Gustavo Dantas Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu - BJJ in Tempe, Scottsdale, Phoenix, Mesa, Chandler and Gilbert » Announcements

White Belt Check Point Class on February 4th

admin — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 15:45:00 +0000

Check Point Class

Saturday, February 4th, 2012

Where: GD Jiu-Jitsu HQ
Price: $20 (GD Jiu-Jitsu HQ Students) & $30 (GD Affiliates)

White Belt Check Point 1 & 2 (1st & 2nd Stripes or under Gustavo’s consent)
Time: 10:00am to 12:30pm

White Belt Check Point 3 & 4 (3rd & 4th Stripes or under Gustavo’s consent)
Time: 1:00pm to 3:30pm

Checkpoints are mandatory (White and Blue only; Purple and Brown optional) 2 hour sessions that allow a student to work with Gustavo, or one of his Black Belts, to review moves and positions from the curriculum that they may or may not be familiar with, making sure to go over the specific details that often/commonly get missed by students. A student will receive focused instruction and Checkpoints are an excellent resource for information that will help students towards their promotion. You must have attended at least 2 Check points (one being the Self Defense), in order to receive your diploma when promoted.

GD Video Blog @ Nova Uniao USA Channel

admin — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 05:30:47 +0000

Follow Gustavo Dantas on his brand new Video Blog on youtube at the Nova Uniao USA Channel. Gustavo will be talking about tournaments, seminars, and his philosophy on Jiu-Jitsu. Gustavo will also be sharing his experiences as a student, a competitor, and as a coach.

Managing Whole Food Nutrition for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts

admin — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 05:20:23 +0000

by JOSEPH SALE on JANUARY 17, 2012 in NUTRITION

This article from optimumperformancenow.com , written by Team GD Jiu-Jitsu Nutritionist, Joseph Sale, discusses whole food nutrition for the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Practitioner as well as the Mixed Martial Artist.

More specifically, I will discuss the three macronutrients, proteins, fats, and carbohydrates and their functions for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Practitioners and Mixed Martial Artists.

Let’s start with proteins. Proteins are made up of chains of individual amino acids. Different foods have different distributions and ratios of amino acids.

Amino acids can be categorized primarily as essential amino acids and non essential amino acids. The topic of amino acids is somewhat complex and will be covered in more detail in an upcoming article.

As an example eggs are known to have the highest Biological Value / BV as a source of protein. In essence egg protein becomes the yardstick by which other proteins are measured. Another marker used to measure the quality of a protein is known as the Protein Efficiency Ratio / PER. More specifically Protein Efficiency Ratio / PER represents to what degree a given protein is a catalyst for muscle growth. In the case of eggs this simply means that the unique make up of amino acids found in eggs is highly recognizable and usable by the human body.

Is egg protein great for everybody?

No.

As I mentioned in an earlier article, people are, to varying degrees, biochemically unique. So, it’s not cookie cutter, one size fits all.

Protein and their corresponding amino acids are the major constituents involved in muscle tissue repair. For the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Practitioner, Mixed Martial Artist, or any athlete that trains at an intense level, high quality protein used correctly is extremely important.

The delayed onset muscle soreness / DOMS that athletes experience about 36 hours after workouts is due to high intensity training.

It’s generally accepted in sports nutrition circles that the consumption of varying amounts carbohydrate with protein increases the release of insulin from the pancreas which acts to drive nutrients, such as amino acids into cells where they can do their work.

Next on the list is carbohydrates. Carbohydrates provide nourishment for the physical body as well as the brain. Carbohydrates range from simple to complex. They are an ultimate source of glycogen which is stored in both your muscles and liver and functions to meet energy needs, an obvious concern for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Practitioners and Mixed Martial Artists.

Last but not least are fats. Fats have important functions as a macronutrient. Some fats are good while some do not support human performance. Monounsaturated fats, like olive oil are an example of healthy fats while trans fats / hydrogenated fats are now recognized as less than desirable.

An often overlooked function of dietary fats is its role of metabolizing the fat soluble vitamins. These include vitamin A, D, E, K.

A more well known function of fats is as a back up energy system. It’s also important to note that from a caloric standpoint fats are a more dense form of calories at 9 calories per gram as opposed to proteins and carbs which weigh in at about 4 calories per gram each.

