Third Law becomes the first Southwest Florida school to send multiple competitors to the European Open Championships in Lisbon, Portugal. The four Naples BJJ competitors went to represent Team Lloyd Irvin and brought home four medals. Here, they're pictured with members of the team from fellow Lloyd Irvin schools Crazy 88 Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Paramont BJJ and Evolve Academy.

In three days of competition at the European Open Championships in Portugal, Third Law brought home four medals for Team Lloyd Irvin and Team USA: Master Roberto won bronze at brown middle heavy as well as bronze in the brown belt absolute, and Katy Torralbas won silver at blue pena.

Meanwhile, in the Blue Belt Heavyweight Teams Match, which pits teams of 5 competitors from different countries against each other, Joey Ruggiero and four other Americans took the Gold for Team USA. Team USA was stacked with four Lloyd Irvin competitors, with blue belts from Crazy 88, Third Law and Paramont BJJ representing the USA.

This was the first time traveling to the European Open for Coach Joseph Formica, Katy Torralbas and Joey Ruggiero, and the first time Third Law sent multiple competitors to the first of the four annual Grand Slam tournaments: Europeans, Pan Ams, Brasileros and the Worlds.

Cold Toronto, Canada was the Naples BJJ Competition Team's first stop on their way to Lisbon

Airport weight check

The blue belts left on Tuesday morning, flying from Fort Myers to Toronto, and then on to London and finally Lisbon.

A passenger almost had a heart attack on the plane and so there was an an unplanned stop in Montreal, but Katy, Joey and Joe finally arrived in Lisbon on Wednesday afternoon.

They got their bearings, found the venue – Complexo Municipal Esportivo do Castal Vistoso – and settled in to get a good night’s sleep.

Bright and early Thursday morning, the blue belt guys were up. Joey Ruggiero won three matches in his division at Blue Medio, winning his first by bow and arrow choke after racking up points and his second by 6-0 with an over-the-top sweep to mount. In his third match he and his opponent went sweep for sweep for 2-2, but Joey scored an advantage for a triangle attempt and took the win. He lost his fourth match 6-4 in another sweep for sweep battle. Coach Formica also fought hard in his division at Blue Leve, but his bid for European Champ was stopped as well.

Joey Ruggiero wins his third match at the European Open

Katy Torralbas takes Silver at Blue Belt Pena, winning three matches on her way to the medal podium

The next day, Katy Torralbas was up first in her division at Blue Pena.

She won her first two matches by kimura from the closed guard and her third by referee decision.

She lost in the finals by referee decision, taking home the Silver in her weight class and earning a chance to fight later in the absolute.

In the absolute, Katy defeated her first opponent 4-0 with a back take from De La Riva, and then lost her second match on points.

Master Roberto Torralbas arrived in Lisbon on Thursday, and on Friday fought in his second European Open Championships at Brown Belt.

He won his first match by racking up pass and mount points, ending it 13-0 with 2 advantages. In his second match, he lost 2-0, taking home the bronze and earning a spot in the Brown Belt Absolute.

Master Roberto takes bronze at Brown Belt Medio Pesado and Bronze in the Brown Belt Absolute

Lloyd Irvin Teammates Roberto Torralbas and Willie Leonard take Bronze in the Brown Belt Absolute at European Open Lisbon, Portugal

Later that day, Master Roberto won his two matches in the Brown belt absolute on points, and lost his third by 2 advantages. He shared the 3rd place podium with fellow Lloyd Irvin teammate Willie Leonard, who also won two matches in the Brown Belt Absolute.

Many other Lloyd Irvin competitors brought home medals, including: Camp Springs black belt JT Torres, silver in the lightweight division; purple belt Keenan Cornelius, double gold (his division and the open); brown belt Nyjah Easton, gold in her division and bronze in the open; Sijara Eubanks, silver in her division and silver in the absolute; purple belt Kenneth Brown from Evolve Academy, bronze in his division and silver in the absolute and Cathy Tran-Zwanetz from Crazy 88, won gold at blue pluma.

Overall, the Lloyd Irvin women placed second with just four female competitors winning 6 medals, earning 28 total points for Team Lloyd Irvin.

Joey Ruggiero defeats an opponent in the Blue Belt Heavyweight Teams Match by triangle

Joey Ruggiero defeats another Teams Match opponent, this time 19-0

Then, in the early evening on Saturday, Four Lloyd Ivrin blue belts including Joey Ruggiero had a chance to represent Team USA in the Blue Belt Heavyweight team contest.

