LOCAL martial arts club, Urso Lobo Jiu Jitsu, recently triumphed at the Dorset and Hants Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Open Championships, walking away with 14 medals, including six gold medals.
“We entered 12 competitors,” reports the club, which meets at Avonside Enterprise Park. “Firstly, co-head coach Marc Clark – after narrowly missing out on victory a few weeks ago at the British Open he decided last minute to compete in the Gi division dominating all his matches, submitting all opponents and taking gold.
“Next Ash Gray in his first ever competition smashed through his divisions taking gold in NoGi and silver in Gi, made all the more impressive that less than 12 hours before competing he was won his first MMA event for charity. Matthew Higgins in the heaviest category took a dominant gold in NoGi and a silver in the Gi also the first time he has competed.
“Moving on to Alex Britton, he continued his rapid rise building on his bronze at the Brighton Open smashing out another bronze medal in Gi and destroying the NoGi category to take gold.
“Paul Aubery in his first comp grabbed an impressive silver in NoGi, winning his semi-final with a lovely guillotine submission. Reuben Redstone Velge had some tough matches in his first comp grabbing himself silver.
“Kung Fu Phil Carter competing in a higher ranked blue belt division as a white belt continued to get back to form getting a bronze medal.
“Jamie Meakin, fresh from 4 Ezekiel submissions and gold at Brighton, landed another two trademark submissions on his way to bronze in the Gi and silver in NoGi.
“Lastly for the medal winners is the double champ Matty Porter, having lost all 3 of his previous tournaments in his first match, we have been waiting for Matty to show us what we see in the gym on the competition mats, today was that day!
“The wrestling training he’s been getting from Stu Pike and Jack Eglin from Dragons Lair MMA has obviously paid off as he absolutely mauled everyone he fought the whole day, beating everyone comfortably to take gold in nothing Gi and NoGi, picking up some impressive submissions on the way.
“Rob O’Shaughnessy, Graham Marchmont and Sam Blake didn’t manage to medal but got valuable experience in their first comps with some definite positives to take from their performances.
“We could not be prouder as coaches of everyone who put themselves out there and represented the team Urso Lobo Jiu Jitsu; we came 4th as an individual academy with 12 competitors; the 1st placed team had 80 just to put that in perspective; we also won more matches and lost less than the team in 3rd.”
Picture: Melksham’s Urso Lobo Jiu Jitsu club celebrate at the Dorset and Hants Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Open Championships.
