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Sacramento BJJ | MMA | Judo » Tournaments » Page 3

Tournaments

Jiu-Jitsu Tournament Season Update 2013

September 19, 2013 By Marcos Torregrosa Leave a Comment

 

bjj tournament
Hard work pays off!

In the last several weeks, I was blessed with the opportunity to compete two times back to back; first at the IBJJF Las Vegas Open and, most recently, at the IBJJF Chicago Open.  Both were tremendous experiences filled with emotion and they were so close to each other that it felt like it was a extended dream!

Las Vegas

Vegas is always a great trip for me.  Besides the obvious enjoyment of being in such an intoxicating city, I regularly compete here.  The last couple editions of the IBJJF Las Vegas Open a group of competitors from Yemaso BJJ have participated.  It’s always a great opportunity to fight against some of the most talented of the practitioners from the west coast and, as I have said before, it is important that we prioritize what events we participate in.

The IBJJF has the most consistent presentation and professionalism in their events and we will continue to support our confederation in their ever expanding attempts at making the sport we love THAT much more presentable.  The Las Vegas Open is no exception and the event ran smoothly even including online brackets with real time developments.  I was very impressed with the presentation this year!

Our team did very well and of 10 competitors we brought back 11 medals!  

It is always such a challenge for me as a coach to get around to every fight of my team mates and I find myself each and every time BARELY making it to their matches only to begin screaming directions!  Lol, Even more difficult is that I often lose track of time and end up needing to run to the bull pen to get to my own fights at the last minute!  The day is somewhat of a blur for me as my emotions run far higher coaching the guys than when I myself fight.  I feel like when I fight I am at home, very tranquil and focused and I am even known to lay down and sleep if left alone in the bull pen for too long (lmao)!  When I coach, though, that is a different story and I find myself jumping up and down in excitement, talking to people close to me, laughing and getting emotional when I see each individual achieving their goals.  After all, I was there with them when they killed themselves in training and know just how hard they worked to get there.

However, I’m not too sure about being honest about this but, I get frustrated when coaching sometimes as I know the capabilities of each and every student and since I know the game and strategies well, I get anxious when things don’t go their way.  But, this is a learning process that accompanies both student and instructor.  I mature with them as they gain strategic experience and understand the complex nature of the game.  Many times I take for granted that I have a lot of experience and that I am a tactician, attributes that are acquired over many , many years of doing tournaments and no matter how hard I try to prepare mental processes in my students, some of these lessons are learned the hard way.  This is yet another reason why I compete so much; I want to be savvy when necessary and intuitively strategic as to maximize profit and minimize loss.

Chicago

This was my second time in Chicago this year, the first in the MUCH colder month of March and yet again I pestered the Redzovic brothers, convincing them to help me in my stay in their gym.  The Redzovic brothers have all been extremely hospitable and at the gym (“The Loop” for those wondering) off Michigan Ave were a number of other travelers from across the globe looking to get their hands on some IBJJF hardware in Chicago.  It is always really cool for me to travel to new places and meet new people and BJJ has given me an endless fountain of new influences.  Saturday began with the gi and I fought two fights in my division.  I won the first by armbar and the second by points against a tough competitor in Zach Lenon.  This was not our first encounter and, being the active competitor he is, I doubt it will be the last.  I really enjoy our matches and was fortunate enough to also have another final with him, this time in a no gi match on Sunday.  I took gold in both my gi and no gi divisions and also took a bronze for my efforts in the gi absolute.

The absolutes are crazy sometimes!  I fought in my semi final match a super tough ultra heavyweight from Nova Uniao named Leo Pecanha and he was probably my favorite match of the last two weeks.  I lost the match, but I learn so much rolling from bigger guys like that. He passed my guard by smashing my hips, something that rarely happens for me and even less in competition and it’s always really fun for me to try all my tools to get to my power positions.

