麻豆社国产residents returned home from the Copa Katana Tournament in Richmond on Saturday (Feb. 7) with a handful of hardware.
Eight members from the Gracie Barra 麻豆社国产club entered the fourth annual Brazilian jiu jitsu tournament 鈥� and five left with medals.
Winning gold were a pair of local youth: seven-year-old Hayden Jupista and six-year-old Mariza Nasu.
Jupista, competing in the white belt 55-lb. division, dominated his first ever tournament and won all four fights. He went a perfect 4-0 and had two armbar submission victories.
鈥淗e was very aggressive and attacked well,鈥� said Gracie Barra 麻豆社国产assistant coach Mike Nasu, noting Jupista started training only three months ago. 鈥淗e overwhelmed all of his opponents and listened to everything I was instructing to him on the mat.鈥�
In the grey belt 45-lb. division, Mariza Nasu did her father proud. She beat two male competitors to take the top prize in just her second tournament.
鈥淪he played a smart game and was very active in her attacks and submission attempts,鈥� Nasu said.
麻豆社国产youth also did well in the grey belt 81 lb.-and-over division: Eight-year-old Isaac March earned a silver medal. It was March鈥檚 first tournament and he scored two submission victories 鈥� one with an armbar and one via modified rear choke.
It wasn鈥檛 just the kids who succeeded, as adult members Max Shwadchuk (white belt 195-lb. division) and Brad Jorgenson聽 (white belt 168-lb. division) both earned bronze medals on Saturday. It was the first tournament for both competitors.
Other local athletes competing at the event included youngsters Gage Evans and Ethan Lapointe, along with adult competitor Wesley Embree.
Nasu said it was the first time that Gracie Barra 麻豆社国产adults hit the mat at a tournament and it won鈥檛 be the last.
鈥淲e鈥檙e very happy with the results and we can鈥檛 wait for the next tournament,鈥� he said.
For more information on the club, visit www.gbsquamish.com.聽