Another overlooked benefit of healthy dietary fats is their influence on satiation. So for guys working to make weight for competition dietary fats are important which can be considered counterintuitive. As I mentioned earlier at 9 calories per gram, fats pack more calories per gram than protein and carbs but in very controlled volume, dietary fat will allow your brain to minimize the desire for more calories.

Another role of scientifically managed macronutrient consumption is it’s role in inflammation. As a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Practitioner or Mixed Martial Artist preparing for competition, getting dinged up is par for the course. Most times it’s more than dinged up. At times guys go into fights already banged up. That’s rough. However, there are ways to manage macronutrient consumption to at least lessen the inflammatory load from wear and tear, and acute injuries during training.

Many Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Practitioners, Mixed Martial Artists, and athletes in general train hard but don’t pay attention to their nutrition.

I usually say, “If I can control it and if it’s a known influencer or cofactor in the success equation, then I pay attention to it.”

I met with Gustavo Dantas recently. He is a well known and well respected 3rd Degree Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and President of Nova Uniao, USA. In our conversation I referred to well managed nutrition as a high percentage move for the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Practitioner.

Gustavo Dantas Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is opening a new Academy in February of this year. Gustavo is known for producing many high end Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Medalists and he also enjoys helping people improve their lives through the practice of Jiu Jitsu. Gustavos programs also include Kids Jiu Jitsu and Womens Jiu Jitsu instruction.

It’s the finer nuances and finer distinctions of managing nutrition that can make a significant difference when it comes to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts competition and in managing your body and mind as a human resource in both the short and long term.

Joe Sale, CNS, CSCS

Call Optimum Performance / Human Performance Systems today at 480-241-2621 and mention this article by Joe Sale, CNS, CSCS, Managing Whole Food Nutrition for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts, and receive a free consultation with Joe.

GD Opening his own school in 2012!

admin — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 07:43:17 +0000

It’s Official! I will be opening my own Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school in February 2012 in Tempe! After a long 11 years of hard work in Arizona, I am able to fulfill my teenage dream of starting a traditional BJJ School, no MMA or Kickboxing. I like No-Gi and MMA, but I love Jiu-Jitsu, and I will be doing this for the rest of my life! More details will be coming soon in January. The location Address is 1848 E. University Dr. # 4 in Tempe, AZ next to NAPA Auto parts.

Gustavo Dantas

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu & the Shoulder

admin — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 20:32:36 +0000

by JOSEPH SALE on DECEMBER 30, 2011 in STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING

This article discusses the anatomical functional components of the human shoulder and their relationship to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

A greater understanding of the shoulder and its components and complexities will help you to manage your shoulders better in both the short and long term. Since the shoulders take substantial wear and tear in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu as well as in other sports, the human shoulder becomes a resource that needs to be intelligently managed. The shoulder can become a rate limiting factor in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu meaning that it’s involved in almost everything you do on the mat, so maintaining shoulder health is important.

Most people think of the shoulder as one unit when it actuality it’s far from that.

The shoulder is often called the shoulder complex and that is an accurate descriptive term. Complex.

To start off, the shoulder has the largest range of motion of any joint in the human body. However with that large range of motion comes a greater capacity for shoulder problems.

The shoulder is made up of four joints, not one as is commonly assumed. They work in a synergistic manner in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and also in everyday life.

A dysfunctional state in one of these joints can lead to a dysfunctional compensation in the other joints of the shoulder complex.

For example, limited range of motion in the scapulothoracic joint of the shoulder due to injury etc is many times compensated for in the glenohumeral joint of the shoulder.

The four joints that make up the shoulder are the glenohumeral joint, acromioclavicular joint, scapulothoracic joint, and the sternoclavicular joint.

The 2 joints most commonly injured in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and other sports are the glenohumeral joint and acromioclavicular joint along with corresponding tissues and structures, for example tendons, ligaments, bursae, hyaline cartilage etc.

Injuries to each of these joints is explained or categorized with different verbage.

Sprains and strains can occur in the shoulder. Sprains involve ligaments, which attach bone to bone. Strains involve muscle or tendon. Tendons attach muscle to bone.

