American jiu-jitsu champ Rafael Lovato Jr teaches Sweep
American jiu-jitsu practitioner Rafael Lovato Jr teaches Sweep
In this video, the American jiu-jitsu practitioner Rafael Lovato Jr teaches a Sweep called the Cross Collar Hook Sweep. Rafael has used this sweep effectively in jiu-jitsu competitions over the years and is known as one of the best Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructors in the USA. He is a grappler who made history twice in the sport of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, first after by being the first non Brazilian to win “Brasileiro”(the Brazilian National Championship)ileiroâ€) as a blackbelt. He also becamse the 1st American in the tournament’s history by winning the Absolute division (open weight division). He was also the 2nd American to win the World Championship in the black belt division. he and BJ Penn of UFC fame are the only 2 to accomplish this feat.  Lovato Jr began training martial arts at a young age with his father. His dad was heavily influenced by Bruce Lee and was a Jeet Kun Do practitioner. Lovato Sr would often travel to seminars and train a variety of martial arts styles – from Kali to Karate to Boxing. Rafael’s initial martial arts aspirations were in the sport of boxing, until his father ran into the Gracies at a JKD seminar in California, and immediately fell in love with the sport. Making long drives on a regular basis to visit Carlos Machado, Lovato Senior would come home to share and drill with his son, who also became engrossed in the sport. As the years went on, Rafael Jr began to travel to CA, Las Vegas, Texas and Brazil, as his father stayed at home to tend his martial arts academy. At home in Oklahoma, Rafael didn’t have many talented training partners, and depended heavily on traveling in order to gather information to bring back to his father. He attributes this effort to make the most of his learning to be a key element in his development as a competitor. Today, Rafael is by far the most decorated American Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioner – with multiple World Championship titles, and recent big wins in the Metamoris Pro and the Black Belt Absolute Division at the 2013 Brazilieros. He is one of the few heavyweight BJJ grapplers who’s explicitly known for the variety in his game. Coming up in the BJJ game with little or no formal “direction,†he explored X-gaurd, closed guard, spider guard, and many other styles which now contribute to his vast array of attacks and options. On top, he is known primarily for his pressure passing and his strong Kimura finishes, in addition to his brabo chokes. Lovato’s style is notoriously aggressive, and he is an outspoken proponent against any kind of stalling. In addition to his home base in Oklahoma, he currently has schools in NJ, Oregon, Texas, Illinois, Colorado and British Columbia, Canada. If you are interesting in training at the NJ Academy, Savarese BJJ Academy, call 201 933-5134 or email [email protected] for a free class.
