Maltese Martial Artists Place Third From 36 Teams During International Tournament
A team of Maltese martial artists went into an international tournament all guns blazing, placing third among 36 teams from 21 different countries.
Led by head coaches David and Thomas Vander Eecken, Avant Garde BJJ hit the mats at a Brazilian Jiu-jitsu tournament – AJP National Pro – held in Catania, Sicily, cutting through some hard opposition in the process.
Lovin Malta sat with Coach Thomas who was more than content with his team’s performance, having achieved amazing results despite opening their club just nine months ago.
“The performance of the team was good,” he said with a smile. “We are still a young academy. And we had a hectic two years with COVID-19.”
“But we are reaching new milestones on the international scene of BJJ. And we are putting the Avant Garde and Malta on the map.”
20 athletes fought on the day, tallying no less than 50 matches between them.
The team won 17 matches on the day, filling their trophy cabinet with enough silverware to weigh it down for a good while, even though the team will continue their international adventures in the months to come.
It proved to be the ultimate test of their hard work on home soil. A day that saw the conversion of blood, sweat, and tears on the training mat into hardcore results.
And not only did the team nail a third-placed spot among all teams present on the day. Malta, as a nation, placed third amongst all nationalities in the tournament.
“We have one of the best BJJ programs in the Mediterranean,” Thomas added. “An excellent infrastructure, great instructors for takedowns and groundwork, and an amazing group altogether.”
“This is just the beginning of our rise to excellence.”
For those who may not be familiar with the sport, BJJ is very similar to Judo in that it involves throws, locks, chokes, and submissions. Where it differs, mostly, is in how the contest ends.
While Judo often requires a successful throw, or take-down, to end the bout, BJJ matches are exclusively won after an opponent is overcome by way of submission.
That’s right, the opponent has to ‘tap out’.
With further challenges on the horizon – which could include a world championship – all eyes remain on the Maltese club to see how much further they can take their fighting prowess.
Without question, the country stands behind them and their accomplishments thus far.
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