On Sunday, April 28th, Evan Smith traveled to Danvers compete in the Massachusetts State Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Championship, one of the largest tournaments in New England. He was able to dominate and finish four of his matches and take home a Gold Medal and the title of 14-Year-Old Flyweight State Champion.

 

The rules of the sport are similar to wrestling; a point system is used for taking down and controlling an opponent on the mat. The major difference is that choke-holds and joint-locks can be applied to force an opponent to “tap out” to avoid loss of consciousness or serious injury. Fortunately, highly trained referees keep the kids safe by stopping the matches before that can happen.

 

Evan has been training 8 years at The Foundry Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and was also recently awarded the Green Belt, which is the kids’ equivalent of a Black Belt. He has competed over 80 times and won Championships and medals throughout New England and Canada. Evan also helps teach successful programs for Foundry Kids at the Fitness Center and in Farmington.

 

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu was first popularized in the U.S. in 1993 when an unknown fighter named Royce Gracie went undefeated 11-0 at the first four “Ultimate Fighting Championships” by using the then widely-unknown martial art his father Helio had taught him. Defeating 3 or 4 much larger opponents in a single night under virtually no-rules combat, Gracie was able to take fighters from all other fighting styles to the ground and finish them within minutes–mostly without even throwing kicks or punches. It revolutionized martial arts. Today the style is practiced by every professional fighter in the world as well in the military and law enforcement.

 

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