Breakfast get-together at the Pan American Championship

I'd love to meet you! So if you'll be at the Pans on blackbelt day (Sunday March 27) I encourage you to come to the tournament hotel for breakfast before all the world-class jiu jitsu explodes your head :) And since I compete on Friday at 1:20pm, I'll actually be able to eat on Sunday! Hooray!

Since my husband and I are working the tournament (we'll be ring coordinating Thurs and Fri, and scoring Sat and Sun) we need to leave the breakfast by 8am. Please join us for coffee or whatever suits your fancy at 7am, Sunday March 27, at

Aura Bar & Grill
Hilton Irvine/Orange County Airport
18800 MacArthur Blvd.
Irvine, CA
92612
1-949-833-9999

You'll know it's me if you see a short, curly-topped redhead :)

Now let's drool a bit over some of the talent on display next Sunday... though I feel funny noting these names as if I know so much. I know there's a bunch of really impressive jiu jitsu out there from names *I* don't recognize that others more aware and informed will be excited to see. Just my ignorance I guess.

Felipe Costa
Bruno Malfacine
Caio Terra
Wellington "Megaton" Dias
Bruno Frazzato
Rafael Mendes
Gui Mendes
Ryan Hall
Justin Rader
Lucas Lepri
Jonathan Torres
Claudio Calasans
Gilberto Burns
Abmar Barbosa
Ian McPherson
Andre Galvao
Ricardo Abreu
Marcus Vinicius Almeida
Bruno Bastos
Braga Neto
Stephen Hall


And then the ladies! Holy cow.

Michelle Nicolini
Fabiana Borges
Luanna Alzuguir
Bia Mesquita
Emily Kwok
Hannette Staack
Hillary Williams
Gabrielle Garcia
Tammy Griego

FYI-- male blackbelts (rooster to middle weight) get started at 9am on Sunday the 27th. Brown/black women get started at 11am. Black belt adult men and brown/black females finals matches get going at 3:30pm.

Schedule is up here.