Island Top Team instructor Rob Biernacki took to the mat as a competitor and won a silver medal at the ADCC Brazilian jiu-jitsu event in California on April 29. (Rob Biernacki)

By Dan Marshall

Fighting for Silver

Nanaimo athlete wins silver medal at Brazilian jiu-jitsu event in California

May 2, 2023 | 9:15 AM

NANAIMO — The head instructor at Island Top Team has returned from a competition in California with a silver medal in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Typically Rob Biernacki takes students to events like this but he went as the lone competitor from Nanaimo to the ADCC Open in Orange County on April 29.

He said the ADCC is a different sort or tournament.

“They run a world championship every two years that is regarded as the Olympics of our sport and have only recently expanded into national tournaments. The rule set is more open and is considered the most difficult one in the sport. All submissions are allowed, where as the IBJJF which restricts certain techniques.”

In some competitions the masters division is separated but in the case of the ADCC all athletes ages 35 and over were in a single category.

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Biernacki won the silver medal in the men’s masters advanced 83 kilogram division.

He won his first three matches via submission before losing out on points in the finals.

Biernacki’s victories came through an ankle lock, heel hook and a triangle choke.

“In the finals my opponent was the youngest in the bracket and I was the oldest, by a fair margin. Knowing that the bronze medalist was determined by a match between two competitors I had submitted I feel like this may have been the best overall performance in my competition career.”

Back on April 22 a group of eight athletes from Island Top Team went to the SIO Grappling Challenge in Chemainus.

The team left the competition with a combined four gold medals, two silver, and two bronze.

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