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Crispim BJJ Barra Brothers Belt Promotion – January 2012

January 8, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Crispim BJJ Barra Brothers in Pleasanton celebrated our Belt Promotion for Kids and Adults on Saturday, January 7th.

Thank you to all of the students and their families who came to the academy to watch those who were awarded their belts and their stripes.  This demonstrates the phenomenal level of support our team gives to each other.   Alexander Crispim says, “I could not be more proud of our entire team for supporting each other and for working as hard as each of you do every day inside and outside of the academy.  We are truly blessed to have such a great group of people together and such a strong team and extended family.”

Many people believe that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is an individual “sport,” but our philosophy is that if the team is strong, then the individuals will reap the rewards.  And this is what we foster at the academy.  We have a team full of people who work with, take care of and support each other and this in turn, makes EVERYONE better.  And because you all bring so much to Crispim BJJ, we see the results in the academy, in tournaments, in MMA fights and in our everyday lives.   Thank you to the team and their families for the incredible support you have given the academy and each other.  We appreciate all of you and we thank you for choosing to train with us and for being a part of our team and family.

We have included some great pictures (see below) of some of the kids getting their new belts and stripes.  And finally, we would also like to personally congratulate those adult team members on their new belts:

Black Belt – Mike Agustin

Brown Belt – Hayden O’Shea

Brown Belt – Rob Mangewala

Brown Belt – Isaiah Velarde

Purple Belt – Oscar Jimenez

Blue Belt – Kevin Osorio

Blue Belt- Tsai Cheung

Blue Belt – Casey Keefe

Blue Belt – Benjamin Agustin

Blue Belt – Nick Claitman

Blue Belt – Neil Goodman

Blue Belt – Jason Burris

Blue Belt – Alex Guerrero

Blue Belt – Dakota Johnson

White Belt with Blue Stripe – Andrew Trevallion

Because some adults could not attend the Belt Promotions yesterday, we are not including their names on the list yet until they actually receive their new belts.

 

 

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How Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Saved My Life!

December 31, 2011 By Leave a Comment

We asked our team to share with us stories about the impact that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has had in their lives.  We received this story and were so inspired by it that we want to start this series of posts by highlighting this incredible achievement.

This student is a truly remarkable person who has impressed us all.  His commitment, passion and drive to reach his goals is second to none.  Jessen is a true Martial Artist in spirit as well as in experience.  He came to our team as a Krav Maga Instructor 1st Degree Black Belt, a 4th Degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do, a Brown Belt in Japanese DanZan Ryu Jujitsu and an Instructor level in Kali Illustrismo System,  motivated to begin his journey on the path to earning another Black Belt in yet another martial art, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.   We are so truly blessed to have him on our team and in our family.  Jessen is a perfect example of a person living by the philosophy of the Crispim BJJ Barra Brothers Academy, which is always trying to achieve the next level, not just in Martial Arts knowledge, but also in becoming a Black Belt in every day life.  This includes living every day with a great attitude, lots of devotion in everything you do, focus and a lot drive to become a better person for yourself and for everyone around you! Congratulations to you Jessen on your achievement.  You are an awesome example for all of us.  The whole Crispim BJJ Barra Brothers Team is here to support you however you may need in reaching your goal.

 

December 30, 2011

How Jiu-Jitsu Saved My Life

Yes, unfortunately that is a picture of me on the right weighing 320 pounds with a 56” waist at a wedding last September 2011 trying to hide my pain with a fake smile. I have been training a little over a year and half at Crispim BJJ Academy and I am extremely appreciative of the knowledge, enthusiasm and support their instructors have given me towards reclaiming my life. Initially, I started Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training to improve my health and renew my passion for the martial arts. After a 9 month layoff from the academy due to a rib injury, I resumed my training with Crispim BJJ Academy in the beginning of October 2011. This time weighing 315 pounds with a number of old injuries and the bad habit of making excuses for my extreme weight gain. Finally, I decided it was time to swallow my pride and become proactive about my health.

Since then I have been training 4-5 times a week along with my CrossFit workouts and fasting with fresh fruit and vegetable juices without the consumption of solid foods. Although, my training regiment may have been extreme, I believe it was necessary to avoid major health issues such as sleep apnea, high blood pressure, and diabetes that were inevitable with my previous lifestyle. So far it has been unbelievable to witness the weight loss, the increase of energy and the self-confidence that Crispim BJJ Academy has give me. Currently, I weigh 222 pounds with a 38” waist and a new outlook on life. In January 2012 I plan to break the 200 pound mark and ultimately reach my goal of 170 pounds with the help of Crispim BJJ Academy.

