This was the first event organised by Jim Mc Sherry of the UMA (United Martial Alliance) and consisted of both junior and senior weight divisions; the UMA have a full calendar of events, including Judo and MMA events planned throughout the year.
Injuries, the bane of all jiu jitsu players, had claimed a number of my students prior to the event, which culminated in three entrants across three brackets, -75, -85 and -95K respectively. After an easy drive to the event we arrived with the junior matches still in full swing and as you would expect, with so much energy in their little bodies, one could hear the screams of the excited junior team mates well before entering the doors to the club.
Two more BJJ clubs were in attendance both representing Gracie Barra, with Kevin Capel from Roger Gracie London and Ryan Hendry and Angelo Beales from GB Milton Keynes; local and national Judo clubs were out in force representing Erdington, Crewe, Glossop, Sandbach and Katana Judo Club.
Two mats were in action throughout the day, with the referees performing an excellent job ensuring a rapid fire turn over on both areas; in the adult -75 section Roger Gracie player Kevin Capel dominated his division easily taking the gold medal, whilst Fighting Fit’s Richard Hillis took the gold in a tough -85K division. GB Pendle’s John Stokes coasted to first place, winning all matches through submission and the giant Leigh Hitchen (all 125+K of him) took gold in the +95K bracket.
Fight of the day was in the Open division between the giant Hitchen and Richard Hillis; Hillis attacked from the start and had Hitchen on the defensive and turned up the pace by securing an arm and went for the submission. Hillis turned onto his front for a reverse arm bar and you could see the veins popping out of his forehead and neck; the crowds were screaming for both men, when Hillis finally succumbed to fatigue and lost the match to a pin down, yet took the moral victory over the giant Judo player.
Overall, the event was extremely well organised with over 100 competitors on the day, well judged and refereed, with the day finishing well before 4pm, with no excess hanging around for all competitors involved.
As stated earlier a full calendar of events is on offer throughout the year and as ever, if the Fighting Photographer can make it, expect a full report on all the action!
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Results
Peewee Boys 10 years old and below
Under 20 kg
1st
Keenan Capel
Roger Gracie London
2nd
Edwin Knight
Amateur JiuJitsu Academy
3rd
Nicos Lea-Sproson
Silver Tigers Judo Academy
Peewee Boys 10 years old and below
Under 25 kg
1st
Daniel Hemming
Erdington Judo Club
2nd
Patrick Ryan
Erdington Judo Club
3rd
Liam Rowley
Silver Tigers Judo Academy
Peewee Boys 10 years old and below
Under 30 kg
1st Place
Ross Denham
Glossop Judo Club
2nd
Ashley Hughes
Erdington Judo Club
3rd
Eric Ham
Glossop Judo Club
Peewee Boys 10 years old and below
Under 35kg
1st
Tom Greenough
Glossop Judo Club
2nd
Alec Ranford
Erdington Judo Club
3rd
Adam Yates
Sandbach Judo Club
Peewee Boys 10 years old and below
Under 45kg
1st
Thomas Slack
Erdington Judo Club
2nd
Jordan Day
Katana Judo Club
Peewee Boys 10 years old and below
Open Weight
1st
Ross Denham
Glossop Judo Club
2nd
Jordan Capper
Silver Tigers Judo Academy
3rd
Sam Blundell
Sandbach Judo Club
Peewee Girls 10 years old and below
Under 25kg
1st
Lauren Errett
Glossop Judo Club
2nd
Kelsey Tench
Silver Tigers Judo Academy
3rd
Rianne Marriott
Amateur JiuJitsu Academy
Peewee Girls 10 years old and below
Under 30kg
1st
Sam Bedford
Sandbach Judo Club
2nd Place
Stella Doyle
Combat Base JuJitsu Club
3rd
Bethany Bourne
Bulldogs Judo Club
Peewee Girls 10 years old and below
Open Weight
1st
Rhiannon Baldwin
Glossop Judo Club
2nd
Amy Gaskin
Glossop Judo Club
3rd
Kora Bassington
Silver Tiger Judo Academy
Junior Boys 11 to 15 years old
Under 35kg
1st
Tom Greenough
Glossop Judo Club
2nd
Alec Ranford
Erdington Judo Club
3rd
Thomas Rowley
Silver Tiger Judo Academy
Junior Boys 11 to 15 years old
Under 40kg
1st
Jack Hughes
Erdington Judo Club
2nd
Alex Carter
Crewe Judo Club
3rd
Adam Yates
Sandbach Judo Club
Junior Boys 11 to 15 years old
Under 45kg
1st
Thomas Slack
Erdington Judo Club
2nd
Edward Meredith
Amateur JiuJitsu Academy
3rd
Katana Judo Club
Junior Boys 11 to 15 years old
Under 50kg
1st
Mathew Hudzick
Crewe Judo Club
2nd
Luke Yates
Sandbach Judo Club
Junior Boys 11 to 15 years old
Open Weight
1st
Jamie Pearson
St. Albans Judo Club
2nd
Andrew Richardson
Crewe Judo Club
3rd
Kanijah Grossett
Amateur JiuJitsu Academy
Junior Girls 11 to 15 years old
Under 45kg
1st
Abi Walker
Glossop Judo Club
2nd
Alison Hughes
Erdington Judo Club
3rd
Inka Doyle
Combat Base
Junior Girls 11 to 15 years old
Open Weight
1st
Katie Williams
Katana Judo Club
2nd
Holly Jones
Amateur JiuJitsu Academy Club
Cadet Male 16 to 18 years old
Under 70kg
1st
Glynn Evans
Sandbach Judo Club
2nd
James Meredith
Amateur JiuJitsu Academy
Cadet Male 16 to 18 years old
Open Weight
1st
Adam Dobbinson
3k'S Bushido Judo Club
2nd
James Lawerence
3k'S Bushido Judo Club
3rd
Lee Blundell
Sandbach Judo Club
Senior Women 16 years old and over
Under 75kg
1st
Yasmine Wilson
Roger Gracie London
2nd
Charlotte Evans
Sandbach Judo Club
3rd
Elise Aston
Sandbach Judo Club
Senior Men 19 years old and over
Under 75kg
1st
Kevin Capel
Roger Gracie London
2nd
Ryan Hendry
Gracie Barra Milton Keynes
3rd
Peter Richardson
Crewe Judo Club
Senior Men 19 years old and over
Under 85kg
1st
Richard Willis
Fighting Fit
2nd
Mark Donnelly
3k's Bushido Judo Club
3rd
Lewis Petofalvi
Crewe Judo Club
Senior Men 19 years old and over
Under 95kg
1st
John Stokes
Gracie Barra Pendle
2nd
Nick Prados
Amateur JiuJitsu Academy
3rd
Paul Chambers
Amateur JiuJitsu Academy
Senior Men 19 years old and over
Over 95kg
1st
Leigh Hitchen
Sandbach Judo Club
2nd
David Bramwell
Amateur JiuJitsu Academy
3rd
Peter Rowan
Sandbach Judo Club
Senior Men 19 years old and over
Open Weight
1st
Leigh Hitchen
Sandbach Judo Club
2nd
Richard Willis
Fighting Fit
3rd
Angelo Beales
Gracie Barra Milton Keynes
