BJJ is a martial art in which participants grapple with one another, primarily using leverage and technique over strength, while wearing a gi or kimono. Last weekend, representatives from all three Phuket gyms – Phuket Top Team (PTT) , Tiger Muay Thai (TMT), and AKA Thailand (AKA) – participated in the Copa de Bangkok BJJ event at the Chantanayingyong Indoor Stadium in the capital city. The event, which is the first major BJJ competition in Thailand for two years, brought out competitors from all over the country and Southeast Asia.
"For many students, regardless of which gym, it's tournaments that help elevate your progression in the art. Nothing gives you a harder reminder of what you need to fix than a loss. The gyms in Phuket attract a large variety of athletes and hobbyists from all over the world so you can't assume anything from the guys – they bring it," said organiser Luke Chaya.
PTT brought home the most prizes back to the island with four gold, four silver and six bronze medals. Romario Sobreira (White Belt 76kg division), Richard Mearns (White Belt 82.3kg division), Chris Clarke (White Belt 88.3kg division), and Alexey Glushchenko (Purple Belt 100.6kg division) all took home gold in the competition.
"The guys did great but its not about the result that matter. How you fight is the most important for me,” said Olavo Abreu, the head BJJ instructor at PTT. “I think in Thailand, the sport is growing so much, in Phuket escpecially with PTT, TMT and AKA. Five years from now I think this will be a BJJ land."
Meanwhile, Issey Buangala of AKA Thailand brough home a gold medal in the Blue Belt 88.3kg division after submitting some opponents. Buangala has recently made a transition to MMA though he remains a student of sport BJJ.
Athletes from Tiger Muay Thai in Chalong brought home medals across different categories, including Eric Mccrary (gold in White Belt 94.3kg division), Alex Schild (gold in Purple Belt 64kg division), Sayat Abdrakhmanov (gold in Purple Belt 70kg division), and Anna Kushnikova (silver in Blue Belt 74kg and silver in Blue Belt Absolute).
"Copa de Bangkok was a great event, it's great to see Thai's and foreigners competing in a big competition like this. Hopefully Phuket will see more events of this caliber as well," said Schild, a BJJ instructor at Tiger Muay Thai.