I would like to thank Alexander and Michele Crispim for creating a wonderful facility with a family atmosphere to help me achieve my goals. Two people who were instrumental in the effectiveness of my BJJ workouts are Professors Alexander Crispim and Danny Elias. Being overweight and plagued with injuries, both Professor Crispim and Professor Danny developed creative modifications to BJJ exercises which allowed me to heal, lose weight and build my confidence with each workout. In addition to their knowledge of BJJ along with their overwhelming energy and charisma, they somehow make the toughest workouts awkwardly enjoyable. The Crispim BJJ Academy is the perfect place to improve your life and health through challenging workouts and great people. Are you skeptical about the healing powers of Jiu Jitsu combined with daily exercise and proper nutrition? If so, I have included a current picture of myself on the left wearing the same slacks from the wedding picture above as proof that it does.

Thank You Crispim BJJ Academy,

Jessen San Luis

 

 

 

Team: Please email us at info@CrispimBJJ.com with your success stories and/or impact that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has had in your life.  Thank you.

 

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Team Crispim BJJ Barra Brothers Takes Home 4 Victories with 2 Belts

October 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Last weekend we wrote about all of the Team Crispim BJJ Barra Brothers Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Champions from the US Open.  And this weekend, we are proud to announce all of our Team Crispim BJJ Barra Brothers MMA Fighters Victories.

Last night, our team headed out to Oakland to support 4 of our team members who would be fighting in the Bay Brawlers  MMA event.   We left the event with all 4 victories and 2 belts.

First up from our team was Ernad Rosic.  This was his second amateur fight and he earned an unanimous decision against Marc Talledo of Unlimited MMA in Miltpitas. Ernad displayed excellent jiu jitsu and almost finished the fight several times with a rear naked choke and an armbar!

Next,  Jeremiah Labiano (also our MMA fighting fitness instructor) fought Diego Cuenca out of FTCC in San Francisco.  Jeremiah earned an unanimous decision against Cuenca. Jeremiah showed a lot skills in a hard fight where he was able to combine all of the aspects of MMA, like good takedown defense and explosive stand up .  Jeremiah is now moving into the professional arena and will be making his Pro Debut at the Pleasanton Fairgrounds on December 10th at Impact Fights Recognition.  (Tickets are already available at the academy in Pleasanton.)

The final two fights for our team were Jared and Jordan Porter (“The Porter Twins”).  Both of these battles were for their respective belts.  First was Jared Porter.  Jared was originally supposed to be fighting for the 135 pound belt, but after multiple fighters backed out of this fight against Jared for a variety of reasons, he found out that his newest opponent was in a heavier weight class and they agreed to fight at 145 pounds.  Jared was up to the challenge and fought Cameron Daniels out of Gracie Fighter/Team Black.  Jared takes the unanimous decision and earns the belt giving an awesome show for the fans with his extreme speed in his stand up and  real crisp wrestling and jiu jitsu.

Jordan Porter was the last fight of the evening and he fought Joshua Berkovic out of El Nino Training Center/Fairtex San Francisco.   Jordan earns the 155 pound belt by unanimous decision in an exciting back and forth battle where Jordan showed not just his fighting skills but his heart!

All four of the Team Crispim BJJ Barra Brothers fighters had exciting fights and we are so impressed and proud of their performances.

Thank you to all of the team out of Pleasanton who were great training partners for our fighters and also to all of you who came and supported these guys at their fights.  And thank you to the incredible coaches we have at Crispim BJJ in Pleasanton for training these fighters daily and helping them to achieve their dreams,  Allan Maravilla, Joshua McDonald, and Daniel Elias.

Our next events will be the World’s No Gi, Charles Gracie Tournament and Jeremiah’s Pro Debut in Pleasanton.  Good luck to all of our teammates who are competing in these events.

For those of you who couldn’t be present last night, here is a link that has some great pictures and a play by play of the action- click HERE!

Also, here are a few links of interviews done by the Porter Twins.

Click Here, then Here and finally Here.

 

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Team Crispim BJJ & UFC-Gym at US OPEN

October 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The Crispim BJJ Barra Brothers Team and UFC-Gym Team had a very successful weekend at the US Open Jiu-Jitsu Tournament in San Jose (Bay Area).