Pitted against other countries, five American blue belts fought four rounds of fights and took gold in the Team Event. The Lloyd Irvin representatives included: Joey Ruggiero from Third Law, Al Washington and Devon Delbrugge from Crazy 88, and Eric Desmaris from Paramont BJJ. They were joined by a grappler from Rafael Lovato’s school named Dallas.

The guys killed it in the Team fights, and Joey Ruggiero represented Third Law well, winning his first match on points, his second by triangle, his third by triangle and fourth 19-0.

On Sunday morning, Joey, Joe and Katy headed home, while Master Roberto went back to the venue with Master Julius to watch the black belt matches.

All in all, it was an amazing experience to travel to Europe and represent Team Lloyd Irvin at one of the biggest, most competitive BJJ events in the world. Now the Third Law competitors are headed home to Naples, and excited to train for the next International tournament!

Team USA wins Blue Belt Heavyweight Team Gold with four Lloyd Irvin Competitors and one Rafael Lovato Competitor

Team Third Law wakes up in Lisbon, Portugal on the first morning of the European Open Championships

After along journey from Fort Myers to Toronto, Canada, across the Atlantic to London and then finally to Portugal, the first three competitors from Third Law arrived in Lisbon on Wednesday morning. Today, Thursday, Coach Joseph Formica and Joey Ruggiero start off the day in their respective blue belt divisions, alongside competitors from fellow Team Lloyd Irvin School Crazy 88 Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

Here, check out a time-lapse video of the venue begin set up by the International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation:

Today, Master Roberto left bright and early from Fort Myers, traveling to meet up with his teammates. Katy Torralbas will fight on Friday in her blue belt division, and Master Roberto fights with the brown belts on Saturday.

It’s super exciting for Third Law to be sending four competitors to this tournament in Europe — Master Roberto has gone in previous years, but this makes Third Law the first Southwest Florida school to send multiple competitors to the International Brazilian Jiu JItsu Federation’s European Open Championship!

If you’re a current student, don’t forget, that the school will be closed Thursday, January 26 through Sunday, January 29. Classes will resume on Monday, January 30 as usual.

We are super excited and proud to have the opportunity to send competitors to this event to represent Team Lloyd Irvin at the European Open, one of the biggest and most competitive tournaments held each year by the International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation.

View from Hotel Tiara Park Atlantic, Lisbon, Portugal

Stay up to date with us at Team Third Law on Facebook at www.TeamThirdLawFans.com. Best wishes to all competitors!

Your students are the opposite of the stereotype that MMA facilities can (and rightfully so) carry

First and foremost I want to commend you on the great program you have in Third Law. I went to your gym not knowing what to expect. Wow! It by far exceeded my expectations. Your staff (Katy and Joe), your students are the opposite of the stereotype that MMA facilities can (and rightfully so) carry. This is the first time in about a decade I have been able to get on mats again and grapple, it was awesome. I was looking and yearning for that exact type of challenge and workout that simulated my days when I wrestled.

You really have something special unlike anything around here. The way you encourage and inspire reflects how much you are passionate about what you do. When Joe and I sat down after practice to discuss rates and options, he asked me what my goals were not just centered around the gym but in life in general. My response to him was to seek balance in life (time,health, job, God and family). You’re an inspiration not just to MMA, but to humanity. Watching you with the lil ninja group shows your love and passion for what you do. Thank you again for everything. –Abram

The kids did a lot! The full-time martial artists had not just one, but many classes a day. By the end of the summer, you can imagine the rate at which everyone improved. It really let the kids get ahead of the game and advance at a really fast pace.

Master Roberto takes Team Third Law BJJ & MMA summer camp kids to the beach. A great place to throw some punches and kicks!

Every Tuesday and Thursday the kids got to take a field trip, each having its own martial arts twist. First we took them to the beach, a perfect place to train. There they practiced their punches and kicks, showing off their skills to everyone and representing Team Third Law’s martial arts program well. Then, after, they got to cool off in the water. Another day, the kids checked out the fighter house where the coaches live, and got to swim in the pool there. Congo River Miniature golf was a big hit as everyone worked together and challenged Master Roberto. Some even got a hole in one. We also went to Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary to check out some wildlife, which the kids enjoyed a lot as well. The field trips were great, but they are just a tip of the iceberg when it comes to the adventures we’re going to have next year.

