The Eights Day Martial Arts gym in Whitehorse prepared 15 Yukoners to compete at the AVA Vancouver Submission Grappling Jiu-Jitsu competition held on March 8 in Port Moody, B.C.
Martial artists from the Yukon grappled against western Canadian athletes in various weight and age classes during round-robin matches at the B.C. tournament. The Eights Day Martial Arts team took home six gold medals, 11 silver and five bronze medals, and two team trophies, according to the gym’s owner, Robert Woodman.
Jack Hawkins, Omar Teja and Timothy Milson Lebreux put up a good fight to secure gold in the adult divisions. Finlay Vince, Gavin Pompeo and Titus Wolf Ceniza earned gold medals in the youth categories.
“Pretty much everybody that competed won something, and we did so well that we got two team trophies as well,” Woodman said.
Woodman highlighted standout moments at the tournament, including two Yukon father-son duos who competed at the event and both succeeded by earning gold, silver and bronze.
“One of the big things that I really loved was we had a couple of father-son competitors competing at the same tournament. So that was a really nice highlight for me, to see multiple generations competing, representing the team and able to win two of them,” Woodman said.
Woodman emphasized the growing recognition of the gym, stating, "Every time we go somewhere, people are starting to remember us. A little small gym from the Yukon is able to hang with some of the bigger teams down south. It's a really big confidence booster for me and for the students and the athletes."
Competing against diverse teams helps the athletes identify areas for improvement, Woodman added. "We get so used to competing with each other in the club, it's hard to see the progression. Going to these tournaments and fighting people we don't know allows us to experiment with our strategies and see what works and what doesn't," Woodman explained.
The Eights Day gym regularly competes in two to three tournaments annually, integrating these events into the Whitehorse gym's activities for growth and development, Woodman said. He explained that competitions provide opportunities for athletes to showcase their skills and gain valuable experience against a variety of competitors.
“This is a constant thing for us. We do at least two, sometimes three, tournaments a year,” Woodman said.
The gym plans to expand its space and programming, focusing on family-oriented training where parents and children can train together. Currently, fathers of young trainees participate in adult classes, creating opportunities for parents to compete alongside their children. Eights Day Martial Arts is also running mother-and-baby kickboxing sessions beginning in April, according to the gym's Facebook page.
Contact Jake Howarth at jake.howarth@yukon-news.com