First, we would like to congratulate every one of our team’s competitors who signed up, trained hard and stepped on the mat at the tournament.  We are proud of all of you for doing what you do and representing our team with skill, dignity, respect, true sportsmanship and dedication to your martial art, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Second, Alexander Crispim and the team would like to thank the Crispim BJJ Barra Brothers’ coaches who are largely responsible for the many victories we had this weekend.  Our coaches teach at our gym in Pleasanton and at the UFC-Gym in Concord.  Thank you to Daniel Elias, Erico Monteiro, AJ Ting and Bryant “The Rock” Pangelinan.  Without your skill, patience, experience and passion, our teams would not continue to grow and create champions.

Before we list the final results, we would also like to thank all of our team members at both gyms in Pleasanton and Concord (east bay area) for coming to the tournament and supporting the Crispim BJJ Barra Brothers and UFC-Gym teams.  And thank you for being such incredible training partners for these competitors.

Clearly, our victories and our strength as a team is growing because of all members of our team and we thank all of you.

So… here are the Crispim BJJ and UFC-Gym results for the US Open XVI in their respective divisions:

1st Place:

Brooke Goldsworthy

Chelsea Burgo

Alberto Ruiz

Hayden O’Shea

Antone Nardi

Mike Turbes

Phillip Lobsinger

 

2nd Place:

Dakota Johnson

Rafael Garcia

Mike Turbes- Open Division

AJ Ting

Phil Rogacki

 

3rd Place:

Jeremiah Labiano

Brooke Goldsworthy- Open Division

 

The Barra Brothers Team was also awarded 2nd Place for Female Overall Team!!

 

Again, congratulations to all and keep training hard!!! And enjoy the pictures!

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Crispim BJJ Barra Brothers Preview Party in Pleasanton Was a Blast!

September 4, 2011 By 3 Comments

Yesterday, we opened our doors at Crispim BJJ Barra Brothers in Pleasanton to invite our local community to come in and sample all of our classes to celebrate our recent expansion which almost doubled the size of our academy, more than doubled the size of our training area/mats, addition of an MMA cage and the addition of tons of new classes.   We had short preview classes in both adult and kids Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ), Fight Shape, MMA G&P, Kids MMA (Muay Thai/Boxing) and Iron Core Fitness.  We had people visit us from all over the Bay Area including San Ramon, Dublin, Danville, Hayward, San Leandro, Livermore, Fremont, Oakland and Walnut Creek. When asked why these people traveled to come try our classes and chose to join our team/family, we were told it was mainly due to the high level of instruction that we offer at the academy and the quality of our programs and gym.  This is exactly what we always strive to offer.  We have phenomenal instructors who not only teach and train every day, but also actively compete in jiu jitsu tournaments and MMA fights.  These instructors are the heart and soul of our academy and are so totally committed to providing the best possible classes in the area, that people who have never trained with us before recognize it and know of our reputation!!!

The other big factor for people choosing to join our gym is because of all of you, our team!  The family environment and sense of community was absolutely noticeable yesterday (as it is everyday) as so many of our team members showed up, helped with the party and welcomed all of the new students and members into the gym.   We so often hear about people walking into a gym/academy and feeling intimidated or uncomfortable, but the Crispim BJJ Team is full of such amazing people that this has never been an issue for us.  In fact, you are all a big part of the reason why we constantly have so many people choosing to train with us at our gym in Pleasanton (east bay area).

A note for all of the people who contacted us about the preview party and who were unable to attend yesterday, here is a short list of why you may choose to train with us.

* Incredible Instruction and Family/Team Environment

* Largest mat area in the area

* 7 Days per week Training (We were the first gym locally to offer Sunday BJJ training classes and the first to offer early morning BJJ classes)- We did this to provide to all of you an extremely flexible schedule so that even the busiest person can still find time to train.

* Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu classes 2-3 times per day during the week. (Early morning 6:15am, lunch time and evening)

* MMA Cage and Fight Team (for those interested in training to fight)

* Clean and safe environment

* Showers and a Dressing Room

* Over 70 Classes Per Week to Choose From!!! Full Schedule including Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (adults and kids), Wrestling (adults and kids), Muay Thai, MMA (mixed martial arts)(adults and kids), Iron Core Fitness, Fight Shape, MMA G&P and sparring.

