By Dan Marshall

Ten Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gold medals for Island Top Team at Western Canadians

Jun 13, 2017 | 10:36 AM

PENTICTON — Island Top Team is back from the Okanagan with ten gold medals in the Western Canadian Championships for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
 
Nanaimo’s BJJ academy won the nogi team title at the South Okanagan Events Centre with five gold medals and two silvers. 
 
They finished second in the gi division with five gold medals as well.
 
The results follow a strong performance at the 2017 provincials where Island Top Team also won the nogi team championship.
 
Instructor Rob Biernacki says ITT competes as a lone academy while many of the teams they compete against are made up of multiple academies.
 
“Our closest rivals brought between three to eight times as many competitors as we were able to bring,” said Biernacki.
 
Shane Malone won his weight class and the absolute in both the gi brown belt and nogi advanced division while Simarjit Kaur, ITT’s only female competitor, won gold in the gi white belt and nogi beginner divisions.
 
Jamie Gow took gold in the super heavyweight gi white belt division and also in the nogi beginner class.
 
There were also gold medals for Umesh Thillaivasan and Chace Rosychuk in their respective featherweight divisions.
 
Biernacki says it was the first time that all of his students who competed returned home with a gold medal in their event.
 
Island Top Team is moving into a new McCullough road location in the next week or so, with a a grand opening celebration planned for June 25.
 
 
dan@nanaimonewsnow.com
 
On twitter: @danmarshall77