The Combat Academy & Hereford Contact Karate Club Groundfighting Tournament
09 April 2006
The Combat Academy and Hereford Contact Karate Club recently hosted the first of their bi-annual Ground-fighting championships. In addition to fighters from the host clubs, the event, which continues to grow in popularity, attracted fighters from Falcons, Gracie Barra Swansea, Gracie Barra Bristol, Carlson Gracie London, Hereford Judo Club, Reading Judo Club, Gracie Barra Birmingham and Mill Hill Ju Jitsu London.
In the junior lightweight category three competitors fought in a round robin with Gracie Barra Swansea fighter Ashley Bendle showing some good groundfighting skills to take the gold medal. Combat Academy fighters Wilf Munn and Caitlin Wheadon were both taking part in their first ever competition and put in a spirited performance, with Wilf taking the silver and Caitlin the bronze medal.
In the under 45kg category Becky Hayes (Combat Academy) defeated Mary McLeod (Combat Academy / Hereford Judo) with Adam Hanford of Gracie Barra Swansea taking the bronze. The influence of Braulio Estima was evident as Becky pulled off a helicopter sweep on one of her opponents. Katrina Walton of the Combat Academy gave a good account of herself in her first competition.
Combat Academy fighter Luciano Celozzi displayed some slick groundfighting skills on his way to the gold medal in the under 40kg category. Club mate Ross Hutchinson took the silver with Gracie Barra Swansea fighter Jamie Jones taking the bronze. Elliot Volpe and Matthew Frost of The Combat Academy both put in a very good effort in their first ever competition.
The boys under 50kg category originally had five competitors but unfortunately due to car problems, three of the fighters were unable to make it, which left Shaun Bendle (Gracie Barra Swansea) and Dan Hayes (Combat Academy) to fight the best of three, with Dan taking the Gold and Jamie the Silver medal.
The well attended senior categories, saw competitors looking at a minimum of three or four fights for a medal. James Smart of Gracie Barra Bristol has recently returned from training at the Gracie Academy in Torrence Los Angeles and has also spent time at the Gracie Barra Academy in Rio de Janeiro. The benefits of this training certainly showed as James defeated two opponents with slick submissions to progress to the final of the under 71kg category. On the other side of the draw Chris Hearn of Mill Hill Ju Jitsu London also disposed of his opponents with submissions to set up a very close fight in the final. James took the decision and gold medal after the fight had gone the distance. In the third and fourth place fight off Simon Edmunds of Falcons defeated Daniel Strauss of Mill Hill Ju Jitsu London to secure the bronze medal. Although aged only 15 and being one of the lightest competitors in the category, Daniel fought in the adult under 71kg category as there were no junior competitors for him to fight.
John Downes (Combat Academy) and Gary King (Gracie Barra Bristol) defeated two opponents each before meeting in the final of the under 86kg category. In a very close fight John took the referees decision after the fight had gone the distance. Richard Weatherall of Gracie Barra Bristol had four fights to secure the bronze.
Yaren Konnigsberg of Mill Hill Ju Jitsu London, defeated two opponents with submissions, including one timed at 17 seconds, to progress to the final of the under 78kg category. On the other side of the draw Gracie Barra Swansea fighter Rob Cox fought his way to the final. In a very close contest Yaren took the referees decision after the fight had gone the distance. Carl Edmunds of Falcons collected the bronze after taking a decision over Rob Taylor of Gracie Barra Swansea in the 3rd / 4th place fight off.
Nine competitors battled it out in the under 100kg category. Combat Academy fighter Dan Buckley defeated two of his opponents with submissions and one via referees decision to take the gold medal, with club-mate Chris Konieczny taking the silver. Falcons fighter Andrew Bayton took the bronze after taking the decision in the 3rd / 4th place fight off against Scott Taylor of Reading Judo.
In the Masters category four competitors battled it out in a round-robin format with Gary King of Gracie Barra Bristol taking the gold medal to add to the silver he had already won in the under 86kg category. Pat Baker of the Combat Academy took the silver with Andrew Bayton of Falcons collecting his second bronze of the day.
Not content with having had six fights, and taking one gold and one silver medal, Gary King of Gracie Barra Bristol also entered the open-weight category. Eight competitors fought in a straight knockout format. Gary defeated two opponents to set up a final verses club-mate and training partner James Smart. The two put on a display of fantastic Brazilian Jiu Jitsu skills, at the end of the fight the crowd responded with appreciative applause and the referee held both fighters arms aloft giving the fighters joint first place. In the fight off for the bronze medal Combat Academy fighter John Downes defeated club-mate Bram Roberts to collect his second medal of the day.