Please contact us at info@CrispimBJJ.com if you would like to set up a Free one-on-one Intro Class to sample all of our programs.

In closing, again we would like to thank our instructors and team for all of the support you give the academy every single day.  We would not be here if it wasn’t for all of you and we truly appreciate all of you choosing to train at Crispim BJJ Barra Brothers!!

 

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Alexander Crispim & Jeremiah Labiano Both WIN MMA Fights

August 22, 2011 By 1 Comment

The Crispim BJJ Barra Brothers Team of Pleasanton (East Bay Area in Northern California) had a very successful weekend with their MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) Fights.

First, Congratulations to Alexander Crispim in his Submission Win this past weekend.  Crispim fought MMA for Shark Fights 18 in Sparks, Nevada against Randy Spence of the Cesar Gracie Team and submitted him with a Darce Choke in the first minute of the third round.  The fight was exciting with Alexander Crispim connecting on many shots to Spence’s head and body, multiple takedowns and submission attempts and lots of kicks including one great kick to Spence’s face.   All of Spence’s previous 11 wins had come by way of submission so this is a very solid victory for Crispim.  Alexander Crispim’s MMA record is now 7-2 and is on a 4 fight win streak.

Second, Congratulations to Jeremiah Labiano who fought MMA for the Dragon House event at the Kezar in San Francisco.  Jeremiah’s fight was exciting and he won by Unanimous Decision.

 

MMAKO-News states:  “Fight of the night awards goes to Crispim BJJ Barra Brother’s (Pleasanton) Jeremiah Labiano and Dragon House’s own Ladale Noa. Labiano threw everything at Noa including acrobatic spinning roundhouse kicks and every submission imaginable. Noa showing true warrior spirit withstood the onslaught and retaliated with his own barrage of strikes and delivered a bit of ground and pound. Ultimately the unanimous decision went to Labiano.

Finally, thank you those team members who traveled from Pleasanton all the way up to Reno on Friday night and then drove straight from Reno to San Francisco on Saturday to support our fighters.  Having everyone there gave both Alexander Crispim and Jeremiah Labiano an incredible support and energy.  And thank you to the team for all of your support during their training camps and all of the thoughts and encouragement that you gave to the fighters.  And last, but certainly not least, thank you to the coaches, Allan Maravilla (Muay Thai and stand up), Josh McDonald (wrestling), Kurt Osiander (BJJ- Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu), Rob Gibson (strength and conditioning), Daniel Elias (EVERYTHING!) and Michael Bruno of Fairtex.   Next fight for our team will be Joe “9 Lives” Neal as he enters the cage in Richmond (East Bay Area) on September 10th to defend his belt.  We have many more fights scheduled this year for our team and we’ll keep everyone posted on the next dates.  Thanks again for all of your support.

Results and more pictures of Shark Fights 18, please click here.

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Marcel Reece & Alexander Crispim of Crispim BJJ Train Jiu-Jitsu & MMA

July 3, 2011 By 1 Comment

This article appeared on Page B1 of the San Francisco Chronicle on Sunday, July 3, 2011. Thank you Vittorio Tafur for writing such a great article about Oakland Raiders’ Marcel Reece and his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA training with Alexander Crispim of Crispim BJJ Barra Brothers in Pleasanton (east bay area).

Click here to read the article Raiders Fullback has ‘Better Dayz’ in Martial Arts.

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Alexander Crispim’s Confidence is Key to His UFC Dreams

May 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment

MMAweekly.com just posted a really great article about Alexander Crispim of Crispim BJJ Barra Brothers in Pleasanton (east bay area).  Please click here for the article.

We, at Crispim BJJ Barra Brothers, believe that Alexander Crispim will absolutely realize his dream of fighting for the UFC.  We are very proud of the hard work, determination and passion he shows every day in his training.

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Crispim BJJ’s Kids Jiu Jitsu Demo at Downtown Pleasanton Street Fair

May 5, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Alexander Crispim and the Crispim BJJ Barra Brothers Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Team had a great time at the Downtown Pleasanton 1st Wednesday Street Fair last night.  The street was packed with Pleasanton  residents and people from all over the east bay area. Thank you to the Barra Brothers team for coming out and supporting our jiu jitsu and MMA students and academy.

