Rich participated in the Grappling X tournament series held in Fresno, CA on February 12th. He came back from the experience with 3 matches. 1 win and 2 losses. The tournament was a good experience building opportunity, competing as a purple belt in the Gi and NoGi. In his reflection Rich said, “It was a very positive tournament experience for me. The organizer called me and assured me that I would be getting several matches. I’m thankful for them following through on their promise.” Rich also remarked, “I was able to go out there with a positive mind. I’ve been really working on the competition mindset and I feel I was able to overcome some obstacles this weekend.” Congratulations to Rich on this success at the Grappling X Fresno tournament.
At El Dorado Hills Brazilian Jiu Jitsu our Pee Wee (age 4-6), Kids (age 6-9), and Juniors (age 9-13) class changes it up to train NoGi. Some people who are new to Jiu Jitsu might be wondering what NoGi means. NoGi is a simple way to talk about a uniform that is basically t-shirt and shorts. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and many grappling organizations have adopted this NoGi uniform to give professionalism to the look while considering safety of the participant.
There are a few safety measures to consider when we make the uniform switch from Gi to NoGi. First, it’s important that the uniform doesn’t have any pockets. Hands and feet can get caught in pockets and in a faster paced NoGi training this can be very dangerous. Another important part of the uniform is that there are no metallic parts to the uniform. Many shorts might have zippers or buttons that with pressure can hurt, scratch, and even cut someone. The last thing to consider is the tightness of the shirt. We strongly recommend tight fitting rashguard type shirts. When the shirt is too loose it can become a hazard much like pockets do and trap a hand or foot causing injury.
Here are a few reasons for transitioning to NoGi with our 4-13 year old jiu-jitsu classes.
1: It’s HOT!
2: Learn different skills that don’t allow grips
3: Challenge yourself to our EDH-BJJ NoGi Tournament in September
This year the IBJJF American Nationals took place in Las Vegas with the UFC International Expo. The event show cased the best martial artists in jiujitsu, wrestling, tae kwon do, karate, judo, and other types of cross fit competitions. The event culminated with the McGregor v Mendes fight. The event was an exciting step in jiu-jitsu as it joins forces with the UFC and MMA community. Hosting the International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation tournaments in conjunction with the UFC expo will only help educate MMA fans on the details and excitement of jiu-jitsu.
NoGi Super Heavy weight podium
The American Nationals featured jiujitsu competitors from all over the globe. The event featured two tournaments, one in the gi and one nogi. The tournament also featured the Kids American Nationals, one of the premiere IBJJF Kids tournaments of the year.
NoGi Absolute podium
Eliot represented the team from El Dorado Hills. The first day was composed of theNoGi tournament. Eliot finished with a double silver making it to the finals in the weight division and absolute (all weights combined) open weight division. The second day was composed of the tournament in the gi. Eliot finished with a silver in his weight division, again making it into the finals of the tournament. In the absolute (all weights combined) open weight division Eliot fell short in the semi-final, finishing with a bronze.
Eliot Kelly beats Guyson Sa in the quarter finals of the absolute division
Eliot finished the two day American Nationals with 9 matches 5 in the nogi and 4 in the gi. “The tournament was great! There were warm up mats, great organization, and a lot of action all day long. It was a bitter sweet experience for me as a competitor because I made it to the finals in three different occasions, but I wasn’t able to get the gold. Needless to say I learned from my mistakes and I’m excited for the next opportunity to compete!”
