COMBATE! PNW Grapplers Get Ready! Q2 Edition

Here are some of the need-to-know events for competitive grapplers in the PNW during April, May, and June 2016. Check back for updates throughout the quarter.

April 2016

• Hawaiian Open Championship - April 11 - Pearl City, Hawaii

• America's Cup - April 23 - 24 - Daly City, California

• Copa Pacifica XVIII Jiu-Jitsu Tournament - April 23-24 - Huntington Beach, California

• 2016 Sub League Qualifier I - April 30 - Hillsboro, Oregon

May 2016

• Las Vegas International Open IBJJF Championship - May 7 - Las Vegas, Nevada

• California Classic International BJJ Championships - May 14 - Los Angeles, California

• Proving Grounds IX (tentative) - Seattle, Washington

June 2016

• 2016 Sub League Qualifier II - June 18 - Hillsboro, Oregon

Why I (Still) Love Eddie Bravo

If you aren't a 40-something black belt on the verge of becoming a 50-something black belt, then you might not appreciate the beauty of truth here. Indeed, no one has a better sense of their own limitations than a middle-aged grappler.

Eddie Bravo: I go with everything, man. I'm like 'You wanna go that way? Let's go!" And let me see if I can hold on and get a little clinch and then go back this way "Bam!" You know? I'm too old to force my way through anything.

Joe Rogan: That's probably the smart way to do it, though, right? That's the traditional way of jiu-jitsu-

Bravo: It's the survival way of jiu-jitsu! My jiu-jitsu is becoming very survival now. My guys are fucking me up, now. I'm getting tapped out all the goddamn time, now. The only way I can tap out certain purple belts is if I have gas. If I'm tired and I take a round with one of my purple belts, I'll be fucking on survival mode the whole time, man. My guys are coming with fire, now.

Register By Friday for Submission Only Proving Grounds Tournament in Seattle

Not only does the Pacific Northwest featuring some of the best grappling in the country (if not the world), but also the PNW is lucky enough to be the home of TWO great submission-only tournaments. Sub League in Oregon is one. Proving Grounds in Washington is the other.

Proving Grounds VIII is a little over a week away. If you're in the PNW and looking for an opportunity to compete in the awesome submission-only format, then Proving Grounds is the place to be on March 26, 2016.

Registration is open through Friday, March 18th. 

Get Ready for Wrasslin'!

For the past few years, "March Madness" has meant more than "The Big Dance" for me. I still draw up a bracket for the men's NCAA basketball contest. But lately my TV - and real-time attention - have belonged to the wrestlers.

I've caught a few matches in the last few weeks and months courtesy of ESPNGo/WatchESPN. And while the selection isn't overwhelming, it's just enough to keep you sated until the NCAA Division I Wrestling Tournament arrives in the spring.

So with that in mind, here's a little something for those whose palates, like mine around this time of year, prefers the competition on the sheathed polyurethane mat over the action on the parquet floor.

Celebrate Women's History Month with the Nicolini Guard