After my no gi final on Sunday Idriz Redzovic made some recommendations on places to visit and places to eat so I hit the town with my girlfriend Valerie Guzman who, in visiting from Puerto Rico, has also been bitten by the competition bug and has already collected two IBJJF medals in the last month!  She took gold as well in Chicago with a perfect performance of two fights.  We decided to spoil ourselves rotten by hitting the Navy Pier after gorging on some deep dish pizza at Giordanos!  We ate dessert at the Ghirardelli restaurant, also on Michigan ave and, after more than 3 weeks of making weight, we almost couldn’t keep it down!

American Nationals

Immediately following Chicago, it was time to bring the diet back down to competition form as it was time for American Nationals.  Yemaso BJJ did not disappoint.  We brought back over 15 medals from 7 competitors.  It was a great showing of the work we have been putting in.  Check out the American Nationals story below:

 

[youtube=http://youtu.be/rPHWB9E-y2g]

 

Master Senior Worlds, we are coming!

Happy hunting!

Osu

Marcos is an IBJJF Panamerican Black Belt Champion!

March 24, 2013 By Marcos Torregrosa Leave a Comment

Marcos Wins Pan Ams

Marcos realized a huge personal goal this last weekend.  He attained his first IBJJF Pan American Gold medal.  After a major campaign and lots of work, he had the following to say via facebook the next day:

Good morning!!!  As I wake up this morning the reality of a goal realized sinks in and I can reflect on both its merits and my next steps.  I am humbled by my experience yesterday as I Was able to fight very well with men I studied and have come to esteem at a deep level.  No one here knows how BAD I wanted this, and how hard I worked and I wanted to give some insight into Just how obsessed I was with Panams:

Panams was a tournament I considered “bad luck” for many years.  Those that know me now know that by implementing “mind power” I can get past these obstructions, but hear me out: One year I broke 2 ribs, another I broke my left foot off a toe hold in practice.  I had bad allergies that had me sick as a dog one year and I went through a NASTY divorce another.  Truth be told I CREATED a negative reality surrounding this tourney. This year I was determined to break the cycle!

I prepped my body and mind, making HUGE sacrifices to realize my goal.  I drilled at early hours of the am to prep some parts of my game and did 3-4 practices a day.  When Caio Terra presented the option to do a camp I asked to participate immediately.  Realizing the stress this places on my ( I teach ALL my classes at my gym and hate missing class to assure everyone gets the work they need) students; I am eternally grateful for their patience with me as I would not have been able to reach my goal had I not been in proper shape.

To Caio Terra, Leandro Lo, Quexinho, Samir Chantre, Marcus Antelante , Rafael Barbosa, Vicente Jr, Manny Diaz, Nathan Mendelson, and the TONS more at The camp THANK YOU!  Thank you so much for helping me!  I am very happy to have been a part of that camp and you can count on me to be a participant in the future!  To my students I thank them profusely as it is with THEM I do most of my training.  Thank you guys for supporting me in my endeavors!  To my son who is a HUGE fountain of motivation, no importa si me muera mañana estas palabras no se borraran: te amo mi hijo bello y espero que cuando leas esto te sientas dichoso de ser mi hijo!

To all my sponsors; Gilberto from Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear for that KICK ASS black gi I fought with!  I love it!  For Sam at NHBGEAR, your support since I was a purple belt has been clutch throughout the years!  For Peter and Penny Stone as their faith in me has also permitted me to realize my goals, Pete with your help and advice I am a better person, thank you for being in my corner!

Thank you to all the people that follow me (on facebook, twitter, youtube, etc), Team Yemaso is not going ANYWHERE and don’t get it sick and twisted, I am as hungry as EVER and this won’t stop here!  Major medals coming back to Team Yemaso as we are on a righteous path and only good can come from that!  Sorry if I left anyone out thank you all again and now on to the NY Open!

