The year has started well and after recovering from the holiday parties, me and Mariusz were joined by Michal, that has just arrived to Rio before NYE. The weather is so humid here, that re-hydrating is the most important thing after training. There is less than 3 weeks now for the tournament and we should increase the rhythm next week to be in good shape for our fights. After the competition I am heading to England and Scotland where I will spend February and part of March teaching and organising the II Londinium Grappling Cup.

Then its time to visit South Africa, stay a month and help develop the sport on their shores. It will be my first trip to the African continent and I’m very excited to be one of the first black belts to have the opportunity to teach there. 2007 is going to be an excellent year for the Rio Grappling Club worldwide, but our focus will stay in Europe, with more club visits in Poland and Italy after my return from Africa.

More news soon! Thanks for visiting our blog and leave a comment if you like!

Roberto Atalla