Did "Jacare" sign with UFC?

I've read on 2 different boards that he made the announcement but I havent seen it in any press releases. Can anyone confirm? Please God, let this be true! I have been a fan of Jacare after moving to Brasil. His BJJ is unbelievable. Then, I got to work with him when I was the media coordinator for the GFC this year. He is freakin the biggest 185 'er I've ever seen. Ripped! I'm about 24o in this pic beside him. Here is also a video of his BJJ.

Getting a new belt in Brasil?

check this video out. This guy is actually lucky, I've never seen them let the person keep their jacket on.....when I participated, it was shirtless!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Proof I've been down with MMA and the UFC since the beginning!

Here is a picture of a hat I ordered off the first UFC PPV event!!!!!! I also ordered a t-shirt that I still have, but wore it to death. Ill post a pic of it later. So if you have something like this, leave a comment, I want to see who else has it.

I don't plan on selling it, but what would you offer me for such a collectors piece?????

UFC MMA

The Power of being "single minded" in Purpose!

Of the best pieces of advice I can give you in being successful is being single minded in your purpose. Every successful person I have every interviewed or worked for has had this characteristic.....probably to a fault. The human mind/spirit connection has a strange ability to draw to us those things we obsessess on. Some refer to it as a "magnetic mind power".

I became this way about missionaries a few years back (and was always this way about martial arts). I began to study everything I could find on missionarys, mission organizations, and such. I could not devour enough books on the subject. Sometimes I would have three books at a time I was reading. One at work, one on the toilet, and one I'd take with me to the coffee shop! Strangley enough, I took my first missions trip that year. Three years later I was living full time oversseas!

This power will affect you positively or negatively....depending on what you think about. I've never heard of a pedophile who wasnt molested themselves or didnt have an obsession with porn (either case they are constantly thinking about sexual deviance). So what do you spend your time thinking about?

The most powerful book I have ever read on success is "Think and Grow Rich" by Napolean Hill. In fact, I have already read it through twice this year (Sept. 2007 at time of this post). I will read this book at least once a year for the rest of my life. If you want to know how to be successufl in anything, fighting , business, sales, ect.. I recommend you buy this book and make it a part of your training.

If you are going to buy it, please do so here by clicking the picture below. I'm sure you could find it for a couple dollars cheaper on ebay or at a local store....but by doing it here you help contribute to my work with the kids, as well as saying a big "Thank you Gringo" for turning you onto the book.

I hope you are blessed by it! Thanks.

Blessed to be around the Gracies....

I've been blessed to be able to train and hang out with the some of the Gracies and just wanted to post some pics here. Not only did I train and compete for Gracie Pompei, but I trained with Royce, and promoted a party for Relson. So here are some pics of Gringo Loko w/ the Gracies!

Relson Graice & I in our limo on the way to the after party!

Royce & I training. Like my yellow belt....lol...

Randy Couture, you better retire!

Or when you are 57 years old, this 4 year old will stomp a mud hole in your a*&! ....lol....well, he wont be 4 then.......jk....we love you Randy!!!

MMA Fighters Got Huge Hearts!

(pics of some of the babys we rescued in Brasil that now live at the orphanages I planted :-)

My travels to help other people have taken me to China, Taiwan, South Korea, and Vietnam over the last 9 years. I also lived in Brasil for almost 4 of those years where I planted two orphanages. I'm now the VP for a non-profit group based in the USA that does local work as well as support works in Brazil, China, Hondorus, and about to add Argentina. As you can see by that resume, I dedicate the largest part of my life to giving to others, especially less fortunate children/families.

When I returned home from Brazil, I decided to try something new (at least to me). To mix my two great loves.....helping kids and MMA. So far I have thrown 3 fundraising events and have asked big name MMA fighters to make appearances to support the work. I have been blown away by how big these guys hearts are.

First and foremost, the greatest guy in the sport to me, Jorge Gurgel. Jorge has attended two of our 3 events and has been a big giver in many ways. Here is a guy with a great fight record, the biggest damn MMA school in the country, trains the former UFC champ Rich Franklin along with a slew of others greats, and from what I hear is probably one of the best jiu jitsu "coaches" in the country (I've trained and rolled with him but dont want to give a biased opinion of my friend so I'll go by what others say). This guys walks into a room and makes himself available to everyone there, not only available, but genuinely takes time to build relationships with the people at our events. I know he is super busy, but always makes time for us and the kids. Thanks Jorge, your the best bro! Muito Obrigado e Abracos meu irmao!!!!!

Others who have come out and been supportive include but not limited to Rich Franklin, Wes Simms, Kenny Florian, Josh Rafferty, Neil Rowe, Trevor Garrett, Mike Patt, and the list goes on (sorry if I forgot you).

