McAllen Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy

4108 N. 10^th St. Suite 500 (Inside the Taj Gallery)

McAllen, Tx 78530

(956) 393-1981

www.mcallenjiujitsu.com

Once again thanks to Alberto for his contribution and we look forward to more from him.

"What's up this is Alberto Mancha for ValleyTudo.com...Thanks John for taking the time to do an interview, first question.

1) Where are you from?
- I was born and raised in Harlingen (Fair Park) to be exact.

2) How did you get into martial arts? Tell us a little about your background.
- I was always interested in Martial Arts as a kid. I loved the workouts and the discipline it taught. I got into Jiu-Jitsu after attending a MMA event while stationed in Hawaii (Navy). I never wrestled but remember as a kid that I would do pretty well when the fight got to the ground, so I thought I'd give it a shot. The next day I was enrolled at Relson Gracie's school in Honolulu Hawaii. I then got stationed in San Diego and trained with Fabio Santos and would drive regularly to train with Rickson Gracie. I was told by a friend about Eddie Bravo and his name stayed in my head. A few months later he tapped Royler Gracie @ ADCC 2003. His name came up again, and I decided to check out his school. After my first class, I was hooked on his teaching style, and his system. I never wanted to wear a gi again :)

3) What is the difference from 10th planet and traditional BJJ?
- The thing that is a big difference between 10th Planet and traditional BJJ is our open mindedness to go out and look for new techniques to add to our system. Whether it be from our own students, or other JJ practitioners out in the world. Jiu-Jitsu is always evolving and Eddie and everyone in the 10th Planet family know that. We see something that works, we test it, and if it works we inject it into the system. You don't see that at traditional BJJ schools.

What do you feel is an important aspect of training NOGI BJJ?
-The clinch.. the clinching aspect the sport due to the fact that when your wearing the gi you have handles like the lapel or sleeves. In traditional BJJ they allow their opponents to posture up in the guard and hit them with long range powerful punches. That's why you regularly see JJ champs get beat up while playing guard. If they broke the guys posture and had a killer clinch those huge powerful punches that could potentially get them knocked out, would turn into short range punches with little or no affect. In a clinching guard you have better defense, but at the same time, you also have better offense.


Do you think there will be a 10th planet school in the RGV?
-I hope there will be in the near future. If anyone is interested in flying the flag back home contact Eddie Bravo via email @ twisterbravo@sbcglobal.net He can give you all the info you need on the affiliation process. I'd love to help anyone back home become a certified 10pjj instructor. A 10th Planet RGV would be sick :)

do you have anything you want to plug? sponsors or anything like that?
-I'd like to thank Eddie Bravo for all the support through the years. His wisdom has really helped me get through some rough times.
My students for always working hard and repping 10pjj to the fullest. Without you, there is no me .. thank you :)

Thanks for your time and keep us posted on future seminars.
-Thank you, and I will, it's always a pleasure.. hope to see you all on the mats the next time I come home.

Alberto Mancha

ValleyTudo.com Special Corrispondent

STXBJJ

Our next tournament will be the Gold’s Gym Classic Grappling Tournament on October 2nd in McAllen, Texas. The event will take place at the McAllen Civic Center located on 10th and Expressway 83. On the same date, we will also be having the Gold’s Gym Strongman Competition in the parking lot and the NPC Gold's Gym Classic Bodybuilding, Fitness, Figure and Bikini Championships in the evening at the same venue. Please find us on Facebook under www.facebook.com/STXBJJ for the latest in the upcoming events or here on ValleyTudo.com.

Thanks and keep training the great art of Jiu-Jitsu!

STXBJJ

Here are the result of the 1st annual South Texas Showdown Grappling Tournament.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Schools in the Rio Grande Valley

