RICHMOND, Ky. — Despite August bringing the return of school for many of its competitors, 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu Richmond remained busy on the competition circuit, competing in two tournaments and a superfight event during the month.
The team began its August competition schedule on Aug. 15 at the GoodFight Submission Only tournament. A group of six youth and seven adult competitors combined to earn nine gold, eight silver and three bronze medals. Those performances earned 10th Planet Richmond second-place finishes in both the Best Youth Academy and Best Adult Academy team standings.
The team returned to competition Aug. 29, traveling to Cincinnati for the Fuji BJJ tournament. Richmond finished second in the Best Youth Academy, Best Overall Academy and Best Affiliation standings. Competitors combined for 19 gold, 10 silver and 10 bronze medals. Among the standout performances was recently promoted grey belt Israel Prince, who earned three gold medals and one silver. Prince had faced challenges while transitioning into the intermediate competition level following his promotion. His performance in Cincinnati marked significant progress and reflected the work he has put into adjusting to the higher level of competition.
The weekend continued Aug. 30 when Natilee Wells and Vitoria Lopes represented 10th Planet Richmond in superfight matches at the Kumite event at the Woodward Theater in Cincinnati. Wells competed in Match 8 and worked from her guard to create a submission opportunity. After completing a sweep, she secured a triangle attempt. When she was unable to finish the triangle, Wells transitioned to the arm and earned the submission victory with a dorsal kimura. Lopes competed in Match 18 against an opponent who opened the match aggressively. Lopes secured a throw that placed her in the top mount position before beginning to work toward taking her opponent’s back. During the transition, Lopes moved into an armbar and secured the submission victory. The two superfight victories capped a successful weekend and month of competition for 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu Richmond.
The team will return to competition Sept. 19 when its athletes travel to Nashville for the ADCC Open.
