Team SSF kids showed their skill set yet again this time in Louisville, KY at the EGO Tournament competing in both the Gi and No-Gi formats. The competition was fierce and incredibly technical with competitors coming all the way from Florida. The team was supported by the SSF Fighting Moms and coached by Erica Schwalm who is also the kid’s biggest fan. The Gi format was wide open as there was no bracketing for this part of the event which left all four of the younger boys competing together for the feather weight title. Emerging victorious over a field of 11 competitors was our own Tony S. who continues to dominate the high end competition for his weight class. The other boys turned in outstanding performances as well but their time to shine wouldn’t be till the No-Gi portion. In the No-Gi format the kids were finally broke down by weight and division. Eric S. and Oscar Y. finished with a one-two punch respectively taking their division, CJ S. placed third in his division, with Tony S. capturing another second place for the team. Also competing was the team SSF assistant coach Cody S. who performed very well, once again against a phenomenal field, capturing the third and final second place in the Gi format for Team SSF kids. In all the team left with six medals (2-1st, 3-2nd, and 1-3rd) to add to their collections and will begin preparing for the next fight in March at the Kentucky Quad State Tournament.
Awesome!. Thanks for the update Eric. I was thinking about them and was waiting until Monday during the kids class to find out what happened. Our kids are great, couldn't ask for a better bunch. I think they will sweep the KY Quad.
Ok another fight weekend is coming up for team SSF kids, this weekend they travel to the Kentucky Quad State Tournament. This is a martial arts competition with a grappling (no-gi) venue mixed in among forms, weapons, and sparring divisions. While only one part of the competition it tends to draw the largest amount of attention due to the intensity and real world applications demonstrated. This time the kids won't be alone as several adults from SSF are rumored to be going opening up the possibility of an SSF sweep of every division and possibly producing another grand champion. Good luck kids (and adults)!
The SSF Team will do great. I wish I could go but I have to teach a seminar at a different school tomorrow. Erica will do a great job with the kids and Ivey will be with the adults. A sweep would be nice.
The SSF kids, supported by the SSF Fighter Moms and Dads, fought this weekend at the Quad State Championships in KY and left with a lot of gold. The kids have incredible depth in all the age categories and if one teammate goes down the other will usually finish the job and bring home the gold. Starting with the youngest group the Team SSF kids would leave with 3 out of the 4 trophies with Oscar “The Candy Man” Y. bringing home first followed by Tyler and his sister Taylor who finished 3rd and 4th respectively. Next we go to the middle kids where Eric S. would take 1st place using his traditional “Monkey Boy” skills to beat a very respectable field. Teammate CJ would play a supporting role by defeating two of the many opponents in the field (single elimination matches) before succumbing to a devastating body triangle and taking home 4th. Tony S. and Cody S. who were both coming off illnesses or surgery competed but unfortunately didn’t place. Tony would go down to a leg bar (which is usually exempt from the kid’s categories) and Cody made a decision to tap rather then risk any more “inadvertent” strikes to his face after getting braces earlier this week (his parents think it was a good call). Rounding out the field would be player-coach Erica S. who competed in the girl’s category and wound up taking home 1st place. Erica’s first fight was so quick and devastating that the other players coach conceded without letting his student/daughter take the mat against her. As the junior portion of Team SSF they did their part and set the tone for the Big Guys who finished the job and took home the Grand Champion Trophy.
The SSF kids, supported by the SSF Fighter Moms and Dads, and led by Erica Schwalm fought this weekend at the Rumble on the River Martial Arts Tournament in TN. The youngest fighter of the team (6 years) made her (yes she is a female) second appearance on the mat (fighting in the submission category as well) and this time left with a first place trophy after submitting a boy 2 years older via rear naked choke…way to go Taylor! Following Taylor’s win the 8-10 year old boys (CJ, Oscar, and Tyler) went to the mat and captured 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place trophies respectively for the team. Rounding out the team this time was Cody who fought in the 13-14 year old division. In what could have easily been labeled as a street fight had it not been on the mat, Cody met the challenge head on. Dominating his first opponent with pure technique against wrestling muscle, Cody would win a unanimous decision by the three judges and move on to the finals. During the finals Cody would deny the judges a decision by again dominating his opponent, but this time submitting his opponent with a key lock and forcing the tap which earned him 1st place for the division. This tournament was considered a warm-up for most of these kids as they get ready for the North American Grappling Association (N.A.G.A.) Nationals to be held in Georgia in May where some of them will be competing for top honors at the expert level categories. GO SSF KIDS!!!
Don't forget the new move that they learned from the competition there. It's affectionately called the "Waffle House" now due to being smothered and covered by a........um.........larger opponent.....
The SSF Junior BJJ Competition Team performed magnificently at the North American Grappling Association (NAGA) U.S. Nationals held in Alpharetta, Georgia on Saturday May 10th, 2008. In all the team came home with 6-1st place wins, 4-2nd place wins, and 3-3rd place wins successfully demonstrating the combined Judo and Jiu-Jitsu training they receive from SSF Submission Academy against National level competition. The team was also well supported by the SSF Fighting Moms and Dads whose dedication to the kids training and the school is what really makes this team come together. Beginning with the novice level (40-50 lbs)was Taylor H. (our youngest) who dominated the competition in the Gi and No-Gi coming home with 1st places in both categories, her (yes it was a her!) older brother Tyler H. (50-60 lbs) would also shine by taking 1st in No-Gi and a 2nd in Gi that would get the SSF steam engine running. In the beginner division (70-80 lbs) Oscar would also dominate taking both 1st places in the Gi/No-Gi categories which will make him move up to intermediate level next time (no sand bagging allowed on this team). Fighting in the intermediate level (70-80 lbs) was Eric S. who took 3rd in the No-Gi and 1st in the Gi categories, and CJ S. who had a tough go in the No-Gi category but came back during the Gi to bring home a 3rd place for the team. In the Advanced Division, which represents the cream of the crop at the National level of competition, SSF had two of it’s own amidst the pool of fighters. Competing at the 70-80 lbs level Tony S. would capture 2nd in both the Gi and No-Gi categories placing him solidly amongst the best in the U.S. for his age and weight. The other competitor for Team SSF was Cody S. fighting at the 115-129 lbs level. For Cody this would be his last time in the kids division at the Nationals because next year he will have to compete in the Teen divisions (15-17 year old). Cody left the kids division honorably this year taking home a 2nd in No-Gi and a 3rd in Gi, in each category Cody lost only by points to the competition. Also representing SSF Submission Academy but competing in the teen division was Michael G. who competed in the teen division No-Gi only, intermediate level. Michael will be bringing a 2nd place with him back to Clarksville, TN after choking out most of the competition before he himself went down to Triangle choke. The team was coached by one of their former team members who unfortunately grew up, in years but not in spirit, Erica Schwalm who is filling the gap until her father returns from serving in Iraq along with many of our other SSF Fighting Family Members. SSF Junior BJJ Competition Team, their mission is your submission!