It was an eventful weekend for Team Third Law’s Competition Team, with 18 kids and adults traveling to Boca Raton to compete in a North American Grappling Association (NAGA) tournament.
The team brought back 35 medals total: 13 gold, 19 silver and 3 bronze.
“It is very rewarding to have been able to teach these kids at all stages of their lives, to see them grow as competitors and compete side-by-side with their coaches and adult students who are all great role models,” said Roberto Torralbas, the team’s head coach and owner of Team Third Law Brazilian Jiu Jitsu & Muay Thai Kickboxing in Naples, FL.
Kids Results
Eight kids competitors from the school’s most advanced kids class, Masters Club, took the kids division by storm, collecting lots of samurai swords, medals and, most importantly, having a blast.
It was the first travel trip for the kids who are members of the Team Third Law Competition team, and they rode over with the coaches the night before to get a good night’s rest and have fun with their friends and coaches.
Of course, before going to bed, they had to have some fun, so Master Roberto decided that an epic pillow fight would be the best way to get the kids tired enough to fall asleep. Surprisingly, it worked!
Kids who competed included: Tyler, Devon, Tony, Pedro, Dominic, Robert, Corey and Nicholas. While some had a tournament or two under their belt, others hadn’t done one in years or it was their very first time. The coaches are very proud of all the kids who competed, with special congratulations due to Devon, Robert and Corey, who competed for the first time.
Robert and Nicholas closed out both their no gi and gi beginner divisions together, taking home gold and silver. In no gi, Robert won two matches, the first by points and the second by kimura, and Nicholas won one by kimura. In gi, Robert and Nicholas both won one match points.
Tyler and Pedro also dominated their beginner gi and no gi divisions, closing them out for gold and silver. In no gi, they both won one match 6-0 and in gi, Tyler won one match points and Pedro won one match by arm triangle.
Dominic fought some tough opponents and took silver in both his gi and no gi divisions.
Corey took silver in his beginner gi and no gi divisions, and in another no gi beginner division took gold, winning one match by kimura.
Tony won silver in both his beginner gi and no gi divisions, winning one match by points in each.
With no beginners to fight, Devon moved up to the intermediate division. He took home bronze in the no gi intermediate division. In gi intermediate he won one match by kimura for silver.
After they finished competing, the Kids Competition Team stayed to cheer on the adults, and then headed to Boomers, a family-fun attraction nearby. There, they drove Go-Karts, played Lazer Tag and arcade games and feasted on pizza, slushies and Dippin Dots. After working hard on the mats all day, they played hard — so when it was time to get in the car to go home they all passed out! Master Roberto, Coach Katy and Coach Joey delivered them back to their parents late Saturday night.
Teens Results
Three of the team’s teenage competitors traveled to compete in Boca: Andy, Noah and Brooks.
Andy, who is 13, won one match in a 17 and under teens expert division against a blue belt, taking home the championship belt. He also took home two silvers and a bronze from three other teens expert 17 and under divisions in gi and no gi. He has consistently dominated his age group, so he was moved up to get some good matches.
Noah won two matches for gold in his teens no gi intermediate division, one by kimura and the other 6-0. In gi he also won gold in teens intermediate, scoring 4-0.
Brooks won one match in his teens no gi beginner division by americana, and also took home silver in his teens gi beginner division.
Adults Results
Seven adults competed in the tournament, including Stan, Kenny, Theresa, Judd, Chris, Cesar and Coaches Joe and Joey. Special congrats go out to Judd, who was doing his first tournament. He took gold in his gi division, winning one match 7-0, and silver in his no gi division.
Chris had a battle in his no gi intermediate division, outscoring his opponent in the last minute of the match and winning gold. He also took silver in his gi division.
Theresa won one match in her no gi beginner division for gold and one match in her gi division for silver.
Cesar and Stan both had good fights but didn’t come home with any medals. Kenny won one match in his beginner no gi division by points for gold and one match in his white belt adult gi division by referee decision for silver.
Coach Joe won two matches in his purple belt division for silver.
Coach Joey won two matches, one by mounted triangle and one by armbar, to take home the championship belt in a mixed purple and brown belt division.
It was a great experience for all, and all the competitors — kids, teens and adults — are already excited for the next one. For the Kids Competition Team, the next event is going to be a Newbreed on November 21 in Orlando. For the adults, the coaches are heading to New York City for the No Gi Pan American Championship next weekend, and a bigger crew is preparing for the Miami International Open in October.