Team Third Law BJJ & MMA summer camp kids surround Master Roberto after a good time playing in the pool.

Another activity in which we added a martial arts twist was watching movies. Of course all of them were martial arts based movies such as Kung Fu Panda and Jackie Chan Adventures. At the end of Kung Fu Panda, the song played “Everybody was Kung Fu fighting” but the kids shouted Brazilian Jiu Jitsu whenever it said Kung Fu. It was a lot of fun and the kids were really into it.

Team Third Law summer camp kids travel along Corkscrew Reserve and suddenly spot a grasshopper. The kids got an up and close look at the interesting creature.

As you can tell this is not just any regular summer camp.

We not only want your child to have fun during his/her summer, but to learn and get better and get a head start in life by learning life skills that will help them to succeed not only on the mats but also in school, at home and in the future. During the camp, each child gets a lot of personalized attention from the instructors, as there is a cap on the number of kids in the program.

This year, the summer camp will be extended to an Amazing Nine Week program, filled with fun martial arts classes, important life skill lessons and lots of fun and educational field trips. Call the school today to get your name on the list, as the spots will go quickly! 239-628-3529

Anthony Feliciano, a member of the Third Law's Black Belt Club, gets his yellow belt with one black stripe on Test Day in the Little Ninjas class at Third Law BJJ & MMA in Naples, FL.

Black Belt Club is an invitation-only, advanced kids program at Third Law BJJ & MMA in Naples Florida. Students are invited when they show that they are dedicated and really want to do their best each and every class.

In Black Belt Club, kids are able to train with more advanced students and learn more advanced techniques. Being surrounded by kids with the same dedication who have worked really hard on learning and perfecting their technique really accelerates the improvement of anyone who joins. The kids also get an opportunity to train more, which means more grappling matches.

Black Belt Club class is every Saturday at 9:15 am and now Third Law has added a new Black Belt Club class on Thursdays at 5pm as well. Also, since it is a select group, the kids get more one-on-one time with the instructors. When a kid joins, they get a belt with a black stripe in the center and whetever color he/she is. Also, a Black Belt Club patch is given for them to wear on their Gi. It’s an honor to be in Black Belt Club, and the kids who are in it are very proud of their accomplishment. This is definitely a program you don’t want to miss out on, especially since Thursdays are now available.

Eli gets promoted to black belt club from orange with one white stripe to green with one black stripe.

Every first Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and now Friday, kids as well as adults are tested on how well they absorbed the curriculum from the last month. This year, the tests have been more challenging than ever after students learn a lot of techniques throughout the month. If you ever felt overwhelmed don’t worry, that’s a good thing. As Master Roberto says “If you’re not feeling overwhelmed, you’re just not trying hard enough”.

Coach Joey tests the Tiny Ninja's on what they learned and how well they do the techniques.

A lot of times students are nervous about taking the test because they are so worried about forgetting a move or doing a technique wrong. If you don’t know what you’re doing wrong, though, you’re not going to be able to get better. Testing will help you improve a lot because it is the one day out of the month where you get to review all the techniques and get to know specifically what you need to work on.

On Tuesday, adults tested in No-Gi. Last month for the adult’s BJJ curriculum we worked on taking the back, so this month the test is all about defending the back. Wednesday was the Little Ninjas and Juniors tests as well as the adult BJJ Gi Test. All the Little’s and Junior’s did great and earned another stripe on their belt. For the adults, in the morning class, Gary Waskovich and Jason Kurek got their next level belt as well as Carty Seay in the night class.

Little Ninja Dominic holds up his completed life skill worksheet for Teamwork

For Thursday, it was the Tiny Ninjas and MMA Intro students’ turn to test what they learned during the month. For December, the kids were not just tested on techniques but very important life skills as well. Each month they get a life skill worksheet, and if they complete it by the test day they get a gold star patch for their Gi.

The worksheets track their implementation of the life skill of that month, encouraging them to take steps at home and at school to show they understand what the life skill means. For example, the life skill of family, if the child does something like helping his or her siblings without being told than they get a certain amount of points. Their parents give points throughout the month, and if they get 20 by the end they get the star patch. In Tiny Ninjas, Sabrina Sadaty earned her gold star and also was promoted to white belt with one gray stripe.

