This past Saturday the IBJJF returned to the mid-Atlantic region for the first time since 2019 and held the 2022 Washington DC International Open, an event with both gi and no-gi divisions. Representing Paramount BJJ were four tough competitors. Because it had been so long since the IBJJF last held the event, registration reached capacity before all of our competitors signed up. Nonetheless we had some very strong performances.
Mike Haile Wins Gold
Purple belt Mike Haile stood atop the podium after two hard-fought victories. The first coming by way of collar choke after a dominant showing, and the second by 3-1 “advantages,” which are essentially tie-breaker points awarded for near scores or submissions. It was a close match against a very tough opponent and an excellent performance by Mike.
Josh Hammaker Earns Bronze x2
Making his first IBJJF appearance was blue belt Josh Hammaker, and although he was not able to take home Gold he showed all of the tenacity, toughness, and technique that makes a champion. In his weight class (LW) he won his first match 11-2, and his quarterfinal match by choke from the back, before falling short 4-2 in the semi-finals. By earning bronze in the bracket of 16 competitors he qualified for the Absolute (All weights combined).
In the Absolute division he first faced another Bronze medalist, but from the Medium-HW division. His opponent would have 30 lbs on him. In a scrappy back-and-forth match Josh came out ahead 4-2 and moved into the quarterfinals. There he would face the Gold medalist of the Heavyweight division, a man with a 40 lbs weight advantage. Despite being caught in a footlock and a triangle choke, Josh managed to take the lead on points and again win 4-2. His streak would end in the semi-finals, but he once again made the podium at the prestigious event.
Next up on our competition agenda is July 9th Grappling Industries event in Broomall, and on the IBJJF calendar in our area is the New Haven Open in Connecticut, on August 13th and 14th, featuring both gi and no-gi divisions.