Junior Team from Ross Martial Arts Wins 18 Medals

Kids belonging to the Martial Arts and Fitness Academy’s grappling team won five state championships last July 19 during the North American Grappling Association’s Georgia Championships held in Riverdale, Georgia.

The ten members of the team aged 5 to 18. They won a total of 18 medals from the no gi and gi grappling contest that is hosted yearly by NAGA. Ross Martial Arts instructor Jay Russell said that they usually sent an adult team to the event but they chose to send a lot of kids this year who are students of their Brazilian jiu-jitsu program. Most of the kids completed for the first time during the tournament but they showed the poise of veteran competitors.

Russell stated that gi grappling is a Brazilian jiu jitsu contest where competitors are wearing a thick uniform. They can use the uniform to pin, take down, or submit their opponents. In no gi grappling, they use the same techniques and strategies but they can’t grab the clothing of their enemy.

The members of the fight team of Ross Martial Arts who won the Georgia State Championships are Will Cork in the gi and no gi 100 to 115 pound divisions; Brett Schroeder in the gi 115 to 130 pound expert boy’s division; Austin Wright in the 50 to 60 pound beginner boy’s gi division; and Dyllon Williams in the 50 to 60 pound beginner boy’s no gi division.

Schroeder’s latest win is her fourth NAGA championship in the gi division. Russell said that those who won will get a Georgia State Championship patch and samurai swords or gold medals.

One of the competitors that they are proud of is Tristen Fitz-Gerald, who was the only adult competitor from Ross that day. It was his first time to compete in the adult intermediate division. He also helped coach the children all morning and then grappled as his division came up.

Photo by BotMultichillT