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| Clinton on top in side-control |
First up was my friend Clinton. He's a purple belt at Gracie Barra and was one of my instructors when I was first learning jiu-jitsu. He competed in both no gi and gi tournaments. In no gi he took 3rd place in his division and in gi he took the gold. A huge accomplishment for a guy that's had his purple belt for less than a year.
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| Clinton in full mount setting up a finishing move |
In his 3rd place match for no gi, Clinton rolled very well. He pulled guard at the onset and quickly went to work for a sweep. It wasn't long before he got it and gained the top position. His opponent didn't just lie there though. He kept busy and was able to reverse the position at one point but Clinton kept just as busy and scored with another sweep. A scary moment came during a scramble when Clinton's opponent attacked his leg with what looked like a heel hook. Clinton rolled with his opponent and was eventually able to kick his leg free and get back to the top position. It looked close though. His opponent kept busy trying to recover his guard but Clinton shifted his hips and adjusted his weight to control the position. His opponent wasn't going anywhere.
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| Clinton submits his opponent with a smooth armbar |
Towards the end of the match Clinton was well ahead on points and maneuvered into the full mount position. He could have rode out the clock and taken the victory but instead he attacked and secured an armbar. Clinton tapped out his opponent to claim bronze. Congrats!
Next was my friend Kim. She's a blue belt, has been training just about as long as I have, and this was her first competition. Throughout training she's endured broken fingers and torn ligaments in both ankles. But she's healed strong each time and has remained dedicated to training jiu-jitsu. Her technique has improved a lot in the past few months and she trained hard for her first tournament. Here's how her first fight went.
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| Kim on top keeping her opponent down |
When the match started Kim wasted no time pulling guard and transitioning from full guard to spider guard. She worked for a sweep and kept her opponent off balance. Her opponent did well to avoid getting swept but was forced to stand and Kim caught her with a pull-feet sweep. A technique where you pull a standing opponent's heels toward you while pushing their hips away with your knees or feet. It usually sends your opponent sailing onto their back, which is exactly what happened to Kim's opponent.
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| Kim was dominant in side-control |
Kim took the top position in half guard. It didn't take long for her to pass the guard and move into side-control. Her opponent worked to regain her guard but Kim deftly spun to the opposite side and established a dominant side-control position.
Kim's pressure was relentless. Her opponent bumped and bridge but there was no escape. Kim began to work towards the knee-on-belly position and her opponent found an opportunity to to regain full guard. Her opponent quickly attacked an armbar. Kim defended well and got her arm free then quickly passed her opponent's guard and regained side-control.
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| First tournament, first gold! Congrats! |
Kim kept her opponent controlled for the rest of the match. When time expired she won with a dominant score of 11 to 0. With the victory Kim claimed gold in her division. Congrats!
The NAGA tournament was great to watch. It moved pretty smoothly with 10 mats set up so there was always some rolling to watch. Many of my Gracie Barra teammates rolled and did well. Some claimed medals, others came up short, but all deserve praise and respect for challenging themselves in competition. My hat's off to all of you!
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