Sage is Our Kid of the Month

Sage just lived the martial arts fairy tale, overcoming bigger and stronger opponents to win a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu tournament!

 

As the Atlanta Open Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competition got closer and closer, there much discussion about Sage dropping a couple pounds to compete against kids his own size. Sage and his coaches made the decision that he’d be best competing with kids that are his same age but a little heavier than him. After all, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is designed to teach a smaller person to defeat a larger one. When Sage arrived to the tournament, it was clear that he was going to be the smallest competitor in the division. His father, Pete, tells us about the preparation process leading up to the event:

 

“This past summer he trained twice a day on most days in preparation. He hit a bit of a growth spurt the last couple months, so he was going to have to jump TWO weight classes over what he’d previously competed at. It didn’t matter to him. He was laser focused and confident.”

 

On the day of the competition, Sage was clearly the smallest competitor in his division. After winning a tough first match, he was set to compete for a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gold medal. Going down early in the match, Sage spent a large portion of the match trying to earn points against his much larger opponent. With about 30 seconds left, Sage swept his opponent and ended up taking his back. A few seconds later, Sage sunk in the choke and earned himself the victory. Kids Jiu Jitsu Coach Phillipe Gentry recalls the event:

 

“This is the best Sage has ever looked! People like to say that size doesn’t matter, but it does. Sage went out there confident, he kept his composure, and he didn’t freak out when he got in some trouble. Eventually his superior technique earned him the win.”

 

It was an awesome moment, watching Sage compete with bigger kids and coming out victorious. For those who know and train with him, they saw how much hard work and preparation went into this. Sage is truly dedicated to the sport of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and it shows in his great attitude and willingness to put in the work in order to get the result he wants. Great work Sage!