Btw, I wanted to mention that for almost 3 months I went to the gym with the SAME SHIRT ON!  My Panams shirt from God knows when but I saw the words: “Pan Ams” and focused on my goal. I saw no one, no machines, no weights, just myself on the podium.  I was so damn focused and so prepped that a recent back AND knee injury were not enough to derail me.  We live in the realities we create ladies and gentlemen.  I chose to not be derailed by a little bit of pain to achieve my ultimate goal and I did not have to step over anyone’s back to get there.  Thank God for giving me the lessons necessary to bring me to this goal here today and thank you all for believing in me!
Osu

 

Follow Marcos on Facebook & Twitter.

San Francisco 2013 Open

March 3, 2013 By Marcos Torregrosa Leave a Comment

Team Yemaso Wins IBJJF Team Title at the IBJJF San Francisco 2013 Open

teamtitle

Last weekend was busy for Team Yemaso!  Saturday I met with fellow Team Yemaso coach
Eliot Kelly from EDHBJJ to attend the 2013 IBJJF Referee Course to update myself on the current changes to the rules.  Whether you like them or not, we all play by rules and in my humble opinion it is IMPERATIVE to learn them.  One of the biggest crimes of our sport is undereducated practitioners, not just the competitors but the refs as well.  I have seen coaches scream horrible things at the refs, wishing ill on their family for 3 generations, just as I was witness on Sunday to some of the worst calls I have seen from the reffing crew at the IBJJF.  The fact to the matter is I owe it to myself, to my students, and to the BJJ community that I represent to be educated so that I can illustrate and employ said knowledge both as a referee and an instructor.  I urge all of you reading this to educate yourselves on the rules. It doesn’t matter if you agree with them or not it is important that you know the rules of engagement!

Speaking of the students, Team Yemaso reached a historic milestone at the 2013 IBJJF San Francisco Open on Sunday bringing an unprecedented medal to competitor ratio (we had 22 competitors with 25 medals total!!!) in a strong push for a team title.  We did not disappoint and with just over 21 competitors we became the FIRST TEAM TO EVER bring back an IBJJF team title back to Sacramento, California!!!!  As a team we ranked second among the premier teams in California : Gracie Barra, Ralph Gracie, Atos, Academy of Jiu Jitsu, Brazilian Top Team Long Beach, and Guerrilla Jiu Jitsu, among many more.  Many people have asked me if I am surprised, and express astonishment having realized our monstrous goal with so few competitors.

I am not.

I have said it a million times; I train with a group of dedicated individuals that feed off my enthusiasm and correspond it with a passion of their own.  I SEE the work they put in, work I cannot fully describe in this blog as they are parts of our training methods, both physical and mental.  I witness their capacity for growth and the tenacity that keeps them pushing in the face of laziness.  Each one wanted this team title as much as I did and worked damn hard for it.  Some warmed up with smaller tournaments to get the pre-competition jitters out of their system to assure that the mental state would be perfect for the big show.  All brought tight training schedules, at my request, to assure that they were complying with what I saw as necessary levels of preparation for one to achieve his/her goal.

It is “Soul Food” for me to cultivate an environment like this, one where we develop goals and work hard to achieve them.  Better yet we did it as a team and we were able to synchronize our different academies in the Sacramento area, led by Eliot Kelly and Bill Click respectively, to all meet up, sit together, coach, and support each other in the pursuit of accomplishment.

This was the most powerful emotion for me this weekend.

I did my job as normal, running around and coaching, yelling and screaming in both joy and frustration while awaiting my own fights, but for me to see each team member running around doing the same to push their FRIENDS AND BROTHERS to new heights was POWERFUL.  They might not yet realize it but they are building on a foundation that will see their social circles and, by extension their lives, change.  Our BJJ families unite often to share many occasions from birthdays to holidays and even weddings!  To be by someone in their moment of emotion is to solidify a bond that will carry us into a united future and I am honored and emotional to be able to cultivate that environment at Yemaso BJJ!

