Marmac Athletics youth team finishes first overall in Moncton
Truro—brazilian jiu-jitsu students at Marmac Athletics fought their best at a recent competition, achieving first place among several competitive teams.
Marmac brought 16 fighters - one adult and 15 youth - to the ICON Jiu Jitsu Championships at the Crown Plaza Hotel in downtown Moncton, N.B., on March 9 for a double-elimination Gi tournament for youth and adults.
Their youth team, the Marmac Maniacs, won 11 gold medals, four silver and two bronze, winning first place overall in the tournament.
"We showed up, and it was our day," said Shawn Hallihan, a Brazilian jiujitsu teacher at Marmac. "Definitely something to celebrate."
Akira Taylor, one of several gold-medal winners from the tournament, said she was initially nervous about the competition but also excited.
"Once I got going into the matches, they went away," said Taylor, a grey belt with the Marmac Maniacs.
Hallihan said several of their fighters had to fight above their weight class, stating it's difficult to get perfect matchups. He said Taylor had two opponents who were at a higher level.
"At first, you're really nervous about it because obviously, you assume they're better than you because they're a higher belt than you," said Taylor about fighting above her weight class. "Once you get in there, everything kind of like, goes away."
"It was really just a good achievement for our club," said Hallihan. "We've been trying really hard for the last year and a half. We're usually always in the top three, for sure. We've had one or two where we were in the top five. Sometimes, you show up, and it's not your day. There are some other kids from other clubs, like Halifax BJJ, who are just unreal for their age.
"We show up, and we know that it's going to be a fight."
Hallihan also voiced his appreciation for the coaches and every student at Marmac Athletics.