Ipanema
Main instructors are:
Marcelo Yogue
Alexandre "Café" Dantas
Bruno Severiano
Darrel Gholar
Darrel does not have a school really. He currently teaches classes at BTT 3 days a week and at a private Gym 3 days a week. Contact us about setting up times to train with him.
After Training
What things are there to do when not training around the academy?
Most schools are inside gyms so you can take advantage and work out. Also many classes in Brazilian dance or gymnastics. You can do a lot of the same things you do at home. The malls here are more fun than at home and the beach of course is the best! Try some kite surfing or hang gliding.
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The cheapest place to get gis is straight from the factories. However the factories are not easy to get to and usually are not it rich nice neighborhoods. So if you can make your way out there you will save some money but chances are the cab fare alone will make up the difference. Your best bet is ask around at the academy and find guys that have sponsors to get them for you. You can also get gis at the malls but you will pay way too much for them there. Generally the prices range from $R100 to $R250 depending on the gi and where you get.
Can you get a gi and send it to me?
If you buy 20 or more gis and can get them and send them to you for a small fee, other wise no. It will also depend on the brand you want.
Stores to get Fight Gear.
Barra Shopping has a few places they are all on the bottom floor near and around CYClone which has great prices BTW. When you go to CYClone ask for Jorge and tell him Scott sent you for a little break in costs.
Waves has Bad Boy and some Red Nose.
Albertacao is also in Barra Shopping a long with Vitamins n Minerals but they are on the second floor towards the same end as New Your City Center.
New Your City center also has a new store on the second floor called Team Sabotage they sell fight gear as well and there is a new skate shop there with some fight gear.
SurFight is in the Aprador mini skate & surf mall.
Gameness Retail store seems to have closed? But you can still get all the stuff at
http://grapplergear.com/.BadBoy is sold all over and I believe they have a store in Ipanema.
Rio Sul Shopping has a few good stores on the top floor.
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Surfing in Rio
Lots of beach breaks in and around Rio. You will never need a wetsuit here unless you are a real pussy. Not really, some days the water comes up from the south cold and you might want a shorty this is not the norm. Water stays warm year round it is rare to see anyone with a suit on here. To the south of Brazil the water gets colder and you might want a light suit.
Check the waves here:
http://ricosurf.globo.com/Aprador between Ipanimia & Copacabana
Prainha - out past Barra
Meio da Barra – Which is about post 6 or 7
Floripa has some great surfing too as does the south of Brazil.
Skating
Rio is loaded with skateparks there are everywhere here and some are very very nice. All the parks and _ pipes are concrete too so they are plenty fast and smooth. The Butofogo (or soul bowl) bowl is in front of Rio Sul Shopping and it is in the middle of the street. Great bowl with loads of vert and a beautiful smooth transition. In Flamengo there is a huge skatepark with _ pipes, mini ramps, rails and all sorts of other fun stuff. The is a nice bowl in La Goa too almost in from of AABB where the Top Team trains. Barra has both a decent bowl, in front of the beach between post 2 & 3 in the park, there is also a big _ just past Barra Shopping on the left side in the middle of the circle you drive around to return to Barra. Can’t miss it, it is huge.
Speedos & Board shorts
The norm by far is the sunga or speedo on the beach here for sure but there are more and more people wearing board shorts all the time on the beach. They are very popular with the surfers but they usually run the speedos under the shorts. Always wearing shorts is a good way to stand out as a gringo.
Being a Gringo in Rio
Brazilians have been very nice to us the whole time. From time to time people have no problem with letting you know their unpleasant feelings about old GW. No one is happy with him at this time here, but for the most part no one here will blame you personally. Brazilians are rightfully emotional about the our polotics in south America and the new war. Email Dave Against the Machine for a full report.
Dave@OntheMat.comThere can be some friction at times but for the most part people are very very nice. Do your best to respect them and remember it is not their duty to speak English.
Girls in Rio.
Boy! talking about the girls her really gets us in trouble. We try to help you guys here but it is hard. All we can say is this. There are a lot of them, more than anywhere else I have been. They are all for the most part in very good
