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Toti athletes perform well at grappling tournament

Seven children and four adults from Combat Coaching in Doonside competed at Submission Kings, Queens and Kids JiuJitsu tournament. And they did really well.

ADULTS and children of Combat Coaching in Doonside achieved top spots at the Submission Kings tournament held in Johannesburg recently.

Submission Kings, Queens and Kids, which took place at the Walter Sisulu Hall, Randburg, is South Africa’s most prestigious grappling/JiuJitsu competition. Athletes compete in either beginner or advanced divisions and within their respective weight classes.

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The event’s format is eliminations. To determine the winner, the beginner division works off points and submissions, while the advanced division sees submissions only.

Seven children from Combat Coaching competed, with most of them achieving the top three positions at the tournament. Combat Coaching coach Morné Swanepoel said one of the privileges he has as a coach is to train the youth.

“Besides achieving exceptional results, for me, it was more the opportunity to connect with them that I wanted – share in their emotions and grab any opportunity to motivate and coach, to ensure their minds are protected and guided,” he said.

Swanepoel said the four adults also put on great performances. “Our team, who are mostly first-time competitors, finished in fourth and second places in their respective divisions against very tough and seasoned opponents. There are more tournaments scheduled for next year, and I can’t wait to see how they perform. I am truly proud of how our team carried themselves on and off the mats,” said the proud coach.

Two female athletes from Combat Coaching had to fight head-to-head. “I tell them to have fun and play a technical game instead of being too physical,” said Swanepoel.

Combat Coaching athletes Urasia Gappoo and Machyla Tonsing go head-to-head at Submission Kings, Queens and Kids. Photo: Vaughn Humphrey Photography.

In preparation for the event, Swanepoel focused on submission, position escapes and attacking to achieve top positions. “Certain points are given for position escapes and controlling positions. We were preparing to work towards maximum points and avoiding losing points,” he said.

This was the last Submission Kings competition for the year. Swanepoel hopes that when events start again next year, Durban will be one of the host cities.

 

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Britney Edwards

She joined the South Coast Sun as a multimedia journalist in 2022 after graduating with a Bachelor of Arts Honours in Communication through the IIE Varsity College. She covers a variety of community news; from social events, inspiring stories and sport, to hard news, municipal matters and providing a platform for people to voice their concerns.

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