Galvan's Martial Arts Academy

2310 North Expressway, Suite 1

Brownsville, Tx 78520

(956) 504-5566

www.brownsvillebjj.com

Garcia Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

3670 Boca Chica Blvd. Suite 6

Brownsville, Tx 78521

(956) 542-5060

www.gbjj.net

Gracie Barra McAllen

121 E Nolana Ave
Mcallen, TX 78504

(956) 664-9911

Gracie Barra RGV

5214 N. Expressway 77/83

Brownville, Tx 78526

(956)-350-8186

www.graciebarra-rgv.com

Harlingen Jiu-Jitsu Club

211 W. Jefferson St. Suite 4

Harlingen, Tx 78550

(956) 357-4726

www.harlingenjjc.com

Leonardo Xavier Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

301 Del Mar

Mission, Tx

(956) 878-4811

www.lxbjj.com

McAllen Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy

4108 N. 10^th St. Suite 500 (Inside the Taj Gallery)

McAllen, Tx 78530

(956) 393-1981

www.mcallenjiujitsu.com

Mid-Valley Jiu-Jitsu

331 S. Texas Blvd

Weslaco, Tx, 78596

(956) 640-3982

www.midvalleybjj.com

Paragon RGV Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

312 East University Drive

Edinburg, Tx 78539

(956) 207-4703

www.paragonrgvbjj.com

Rodrigo Pinheiro Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

1601 W. Dove Ave

McAllen, Tx 78504

(956) 630-4653

Thai Champ Ringside Gym

148 S. Texas Blvd.

Weslaco, Tx 78596

(956) 684-5083

www.thaichampweslaco.com

ROBERT DEFRANCO
1. Three time Pan American bronze meadalist
2. Four time Texas bjj gold meadalist
3. 2nd place Gracie jiujitsu open
4. silver meadalist international jiujitsu open
5. 7 time competitor World jiujitsu championship

Emanuel “Manny” Galvan has studied martial arts since he was 3 years old. He began in Brownsville studying Tae Kwon Do, a Korean form of Karate that heavily emphasizes the use of kicks. After years of training he finally obtained his black belt. He considered himself a proficient fighter, until one fateful day in high school, when he was attacked by a fellow student.

“He tackled me, coming out around a corner, and we just rolled around for about 5 minutes until a security guard separated us. I didn't throw a punch, he didn't throw a punch. But what happened was, I learned like-- I was already a black belt, and I couldn't defend myself in that situation? What'd I need to do? I needed to start learning more...”

After coming to the realization that Tae Kwon Do alone wasn't practical in a real-life fight, Galvan became determined to learn everything he could to improve his fighting skills. This was around the time Royce Gracie was beating guys twice his size in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

“I saw the Gracies and I was like 'Hey that's new! That's different, let me try that!”

Unfortunately, at the time, schools for Jiu Jitsu, and its derivatives, were extremely rare in America, and even more so in the Rio Grande Valley.

“I started looking around and there wasn't any places here so it was basically learning by ourselves, ya' know, going to seminars here, in Houston, and San Antonio and Harlingen. Some people would come and teach some seminars, we would go and train there...”

Galvan was ahead of the curve here in the Valley by wanting to sharpen his ground skills, but a lack of steady instruction forced him to abandon the Jiu Jitsu temporarily. Still convinced he needed to add to his Tae Kwon Do, Galvan began to study Aikido, which is Japanese grappling art.

“My master instructor for Tae Kwon Do also teaches Aikido so I started doing that, so it took me about 6 years and I got my black belt in that also.”

The idea of Galvan opening his own school had always been in the back of his mind until finally in September 2003, he opened Galvan's Martial Arts in Brownsville. This was also around the time he met Jiu Jitsu master William Vandry.

“I drove all the way to Austin just to meet him and just ask him how I could be a student. And it was his idea to say, 'you know what? You're doing pretty good, you're a smart guy, you're already opening up a school—how 'bout we start an association and see how that goes?' I was like 'all right, fine, let's do it...”

Galvan has since studied Jiu Jitsu under Vandry, and has also obtained a black belt under Vandry.

Galvan's Martial Arts went on to become the first school in the Valley to offer Jiu Jitsu.

Although Galvan has gone on to earn black belts in disciplines other than Tae Kwon Do, he has never allowed himself to forget his fighting roots.

“Tae Kwon Do is my 'mother art.' I tell everybody, 'you have to have a foundation in something.' I don't want to compare myself to Lyoto Machida, but I understand where he's coming from. He does Shotokan Karate, and then does Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and everything else.”

At the age of 28, Galvan feels that martial arts is a way of life for him and admits to being a bit of a martial arts “nerd.”

“I know it's weird, but I consider myself a martial arts nerd. I read up—the last book I read was, In the Dojo by Dave Lowry, and it talks about the etiquette of training in Japanese dojos. And to me, it's like, I don't know anybody else that reads that kind of stuff...”

Since beginning at age 3, Galvan has never taken more than a month off from training in some form of martial arts. While other kids his age were idolizing sports heroes, Galvan was watching movies starring Steven Seagal and wanting desperately to reach that kind of perfection with martial arts. He found the movements aesthetically pleasing the way one might while watching a basketball player make a slam dunk.

“Watching all these masters, I was like 'why can't I do that? I want to do that!' To me, basketball, I did basketball, it wasn't for me. I tried football, it just wasn't for me. All the other sports, just nothing for me. I always came back to martial arts. It's all I have. It's all I need.”

Your film message goes here!

Ricardo “Franjinha” Miller, says that Brazilian Jiu Jitsu changed his life, and he believes it could change yours. Franjinha, the founder of Paragon Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, studied the art for more than 20 years and competed for the last 15. On July 15, he hosted a “Half Guard Seminar” at his Edinburg satellite school and talked to ValleyTudo.com.

How has [BJJ] changed your life?