I don't know if you guys know how much it means to me that you came out, I hope you do! Its my greatest passion to help these kids and you taking time out to help me acheive my dream leaves me speechelss. Thanks my brothers!

If anyone feels moved to give to the childrens works, you can make a donation by using the button to the side of this blog that says "donate".

If you want to donate a sizeable amount and would like a tax write off receipt, just contact me. Even a dollar makes a difference. Thanks.

Top Ten Things to do Before Arriving in Brazil.

This is a version of an article I wrote for another MMA online site. Enjoy. (It refers to my course, which was a ebook course I wrote and sold in 2006).

Part two of the series on training in Brazil.

1. Gain weight and focus on strength training. Especially if you are a bigger guy. If you are around 200...go ahead and beef up. Most bjj guys in Brazil are years behind in strength training and aint too many over 200 pounds. This weight and strength will get you through some tough matches. It did me. Don’t start with the size don’t matter its technique argument either. Tell that to Mark Colemam & Bob Sapp. Neither has any good submission skills and have given some Brazilians hell in a fight.


2. Learn as much Portuguese as you can. It will not only help you at jiu jitsu, but also make you more comfortable with just living there. Also, you are a true international player when you can spit game to chickies in 2 languages. It just makes Brazil that much funner. (there is a CD in my course on slang and jiu jitsu terms in Portuguese you wont find in any Port./English Dictionary..shameless plug)


3. Get a TESL/ESL teaching certificate before going.


4. Work on grappling skills outside of jiu jitsu. Wrestling, submission, catch, judo. A lot of these moves frustrated my Brazilian amigos when we rolled. Straight bjj was predictable to them, some of these moves weren’t. Get an Erik Paulson vid or Tony C. catch wrestling vid. You’ll pick up a few non-traditional bjj moves that will be effective.


5. Use the Internet to network. Find Brazilians who share your interest, speak English and live in the town you want to go to. Find Americans who have lived there or are living there. Make friends with them online. The can share a lot with you. Plus then can show you around or introduce you to people later.


6. Save money. The more you go with, the less you have to worry about finding work and can focus on training and fun.


7. Pay off or open up a good high limit credit card for emergencies.


8. Get a debit card that works on the plus or cirrus network.


9. Start researching visas in advance. Not the credit card dude...Travel visa. You’ll probably only qualify to stay 6 months out of the year on a tourist visa. …unless you’re pretty resourceful.


10. Buy my course that teaches you how to do all the above and so much more in greater detail! -)
Claudio Godoi from Brazilian Top Team and I after a hard training session in Brasil at his academy.

Top 10 Reasons to train MMA / Jiu jitsu in Brazil!

I have had the privilege to live, work, play, and train in Brazil the last 4 years. I would not trade this experience for nothing. I am pissed that I did not step out of my comfort zone and pursue this much earlier in my life. I wanted to write an article that might help push some of you to give it a try…a choice I know you wont regret.Here are the top 10 reasons you should get out of your comfort zone and come to Brazil…even if just for a week. (List was compiled by a survey of gringos who had taken the plunge and do not necessarily reflect the authors opinion. Especially since the author is monogamous family man and in love and knows nothing of numbers 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9.....I love you baby;-))

1. The women
   


2. The technique is still years ahead, especially in gi. I think in the no gi arena, the west coast may have caught up with Brazil, or even surpassed it, but as far as the with gi techniques, they are still way ahead.
   


3. The women
   


4. Many more purple, brown, and black belts to roll with. Imagine having at least a dozen of the afore mentioned in every class.
   


5. The women
   


6. The cost of living and training is super cheap. At one Rocian Gracie academy I was paying around $25 dollars a month and was training 6 days a week, sometimes twice a day!
   


7. The women
   


8. Easy to meet, hang out with, and rub shoulders with people we consider superstars and legends in the USA. I have personally hung out with many but most enjoyable was training and lunches I had with Vitor Belfort. Very cool guy!
   


9. The women
   

10. The pace of life and the people there are so enjoyable. I have been in 13 countries around the world and Brazil and its people are truly Paradise! Feel free to contact me if there is anything I can do to encourage you to give it a try or help you to do it!

This is me and my instructor from Gracie Pompei after I won a silver medal at a BJJ tourny in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

This is where it starts..........Training Jiu jitsu around the world Gringo style!

In the last few years my life has been exciting! Both in good and bad ways! So many things have created ups and downs for me including MMA, the internet, spritual issues, family, love, and work. I hope to inspire some of you...........because in this last few months, I've really come to see that it is......the good life! Brazilian jiu jitsu being exported to the USA has changed the sport dramatically. I hope to capitalize on those changes.