MMA: Two more recent tournaments in judo and jiu-jitsu meant yet more medals for the dynamic mixed martial arts team from the Dojo at Blue Tree Phuket.
Most recently 14 young team members from the Cherng Talay-based Dojo competed at the Phuket provincial jiu-jitsu championships at Saphan Hin Stadium on June 17.
Under the tutelage of Dojo head instructor Alexis Plantard the team secured a whopping 25 medal haul (10 gold, seven silver and eight bronze) and were named team of the tournament.
Competing in the Newaza Gi division, gold medals were won by students Gabin, Tomo, Damir, Meera and Naithon, with the trio of Mael, Oscar and Trystan securing silver medals, while David, Leo, Sota and Justine claimed bronze.
In the Newaza NoGi division gold medals went to Gabin, Naithon and Tomo, as Leo, Meera and Justine claimed silver and Mael, David and Trystan all claimed bronze.
In the jiu-jitsu fighting division Timur won both a gold and a silver medal, while Tomo also won gold and David secured a bronze.
“It was a fantastic overall team performance and I am extremely proud of every single student,” beamed Alexis afterwards.
“Tomo is getting stronger in every tournament, Naithon is improving and displaying the right mindset and Gabin justified his position of team captain with consistent results and attitude.”
Alexis also has special mention for his 6-year-old Indian student Meera. “It was her first championship so to secure a medal, a gold at that, is simply amazing,” commented Alexis.
Up to the task
Prior to the success in Phuket, a total 13 team members competed at the Philippines International Judo Open in Manila on the weekend of June 10-11.
With over 500 competitors from all over the world, the standard was high in the Philippines’ capital yet the Dojo team were once again up to the task, winning a total of seven medals.
Gold medals were claimed by students Oscar and Sota and by Alexis himself in the senior age category competition, with silver medals going to students Gabin, Tomo and Oliver and Kiichi securing a bronze medal. Fellow students Naithon and Damir performed admirably to place fifth and seventh in their respective bouts.
The success was all the sweeter for 8-year-old Sota as it was the first international event he was competing in. He won his match by what is known as ‘ippon’, which is equivalent to a knockout in boxing or a pin in wrestling and immediately ends the match. “Sota works hard and has developed very well,” commented Alexis. “He now looks very mature in his performance.”
The gold medal win for 10-year-old Oscar followed a similar achievement at the National Championships of Judo in Nakhon Si Thammarat in April, which contributed to the team being awarded the number one national ranking within Thailand within the under-12 age classification.
“Oscar is coming on leaps and bounds,” said Alexis. “Next up for him is the United States Open in Florida next month and he looks more than ready.”
Euro Master
Competing on a personal level, Alexis then won gold at the the European Masters Games of Judo on Tuesday (June 27) in Tampere, Finland.
A revered competition held every four years with over 4,000 athletes competing for masters championships in 29 disciplines, Alexis triumphed in the men’s 90kg M2 judo division.
“I reached the podium in three separate disciplines at the 2019 competition while competing in wrestling, team judo and individual judo, but to win outright is a great feeling,” a delighted Alexis told The Phuket News.
“I hope this achievement can serve to continue to inspire and motivate my great school of students in Phuket and enable them to progress in their sport,” he added.
Next stop for Alexis is a training camp at the Kodokan in Tokyo, Japan. Officially the oldest dojo in the world, the Kodokan is the headquarters of the worldwide judo community and was founded in 1882 by Kanō Jigorō, the founder of judo. Alexis will be taking his 5th degree judo black belt exam while there between July 14-23 before setting off with the team for the US Open Judo Championships in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on July 28-31.
All ages and levels are welcome to the Dojo as they build the next generation of champion. For more info contact 09280 58527 or email [email protected].