The rotator cuff of the shoulder is made up of 4 relatively small muscles and their corresponding tendon attachments. The rotator cuff muscles have a variety of functions and also provide stability to the shoulder.

The glenohumeral joint is known to dislocate. The acromioclaviclar joint doesn’t dislocate in the absolute sense of the word. First of all the acromoiclavicular joint is not a ball and socket joint like the glenohumeral joint. The acromoiclavicular joint is known to separate not dislocate and there’s a big difference.

The glenohumeral joint is like a golf ball on a tee with the tee being the socket and the ball being the head of the humerus. It’s a very shallow joint unlike the hip joint / the acetabulum which has a deeper socket creating more stability.

In the sports world a well known case of shoulder dislocation occurred during the 2005 football season. Although not Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, it’s a great story of coming back from a significant shoulder injury. Drew Brees was the quarterback with the San Diego Chargers at the time. Tackled on a play, his throwing shoulder was dislocated and his glenoid labrum was also torn. In addition he sustained rotator cuff damage. As I mentioned earlier, since the glenohumeral joint is an extremely shallow ball and socket joint it derives some extra stability from the labrum, a fibrocartilagenous ring, similar to a washer.

Drew Brees made one of the more remarkable shoulder rehab comebacks out there regardless of the sport. First of all it was more than a dislocation. There was also damage to the rotator cuff, severe damage to the labrum, and the more obvious ligament damage that goes along with dislocation. Many people in the sports world didn’t think he could come back from such a severe shoulder injury, especially since it was his throwing shoulder and he was a quarterback. His work ethic during rehab was reported as outstanding. He exceeded expectations. We know the rest of the story. San Diego traded him to the New Orleans Saints and the Saints and Drew Brees eventually go to win the Superbowl.

The acromioclavicular joint is known to separate. The separation severity is usually graded anywhere from 1-5. This is concluded based on the space created between the acromium and the clavicle due to the injury as well as the degree of ligament damage. At the extreme level there is a complete rupture of the coracoclavicular ligament and the acromioclavicular ligament.

Intelligently applied strength and conditioning, fine tuned functional human movement exercise and high quality nutrition will go a long way in keeping you on the matts with healthy shoulders and in avoiding unnecessary and premature wear and tear problems.

In closing, one of the best and easiest things you can do to maintain healthy shoulders and healthy joints in general is to warm up thoroughly. One of the benefits of warming up is an increase of the movement and circulation of synovial fluid within the joint which reduces friction. Synovial fluid also acts as a transport medium for nutrients making their way to articular cartilage.

I addition, high quality Brazilian Jiu Jitsu coaching will pay dividends in the short term and long term. Gustavo Dantas Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in Tempe, Arizona has an excellent reputation. I’ve had numerous conversations with Gustavo as well as interviewing him. He is a 3rd degree Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and President of Nova Uniao, USA. Gustavo Dantas knows Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and he knows the human body.

Call Optimum Performance / Human Performance Systems today at 480-241-2621 and mention this article on Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and the Shoulder and receive 10% off your customized sports nutrition program or functional conditioning program

Joe Sale, CNS, CSCS

About Joseph Sale

Joseph Sale, CNS, CSCS, is a board certified nutrition specialist and a nationally accredited conditioning specialist. His educational credentials include a Bachelor of Science and a Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine. Joe has been an adjunct faculty instructor and guest lecturer at numerous colleges, universities, and corporations. He’s been a guest expert on radio and TV and is the author of the Optimum Human Performance Course.

3rd Annual: Carnaval do Brazil

admin — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 03:11:08 +0000

Team GD at the Brazilian Day on September/2011

The 3rd Annual: Carnaval do Brazil! Arizona’s Largest and most Authentic Brazilian Event is set to take Place in Tempe, Arizona on February 4th 2012 at music venue 910 Live and GD Jiu-Jitsu will be there to support the Brazilian Community once again! The Carnaval Event will host a variety of Brazilian Bands, Musicians, Drummers, Performers, Dancers, Costumes, and of Course amazing Brazilian Food and Drinks! The audience will be treated to authentic sounds of Brazilian music & visuals put on by some of Brazil’s finest artists flying in from various cities across Brazil as well as Los Angeles, California! The 3rd Annual Carnaval do Brazil Event is an evening dedicated to preserving the authenticity of Brazil while showcasing Brazil’s most famous party of the Year! We have an amazing evening lined-up and we hope you will join us for the festivities! Last year’s event drew more than 900 party patrons and was featuring on Fox 10 Arizona! And in various magazines and newspapers!

