Posted on: October 7th 2021
On Saturday the 18th of September Matthieu and Nathaniel attended the European Junior Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competition held in Wolverhampton. This is the most prestigious Jiu-Jitsu event outside of Brazil, so the competition is very high. It runs on a knockout formula, so if you lose one bout you are out!! Even though they are twins, they fight at different weight categories, with Matthieu being the lighter of the two.
I interviewed the boys about the event:
What was the event? It was the European Junior Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Gi tournament
What categories were you two in? Matthieu: White belt, 10 to 11 years old, featherweight; Nathaniel: White belt, 10 to 11 years old, lightweight
How did you do? We both won gold medals for our categories. We also won all of our fights. It was nerve-racking, but we had each other to motivate us!
When did you start? How long have you been doing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu? We were four, so for nearly seven years, we love it!
Why do you do it? What do you enjoy about it? We learn it for self-defence and we like the strategy part of it. It is very physically demanding so it also keeps us fit.
To be good at Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu you need to . . . . . .
Be strong, flexible and have good timing. You need to understand how to use leverage to defeat a stronger opponent. Eg: For an armbar, you use your hips, legs, arms and back to isolate an opponent's arm and attack it so that they submit.
If a child wanted to have a go at it, what do they need to do?
Find a local club and go and try a lesson. There are lots in London and google is probably the best place to go.
Andy Charman
Director of Sport and Activities Coordinator
