We held our annual in-house Brazilian Jiu Jitsu tournament at Easton Training Center Denver on Saturday October 13th. We had nearly 200 competitors, from both our adults’ and kids’ BJJ programs. Because all the Easton academies were represented, it was all the more exciting to bring the community together for this special day. There were plenty of exciting match-ups, new friendships forged in the fire of competition, and family members cheering from the sidelines as the BJJ competitors moved up through their brackets.

First, the kids’ matches began at 9:00 AM, and the energy was high throughout the building. For many of the kids, this was their first time in a Jiu Jitsu tournament, and some of the competitors were as young as 4. Next, the adults’ gi and no-gi brackets began at noon. In the adult divisions there were also  many students who were competing for the first time.

Experiencing the nervousness and thrill of a competition for the first time is a unique and sometimes a little scary. Because of that, on occasions like this, it’s especially clear why we are lucky to have such a large Jiu Jitsu family. In the world of American BJJ, it’s somewhat rare to belong to a school that has enough students to put on a big in-house competition. Through the participation in this event, it’s exciting to see how much the sport and community has grown since Professor Easton opened his first Colorado academy in 1998. We’re looking forward to many more tournaments in the years to come!

Check out these photos by Moira Burns!