Then, to wrap up test week, the Teens took their test on Friday. They all did a great job and earned there black stripe on their belt.

Coach Joey puts a stripe on Ben Walker's belt during the teens test at Team Third Law BJJ & MMA

Now we can look forward to the new year, tackling the curriculum that is constantly changing and evolving. Great job to everyone who has done the test! Let’s keep up the good work in 2012!

Check us out! Team Third Law BJJ & MMA family has moved to a new home and to those who haven’t seen it yet, here is a quick virtual tour.

In the beginning of the video you are led to the main entrance, through the reception area.

Then the video follows into the Combat Gold room, or the “Boiler Room” as we like to call it. Combat Gold is the invite-only advanced program, and we call the training room the boiler room because it has given those advanced students an opportunity to take their training to another level by training without air conditioning. It’s a mental and physical test that the students put themselves through each time, grappling for hours as the temperature steadily rises, and they love the challenge.

Third Law BJJ & MMA New School Main Training Room. Come check it out at 5707 Shirley Street in Naples, Florida. Call us today for a free orientation class 239-628-3529

Next, you’ll see the school’s new student wall and the main training area. This room has high ceilings, big windows, plenty of seating for spectators and a huge matted area for training. It’s where the main adult program classes take place, including Brazilian Jiu Jitus, No Gi Submission Grappling, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Intro and BJJ / No Gi Grappling. It’s also the home of Third Law’s many programs for kids and teens, including Tiny Ninjas, Little Ninjas, Juniors, Teens and the advanced kids program, Black Belt Club.

Team Third Law has always offered world class instruction and produced strong, technical and respectful students and competitors, no matter the age. Now, we’re happy to introduce you to this brand new, professional facility.

And, there’s more to come! We’re currently working on adding a third classroom in the back, which will be dedicated to Muay Thai kickboxing and boxing. In the works are: a boxing ring, a rack of Muay Thai Bags and more. Stay tuned for another video tour when that room is completed.

Third Law's Juniors Class (Ages 11 to 13) work on their push ups during Test Day in early December. The kids and adults classes tested on the November Curriculum during the first week of the month in December, earning stripes, new belts, patches and stars for their effort depending on the class and age level.

We have lift off as Master Roberto catches a brave Tiny Ninja who isn't afraid of any test!

The first week of December was Third Law’s first week at the new school, and also test week for the November Curriculum in all classes. It’s been a crazy month for Team Third Law with all the stuff going on, from the Tough Mudder to constant improvements in the classes, to the relocation and expansion to the new school location!

If you’ve ever taken a test at Team Third Law you know how important it is. Not only is it important to the coaches and instructors — who use it to gauge their students’ progress — but it is most important to the students.

For the coaches and instructors, the test allows them to see how well everyone is understanding and absorbing the curriculum so that next year they have an idea of how much they should teach and what to improve upon.

For the students, it is a great way to see what their own strengths and weaknesses are and to give them a chance to focus on some things they may have missed.

Tuesday, we had the No Gi test in all of the adult No Gi classes. For this month we had many chokes specifically for No Gi, along with backtaking techniques.

Master Roberto gives Sam a black stripe on her white belt after November's test in the Juniors class.

Wednesday was test day for the kids in the Little Ninja and Juniors program along with adults who did the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Basics with the Gi.

For the Little Ninjas, Eli Droganici got promoted to Green Belt with one black stripe, Anthony Feliciano got promoted to yellow belt with one black stripe and Tyler McCabe got promoted to yellow belt with one white stripe.

For the Juniors, everyone did great and earned their next stripe.

In the adults program, Chris Marrie earned his next belt with half blue, half white belt and Lourdes Serrano got her white belt with one blue stripe.

On Thursday we finished off the adult testing with the MMA test, and kids testing continued with the Tiny Ninjas.

For the Tiny Ninjas, Dylan Santos, aka Wolverine, got promoted to white belt with one gray stripe and Daniel Aleksen, aka Buzz Lightyear, got promoted to white belt with one yellow stripe.

The MMA students were tested on a lot of combinations learned throughout the month. With the new uniforms in place, everyone who brought there MMA shirts, application and ID card got a stripe on their shirt.

Everyone did great and congratulations to everyone who participated!

Little ninja's get warmed up before testing out their techniques at Team Third Law BJJ & MMA.