It is said that, “Only he who fights loses”.  Not everyone achieved their ultimate goal of GOLD this weekend but to me that matters little.  Sure, I am happy because of the team title but had we not acquired it the work would have STILL been put in!  We are just that much better because what is gained through consistency is never lost.

It’s the trajectory that matters most and, ultimately, with the support of our brothers we will all achieve our goals!

I urge my team members to maintain consistency and regardless of a win or loss these are just learning experiences that should be utilized to motivate us to get better. I have faith in you all!

I personally took DOUBLE GOLD this weekend having some entertaining rolls and am on a war path for Pan Ams this year.  I am working particular parts of my game that I brought out this weekend but there is much more to work on!  I will not be stopped and less than 8 hrs after fighting I was drilling at 8 am.  We then had two classes on Monday so only Tuesday was I able to gather my thoughts on the weekend.  Next on my list is the IBJJF Chicago Open, another step on the way to Pan Ams and my determination is insatiable.  I am prepped both physically and mentally and these smaller Opens allow for me to be at my best in the quest for the elusive Pan Ams GOLD!

I am EXTREMELY proud of my team and look forward to going to the IBJJF San Francisco Open every year from now on to show we are not only the best team in Sacramento, but one of the best teams in California!

Follow me: @marcosyemaso

BJJ US Open XVII & Master and Seniors Worlds 2012 – My Thoughts as a Competitor, Instuctor, and Spectator

October 8, 2012 By Marcos Torregrosa Leave a Comment

Team Yemaso Killed it at the BJJ US Open XVII!

This weekend I had stellar experiences!  For the first time Team Yemaso was able to have two teams at two different events under the guidance of two commanders.  Sure, before we had sent two teams to two events but this time I was able to entrust Eliot Kelly [If you don’t know his name by now you soon will] with the coaching of our team at the prestigious BJJ US Open XVII.

He did not disappoint!  Under his first command the team came home with TWO BJJ US Open team trophies; 2nd place in Juvenille BJJ and 3rdplace in Adult BJJ!!!

BJJ US Open XVII - Team Yemaso 3rd Place
Eliot Kelly accepting the BJJ US Open XVII 3rd Place Team Trophy

I congratulate him and our competition team on this accomplishment, and I am sure that together we will achieve that and much more!

The BJJ US Open XVII is one of the oldest competitions here in California, and, believe it or not, it was my very first tournament!  Claudio Franca puts on a fantastic event every year and he himself is one of the  pioneers behind many of the developments and improvements of the IBJJF.  I applaud him for his efforts and look forward to supporting his events in the future.

Our small team at the BJJ US Open consisted of about 15 warriors and the results speak for themselves!

[Read more…] about BJJ US Open XVII & Master and Seniors Worlds 2012 – My Thoughts as a Competitor, Instuctor, and Spectator

American Nationals 2012 Recap

September 15, 2012 By Marcos Torregrosa Leave a Comment

American Nationals 2012!!!!

We took a relatively small team to the 2012 IBJJF American Nationals (I assume most are still recovering from the Las Vegas Open trip LOL), 5 competition team guys in all, yet we came home with some serious hardware.

Team Yemaso at American Nationals 2012
Rich “Dark Matter” Bothun, Marcos “Yemaso” Torregrosa, & “Little” Rich Wong

I got GOLD in my Gi division after two fights, GOLD in the NoGi division after one fight, and bronze in the Gi absolute after another two fights at the american nationals 2012.  Brown belt and El Dorado Hills Jiu Jitsu instructor Eliot Kelly took home GOLD in his division, purple belt competitor Rich “Dark Matter” Bothun took silver in his division and bronze in the absolute, and “Little” Richard Wong took GOLD in the blue belt feather weight gi and GOLD in the light weight no gi american nationals 2012.  If you see a pattern here let me know ;).  Almost everyone, with the exception of Rich Wong, who can not fight absolutes because of his age and weight, fought their absolute divisions and brought back hardware from the American Nationals 2012! [Read more…] about American Nationals 2012 Recap

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