A group of our BJJ competitors — Kenzie Swartz, Tara Mitchell, and Ben Otanez, along with Professor Dave Margraf — traveled to Las Vegas to compete as part of the IBJJF World Master Championships and accompanying event Jiu Jitsu Con on August 31. Each of our competitors trained hard in the weeks leading up to the event, and all put on a skilled performance in their matches.

Ben did an excellent job listening during his match and displayed beautiful technique; unfortunately, he got caught in an armbar and lost his match. Despite an unwanted result, he fought hard and made his entire team proud. Tara had a tough first match against a seasoned opponent, but did an excellent job staying calm and focused for the entire match. She lost to points but kept fighting until the end. Despite constant submission attempts and great escapes from bad positions, Kenzie lost her first match to points against an outstanding competitor.

Although our team did not bring any medals home, we are super proud of their performances and the commitment shown in their training these past few months. Good job, team!