So put on your best Brazilian Colors, Dancing Shoes, and come dance the Samba, get loose with the Batucada, and sing along to the pure essence of Brazilian Culture right here in Tempe, Arizona! Tickets on Sale now at GD Jiu-Jitsu HQ: $12 from January 1^st to the 31^st, or $15 from February 1^st to the 3^rd. This is a 21 & over event only. Please contact Gustavo for more info.

Back Attacks Workshop with GD on January 14th

admin — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 06:42:02 +0000

Gustavo Dantas will be teaching a Back Attacks workshop at GD Jiu-Jitsu HQ on Saturday, January 14^th from 10 am to 12 pm. You will be working on how to control the back, maintain position and finish the match. Identify good and bad situations and increase your success rate in maintaining, escaping or finishing from the back. The workshop will also include situational drills and live rolling. This class is available only to Nova Uniao Arizona students (all levels), and the investment is $20 for GDJJ HQ Students and $30 for GDJJ Affiliate Students. For more info please contact Gustavo@novauniao.com.

GD Jiu-Jitsu Competition Patch

admin — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 22:13:26 +0000

Start the 2012 Competition season right with the new exclusive 4″ GD Competition Patch. Unlike the other patches, this patch must be earned. To wear this patch, students must have competed for Team GD Jiu-Jitsu at least three times (IE: Student must either be a GDHQ student or enter a tournament under the team name “GD Jiu-Jitsu”, not “Nova Uniao”). This patch is available ONLY to GD Jiu-Jitsu Students. The patch is $10 and can only be purchased only through Gustavo.

Meet Amazon Forest Acai

admin — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 02:07:48 +0000

Written by: Kristina Barlaan

Carlos Gracie, Godfather of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and creator of the Gracie Diet, was one of the first to bring the Acai berry from the Amazons in the north of Brazil to the beaches of Rio de Janeiro in the south in the 60′s. The Gracie food of choice before and after training, Acai soon became popular among surfers, capoeistas, and Jiu-Jitsu fighters. Today, Acai is now a staple of Brazilian beach culture, the Jiu-Jitsu lifestyle, and anyone seeking a healthy and active life.

The health benefits of Acai are countless, but some of its many attributes are its high concentration of antioxidants, essential amino acids, essential fatty acids, plant sterols, dietary fiber, and an array of vitamins and minerals. Acai is a superfood that helps keep your body and its systems healthy and happy. From increased energy, stamina levels, resistance to fatigue to improved digestion and a stonger immune system, anyone can feel the benefits from introducing Acai to their diet, especially those living active lifestyles such as the Jiu-Jitsu practitioner.

I had my first experience eating Acai at the 2008 World Jiu-Jitsu Championship. I was addicted with my very first spoonful. It was unlike anything I could compare it to. During the 4-day tournament, I consumed at least 20 bowls of the purple berry. After that, I was obsessed with finding where I could buy Acai so that I could make some at home, but to no result. I had to wait until the 2009 Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championship to get my next taste of Acai. It was at this time that I was informed by some Brazilians that the Acai here in the US was nothing compared to the Acai prepared in Brazil. I remember thinking that there couldn’t be THAT much of a difference. I was wrong.

My first bowl of Acai in Brazil was at the World renowned Bibi Sucos. I couldn’t believe how good it tasted. Thick with flavor, but not over-sweetened. The bowl filled me up, but didn’t make me feel heavy, plus I just felt like a had an extra bounce in my step. I knew that once I was back in the US, I would crave Acai until my next trip back to Brazil. I had tried many brands here in the US, but nothing has come close to the quality, consistency, and taste of the Acai I had in Brazil. Then I found Amazon Forest brand Acai.

