Can you please introduce yourself to the Swedish grappling community?
Hi. I’m Timo-Juhani Hirvikangas, a grappler from Finngifhters Gym Turku Finland.

When and how did you first come in contact with Grappling/Jiu-Jitsu?
Well I started with grappling almost by accident, I started with MMA in 2005 and my coach Marko Leisten wanted me to do a grappling tournament, I won and started to fall in love with the sport.

How has your last grappling year been like?
Well I have been focusing mainly on MMA this couple of years and haven’t been grappling too much, only the biggest tournaments. But I’ve been training really hard and I think MMA has helped my grappling alot too.

How are you preparing for ADCC 2013?
Well I’m training for a MMA fight at the moment but when it’s over I will be focusing on grappling for a month or so before the ADCC.

What is your thoughts of the competitor list in your weight class, any names you are missing?
No one missing in my opinion, all the best grapplers in the world are there.

In 2011 I did an interview with Janne-Pekka Pietiläinen and I mentioned that Finns tend to go for a lot of heel hooks and foot locks. What is your opinion? Many people see you as a foot lock specialist.
Well I don’t know about that =).  I like the leglocks alot, but there are alot of people doing legloks nowadays, not just a Finnish thing =).

Who do you see yourself facing in the final?
Well it has to be Rafael Mendes.

Favorite submission?
Heelhook, of course.