“Its pretty much [changed] everything. You know I started doing jiu jitsu for self defense or for fitness, but you will learn a patience for the sport. I felt I could really change peoples lives with it, and that really hooked me into jiu jitsu and thats why I started doing it as a living, because I felt I could spread a lot of good in the world, make people achieve their goals more easily--I think thats how I see jiu jitsu, it can really change peoples lives.”

Other than your school in California, where else do you have schools?

“Right now we have five schools in California, around five in Texas, too. We have been growing, spreading schools around.”

You come in and do these seminars, theres 2 other prominent instructors from the Valley here: Lou [Rubalcava] and and Mike Tinajero, and of course Romi (Paragon of Edinburg's head instructor), what type of advice do you give them, the instructors?

“I always tell them to keep an open mind, I think its very important. My coach always told me, 'It doesn't matter who's your coach, you always should be shopping around, everybody has something to add to your game.' And I think that's the way you approach it, and that's why other people feel comfortable coming to our seminars. Sometimes others have closed seminars, they just do it for their instructors, for their association, but I'm really proud that these guys come and support my seminars because that shows that I can keep that legacy alive. I'm open to show techniques with any school, that's one of the big things jiu jitsu has to give us, friendship. I come here and meet people from different associations and make friends you know and go into a tournament competing, their my competitor their but after the tournament we become friends and hang out so, that's what jiu jitsu's about, making friends.”

How would you describe the level of the jiu jitsu here in the Valley?

“I think the jiu jitsu is growing everywhere man, I went to the tournaments today and I see more and more competitors, I see more and more tournaments, small tournaments and local tournaments, it's a beautiful martial art, it's a martial art that anybody can do, so you can come to school here and see a 5 year old, a 4 year old and a 50-year-old guy, everybody can do jiu jitsu, I think that's the secret to keep the sport strong and growing...”

Do you still compete?

“Yeah, I just did the [2010] Pan American tournament, that's the last one I did and I won my division in open class, I try to always compete. I think life's about competition, like when you're born you're already competing to be here you know? So I try to be an example for my students and motivate them to compete, because the more you compete the more you know about yourself and how to control your feelings, it's a big part of the jiu jitsu you know, and I really recommend everyone to compete to be the best.

Gi or no Gi?

I like more Gi, I think its more interesting, but I have been doing “no gi” tournaments, and I was world champion “no gi” in 2007, 2008, 2009, if you learn jiu jitsu with a gi, its very easy to learn it with no gi too, very easy to adapt that, but it's hard to do everything because you have so much more technique with the gi, so much more different chokes and holds, I come from traditional gi so its easy for my transition to no gi, so I like both...”

“Thank you to everybody, keep spreading the sport guys, keep doing jiu jitsu, loving jiu jitsu, like I said jiu jitsu can adapt to everyone, dont try and fight it, just adapt jiu jitsu to your body, and I think you're body's gonna adapt to jiu jitsu.”

Under Franjinha's hands-on direction as coach and fighter, Paragon Santa Barbara. The academy's headquarters has become a powerhouse for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instruction in California. Franjinha and competitor-level students have dominated in regional, state and international tournaments. In addition, Paragon has become a community force for recreational Jiu-Jitsu, a resource for law enforcement, and developer of ongoing physical training and self-defense programs for young people, adults, seniors and women.

Franjinha can be contacted at paragonbjj.net

The 1st Annual Open Karate Tournament Gulf Coast Championship

Saturday August 7th, 2010

Grand Championship – Expense Money – Medals

Children 11 and Under Receive Sunglasses
For Participation

Joe & Tony Oliveira Park
104 El Paso Rd.
Brownsville, TX 78521
(956) 466-1619

Tournament Director: Chuck Timmons ☼ ☼ Tournament Arbitrator: George Sorrell ☼

Schedule of Events:
8:30 am Registration Opens
9:15 am Rules/Referee Meeting
9:30 am National Anthem
9:40 am Jr. Specialty/Black Belt Kata

*All Other Divisions Will Follow Immediately*

Registration/Spectator Information:

Pre-Registration (2 Events) *Must be postmarked by July 30th, 2010* $25.00

Registration AFTER July 30th, 2010 $30.00 Additional Events $5.00 Additional Events $10.00

*Spectators 3 Years of Age and up $5.00*

*V.I.P. Passes $15.00

Payment Information: Make checks payable to:

Eva Ramirez
4525 La Salida #B
Brownsville, TX 78520
Email: Karategirl77@yahoo.com

*No personal checks accepted the day of the tournament*
*No lists will be accepted only completed entry forms with full payment*
*Absolutely no switching of competitors and no refunds*
*Producer has a right to refuse service to anyone*

Grand Championship Information:
All Junior Competitors 17 and Under Form Winners Beg./Int./Adv. Will Compete for Championship Belt.
Black Belt Forms M/F 18+ $$$
Black Belt M/F Sparring 18+ $$$