High-quality, great tasting Acai, products comparable to the Acai I enjoyed in Brazil. I can have an Acai smoothie in the morning for breakfast right before training and then make myself another as a snack in the middle of the day. Amazon Forest Acai is also great right out the packet as a quick energy boost drink or as a frozen treat right out the freezer. Amazon Forest’s product line will soon also include Acai Kiosks in major malls around US, candies and jellies and even freshly caught and frozen fish and seafood from northern Brazil. You can learn more about Amazon Forest Cafe and their line of products by visiting their website at amazonforest.us or visiting their facebook page.

Nutrition & Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

admin — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 04:38:06 +0000

Joseph Sale, CNS, CSCS, Sports Nutritionist/Nutrition and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Sports nutrition often overlooked in sports performance and that is sometimes the case in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Students train extremely hard and are focused on their Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training however paying attention to and upgrading the quality of your nutrition will upgrade your Brazilian Jiu Jitsu game in both the short and long term.

Nutrition is the raw material your body uses to repair tissues, reduce inflammation, create neurotransmitters and many other biochemical processes. The quality of your cells at a biological level, are impacted by the quality of your nutrition. Even from a mental / cognitive perspective, in competition, how quickly does your brain process information? The quicker the better. Nutrition influences mental processes. In all sports and martial arts, including Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, mental mistakes can be an issue in competition. Optimized nutrition will optimize your your mental game and minimize the potential for mental mistakes. An example of that would be how quickly you see and feel a potential submission coming on. The quicker the better. Another term for this is anticipation or situational awareness, seeing and feeling the direction things are moving and acting accordingly.

Sports nutrition is an art form itself. At a deeper level sports nutrition is both a science and an art. Students of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu can become more aware of what foods work best for them and what foods don’t. Many people today have sub clinical food allergies. It’s wise to become more aware of how you feel after you eat certain foods.

Sports nutrition is a variable that can influence sports performance in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. When I first met Gustavo Dantas at Arizona Combat Sports in Tempe, AZ, that was part of our discussion. Gustavo is a well known and respected Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt Instructor and Practitioner with a long list of accomplishments. Gustavo is the President of Nova Unaio, USA.

Read my interview with Gustavo Dantas: http://optimumperformancenow.com/joseph-sale-interviews-gustavo-dantas-president-of-nova-uniao-usa/

Visit Gustavo Dantas website: http://www.gdjiujitsu.com/

In Brazilian Jiu Jitsu the act of making weight can be tricky. It’s easy to go into a catabolic state where you body chews up your hard earned muscle in the process. That’s not a place you want to be. Catabolism is the decrease of lean tisuue / muscle. In a perfect world you want to preserve as much lean tissue as possible. Regardless of caloric intake it’s important to have high quality calories on board, not junk food.

Another factor to consider is immune function. Hard training for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competition requires high end nutrition to support the immune system. Antioxidants and micronutrients are known to have a positive impact on immune function.

Now let’s talk about vitamins and minerals. Vitamins and minerals are not manufactured in the human body or by the human body therefore we need to consume them from high quality whole foods and supplementation. Once again training for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competition is intense. Your nutrition status needs to be far better than a person that only pushes a pencil all day.

The frequency of your Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training requires high quality nutrition. The rate limiting factor in training for competition is recuperation between workouts. Once again, nutrition is the raw material for tissue repair.

In this brief article I’ve discussed why it’s important to address nutrition and be a student of your nutrition as part of your Brazilian Jiu Jitsu game. Nutrition is another variable you can control. Also, the same way your Brazilian Jiu Jitsu game will evolve over the years, your nutrition game will also evolve. I call it finer distinctions. As you drill more reps of, for example, an armbar, sweeps, or takedowns you begin to see and feel the finer nuances of it. Your nutrition game will take on the same life.

The most important concepts to walk away with are:

1. Everybody is, to varying degrees, biochemically unique. What works for one person may not work for you.

2. Sports nutrition operates as interrelated components, one component can influence another component.

3. Managing and paying attention to your sports nutrition influences Brazilian Jiu Jitsu performance and contributes to better health.

Please vist our Nutritionist Services page http://optimumperformancenow.com/nutritionist-services/

Call Optimum Performance / Human Performance Systems at 480-241-2621 to find out more about our sports nutrition programs for Brazilain Jiu Jitsu.

Joe Sale, CNS, CSCS