Tashi!
Thanks for posting that up!
My name is Brian Oravetz, and I've been around this site since roughly 1996. The old timers would know of the affiliation with Master Murgel.
The website is under heavy construction. Which means that the guy I had working on it, did somethings that he shoudl not have. I had to get rid of him, and now, since he was doing the site in .Net, I am working on learning that programming language to finish the job myself. The old site www.unionteam.com.br will all be transferred over to www.unionworldteam.com shortly.
Severnsmustache. I have spent a great deal of time with Professor Murgel. He lived with me for quite some time, and he is my daughters Brazilian Godfatha... :-)
I can tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is one of the most thoughtful, charismatic, highly technical professors you could ever learn from. If you were to attend one of his seminars, you would glaze over before he got done teaching. He pays a massive amount of attention to detail. And he does not have a "standard" seminar schtick. He will focus on what you want to know, and you'll get more info that you bargained for in return.
He is one of the few guys of his level that is not "dogmatic" in what he teaches. He does not take the tact that he is, or BJJ is, the be all end all art out there. He is extremely open minded, and willing to listen to questions, or suggestions.
As for him coming here to the states. Absolutely. I guess this is as good place as any for an informal announcement. I was holding off until we get the final interview done at the consulate in Rio. Suffice it to say, we have the intial approvals for Professor Murgels EB1 Immigrant workers visa. So that he and his wife can come here to the states to stay.
Initially, he will be with me in Atlanta. But soon enough Professor Murgel will be spending plenty of time in Chi-town land.
He will hit the seminar trail very soon. Professor Murgel will focus on BJJ/MMA, and reality based teaching because there is NOT another Master level guy out there with Professor Murgels credentials when it comes to reality based applications. He has many years as the head trainer for the Brazilian State Police, and a massive amount of law enforcement teaching here in the States already. He is the head instructor at the Center for Special Techniques and Tactics in Brazil. www.ctte.com.br
And I'm the International Business Developement Manager there, btw... :-)
We are also inline with the one and only, Kru Kevin Jakubs.
It just does not get any better than this...
If you are interested in affiliation, drop a line. Our organization will NOT be laden with high fee's and large monthly payouts. But it will be laden with highly technical training, and a fare trade for a fare dollar.
BrianOravetz@bellsouth.net
Consider Atlanta, and Chicago, our starting out base points. There is much more to come that we will announce at a later date.