NJ United Competition Team | 30 FREE Days | The Good Fight

Congratulations to everyone for their AWESOME performances today at “The Good Fight: New York Open“ in Nyack, NY. We had 5 students compete, bringing home a total of 8 medals (6 GOLD, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze)! There were many hard fought battles throughout the day, and our students showed a ton of heart and determination.

NJU continues to be the best gym for BJJ in Passaic County. Our NJ United Competition Team had a great 2012 and it looks like 2013 is going to be another great year. Our competitors ranged from beginner white belts to brown belt with the gi, as well as expert and advanced no gi jiu jitsu (submission grappling) competitors. We represented all around bringing home GOLD medals in every experience level.

Brian Wolfe won his white belt medium-heavy division after some hard fought battles. Brian showed some good takedowns and top control throughout his matches to take home his first GOLD medal. Hungry for more medals, Brian entered the white belt open weight (no weight limit) class and also took home the GOLD once again, this time using his half guard sweep game and guard passing in every match to win his second GOLD. In only his second tournament ever brian already has found his way to the top of the podium.

Kevin “Kev Jits” Buck had some amazing back and forth battles in the purple belt featherweight division, taking home the silver medal. Kev’s semi-final match was a back and forth affair with his relentless pressure and constant attacking finally overwhelming his opponent setting up his way into the finals, where he lost a tough match to a skilled opponent. In the no gi jiu jitsu advanced division “Kev Jits” showed why his no gi game is something to be wreckened with as he submitted his semi-final and finals opponents with a brabo choke and rear naked choke respectively earning the GOLD medal.

Steve Ficca‘s day was a long one as he went the distance in many of his matches taking home the bronze medal in the purple belt open weight class. The open division is often a “war of attrition” into the semis, finals, and consolation rounds. Not content with his bronze medal Steve entered the no gi advanced division and put his submission skills to use pulling off some nice submissions to put away some very game opponents. This GOLD medal was definitely well earned and won with heart being Steve’s #1 asset.

Brown belt Eric Luker, a featherweight, moved up two weight classes into the middleweight division to face more competition and won impressively as the lightest competitor in the division. Giving up 30 lbs against his opponents Eric submitted his first opponent with a one armed guillotine from the mount and dominated his finals opponent 13-4 to win the GOLD. In the expert no gi jiu jitsu division Eric won two more matches impressively once again toppling his middleweight opponents by submission picking up his second GOLD of the day.

I’m excited for the NJ United Competition Team to make some more big waves in the competition scene both regionally and internationally this year.