It was a successful Victorian Jiu Jitsu Championships for Hoppers Crossing’s Gracie Barra academy.
There were 30 athletes from the academy competing at the championships on May 13 and 14 with several of them coming home with medals at one of Australia’s longest-running jiu jitsu competitions.
Overall the academy won two gold medals, seven silver medals and 12 bronze medals. The academy’s junior program finished third overall in that category.
Kerrie Marshall and Appollonyah Loane both came away with gold medals in their respective adult categories in the No Gi.
JJ Neho, Lee Yen Leung, Moin Elhouli and Byron Theron won silver in the GBKids Gi, while Rachel Sarkis and Sana Kamal won silver in the adults Gi and Sana Kamal won silver in the adults No Gi.
Lincoln Jowett,Adam Haddara, Ryder Stonehouse, Thomas Power, Skyler Polandaya, Justin Paulo Camandang and Lucky Trufilo won bronze in the GBKids Gi, while Tiago Dalfior Baltar, Millane Raymond, Kerrie Marshall and Appollonyah Ioane won bronze in the adults Gi.
Keith Lilburne won bronze in the adults No Gi category.
Gi is when both players wear cotton kimonos which they can grip to help submit or control each other. No Gi is when both players wear rashguards and boardshorts, which they cannot grab during a match.
The academy’s Roan Theron said they were happy with those results.
“We normally have 20-30 people at these sorts of competitions,” he said “This year we had 30 athletes.
“We won two gold for adults, three silver and five bronze and for the kids five silver medals and six bronze.
“We won third place in the junior team. It was pretty much what we were hoping for. We’re really satisfied.”
Having competed at the Victorian championships, the next major event is the national championships.
Theron said he expected many of the athletes to put their hands up to compete at that competition,
The Pan Pacs are being held in Melbourne this year, so it’s another big competition that the athletes could look to compete at as well.
Theron said many of them had another focus this season.
“You collect points throughout the year to find out who is best in each category,” he said.
“You accumulate them throughout the year. The top three competitors get acknowledged.
“Most are trying to achieve that, we haven’t had that before.”