It was a night of lots of fun, great food and our students from the Kids Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and MMA programs doing some INCREDIBLE DEMONSTRATIONS.   Alexander Crispim conducted a mini jiu jitsu class on the mats in downtown Pleasanton for thousands of people to watch.  The kids practiced and demonstrated their skills spectacularly.  In addition, we had several of our kids from the Kids MMA program hitting pads and showing off their quick hands and impressive coordination and power.

It takes a lot of courage for these young students to perform in front of thousands of people and we couldn’t be more proud of them for rising to this challenge.  We also met a lot of new families from all over the east bay area who we would love to welcome into the Crispim BJJ Barra Brothers family. Alexander Crispim and the Crispim BJJ Barra Brothers team would like to invite them to come visit our academy and watch and/or have their kids try out a few classes in both jiu jitsu and MMA to see how really impressive our kids program is.

We will be at the 1st Wednesday Street Fair in Pleasanton for the next 3 months and appreciate all of the support from the community and our team. On behalf of Alexander Crispim and the Crispim BJJ Barra Brothers Team in Pleasanton, we’d like to thank you all again and congratulate all of the kids who came for the self confidence and courage it takes to do this and their committment to the team and their training.

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Crispim BJJ Barra Brothers Team Wins in Jiu Jitsu & MMA

March 13, 2011 By 1 Comment

The Crispim BJJ Barra Brothers Team of Pleasanton is on fire!!!  We have had many of our team members compete in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu tournaments around the bay area and fight in MMA (mixed martial art) events lately and wanted to provide you all with a re-cap of everything that has been happening over the past four weeks.
First, Crispim BJJ Barra Brothers would like to congratulate both Brooke Goldsworthy and Ryan Brown for bringing home the Gold Medals in their divisions at Jiu Jitsu By The Bay in Hayward (East Bay Area) on February 26, 2011.  Their matches displayed passion, skill and experience.   Alexander Crispim and the Crispim BJJ Barra Brothers Team were represented well.  Congratulations again to Brooke and Ryan.  THE GOLD!!!!!

Second, Alexander Crispim and Crispim BJJ Barra Brothers would like to congratulate both Jeremiah Labiano and Joe Neal for their performances at the Born To Fight MMA (mixed martial art) event at the Saddlerack in Fremont (East Bay Area) on February 20th.  Both of these MMA fighters made their amateur debuts and were incredible.   Alexander Crispim states that both MMA fighters fought like gladiators and showed true heart and skill.   Congratulations again to both MMA fighters and Congratulations to Joe Neal for bringing home the victory.

Finally, Alexander Crispim and Crispim BJJ Barra Brothers would like to give Brooke Goldsworthy one more CONGRATULATIONS on her performance at the 2011 Abu Dhabi Pro World Trials for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in San Diego on March 5th.  Brooke competed in both her Blue Belt division and the Absolute Division.  She competed in 4 matches in her division and won the first by points (6-0) and the next three were all victories by submission.  After earning her Gold Medal and competing in four jiu jitsu matches in one day, she moved on to fight in the absolute division.  Her fifth fight of the day was also a victory which moved her into the finals in the Absolute Division.  On March 6th, Brooke competed in an incredible jiu jitsu match and the fight ended 0-0, but the Referee gave the victory to her opponent and Brooke took home the Silver in Absolute!   It could not have been closer than this.  Her victory in the Abu Dhabi Pro Trials is a huge accomplishment for her and for the Crispim BJJ Barra Brothers Team.  Alexander Crispim says, “She is a true competitor who always shows dedication, passion, motivation, and embraces the teachings of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and lives its lifestyle.”

Although we often highlight the jiu jitsu competitors and MMA (mixed martial art) fighters in these posts, we want to make sure that we also mention every single member of the Crispim BJJ Barra Brothers Team in Pleasanton, the coaches (Daniel Elias, Allan Maravilla, Josh McDonald) and the competitors’ families- without all of you, these results would not be happening.  You all provide great training, support, motivation and this is all necessary for these competitors and fighters to succeed.   Alexander Crispim would like to personally thank you and offer his congratulations to all of you.

Let’s continue to work hard as we have several more MMA (mixed martial art) fights and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competitions coming up in the near future, including the PAN AMS. Alexander Crispim will be announcing additional days and times for specialized Brazilian Jiu Jitsu tournament training at Crispim BJJ Barra Brothers in Pleasanton (East Bay Area).

“UM ESTILO DE VIDA!”

Osssss!!!!!!

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