Poughkeepsie Martial Arts
This weekend Precision MMA had four of it’s youngest students competing at the NAGA event in Albany. All four kids arrived up there and gave their best in matches in both gi and no gi divisions. Any tournament can be tough on competitors. You are no means guaranteed a win, regardless of how well prepared you are. There are tough opponents and bad match ups in every bracket. The kids of Precision MMA had no easy fights, but whatever the outcome they gave their opponents tough fights and never wavered in their effort or resolve.
Lucas took in both the 1st gi and no gi. He looked dominant in his matches and really left it all on the mat. Lucas has been training for just under a year, but he has a promising future in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. This is Lucas’ first shot at competing and he really had a great showing. He finished really strong, which is very hard for a kid to do.
Aiden earned third in gi had real tough opponents in no gi. Aiden had a tough set of opponents. The area where Aiden looked dominant was in the take downs. Many of his opponents chose to pull guard rather than get taken down and give up those points. One match had him score a really nice double leg after getting swept. However, Aiden’s opponent had a real tough guard and ultimately lost in what was a real great match. Aiden has been really successful in previous competitions, so although he did not win gold he knew that he gave his best.
Flapjack second in the gi and the no gi divisions and showed some really nice triangle setups. He showed real composure and patient with his techniques. A mark of true progress in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is to be able to be calm and relaxed in any scenario. Sometimes that calm is hard to come by in bad situations. It can be even harder to stay calm when you are in the driver seat with a locked up submission. On more than one occasion Flapjack found himself with his opponent in a triangle. Flapjack secured postion, swept and finished these triangles with a casual ease uncommon in kids his age. This is Flapjack’s first taste of competition and he really thrived out there on the mats.
Richard subbed everyone he faced. He controlled all phases of his matches and showed real quality. He had smooth take downs and great sweeps and control. Double gold in his first tournament is no mean feat. He really put on a show and worked his techniques to perfection. Some of his opponents got dispirited and started to lose heart. Richard showed real sportsmanship in victory. It can be real easy to gloat and showboat after a victory. Richard had the sportsmanship to be a gracious victor.
All the kids had great tournaments and showed technique and sportsmanship are not mutually exclusive. Whether winning or losing they had good attitudes. A big hats off to the coaches and the parents. People are a product of their environment and it could not be more clear that these kids are really great. They have a bright future in grappling and the lessons they are learning and reaffirming on the mat are translating into other areas of their life.
If you have a child interested in learning come to Pougkeepsie Martial Arts today. Give us a call at 845-392-8495 or visit our website at www.lagrangemartialarts.com.