09/10/2026
JIU JITSU CON KIDS 2026
This year’s 2-day Jiu Jitsu Con Kids No-Gi and Gi tournament, held in Las Vegas, was amazing!
Our four youth athletes, Annalise Gale, Cecilia O’Regan, Grayson Delaney, and Emerson Campusano, came into this prestigious tournament prepared to showcase the skill sets they possess. What an honour to have the opportunity to coach these warriors in battle.
Starting off day one in the No-Gi competition, in the orange belt division, was our Youth World Champion, Anna “Pena” Gale. Representing her new sponsor, HYPERFLY, she would make it to the finals and capture gold by taking her opponent out with a tactical strategy, earning her way to first place on the podium. No surprise!
Next up, Emerson Campusano would take to the mats in the grey belt division against the top seed. Unfortunately, it did not go his way, although we were all very proud of how he managed to handle his defeat.
Our third athlete, Grayson Delaney, in the grey belt division, managed to apply some slick techniques, earning a tight kimura submission to win his first international competition match. In his next match, Grayson would fall short on points, but ultimately made it to the podium and secured a third-place finish, bringing home a bronze medal. Awesome!!
In the fourth and final bracket of day one, in the yellow belt division, was Cecilia “The Heartbreaker” O’Regan. In a back-and-forth battle, Ceci managed to win her first match of the bracket by an advantage, grinding her way to have her hand raised in victory. Making it to the semi-finals, Cecilia made a tactical error, getting caught in a tight submission and costing her a trip to the finals. Winning her first match earned her a spot on the third-place podium, taking home a bronze medal. Admirable!
The day was a long one, with each athlete competing at different times and having long waits between matches. I was impressed by how they all stayed calm under pressure and showed professionalism at such a young age.
Day two, in the Gi competition, would again start off with Annalise Gale. Her first match was an ultra-quick one, with Anna snatching up a tight armlock finish from the guard in just 9 seconds. WOW! Making it to the finals, she would take on the same opponent she had faced in the No-Gi finals. In a back-and-forth battle, Anna “Pena” was able to win on points and finish first place on the podium, earning double gold medals at this year’s tournament.
While on the podium, I had the privilege of awarding this high-level athlete her green-black belt. A remarkable accomplishment!
Following Annalise, Emerson Campusano would take to the mats with laser-like focus, bringing the heat and locking up a tight triangle-kimura to earn his first match victory by submission. Super impressive! In his next match, he would find himself going up against the eventual winner of the bracket and number one seed. Although the battle did not go his way, Emerson again handled his defeat with class. A sign of a true champion. Very proud of you, big buddy!
Grayson Delaney, competing in his first match of day two, would show incredible heart and technique, coming from behind and earning the victory by points. A close and exciting match to remember, with Grayson having his hand raised. In his next match, he fell short, losing by submission to a very good competitor, but there is no shame in losing. You win or you learn. An excellent showing by Grayson. You made everyone very proud and went out on your shield. Way to go!!
Last but not least would be Ceci in the Gi, taking on the champion of the day-one No-Gi competition in her first match. With a certain game plan, Ceci was able to implement all that she’s been working on over the last 2 months. Making huge strides in improving her game, the match was a close one, with Cecilia looking to win via guard pass with seconds remaining on the clock. Unfortunately, time would be her nemesis, and giving up 2 points early on would cost her the win, going down on points, 2-0.
It was nice to hear former World Champion JT Torres compliment my daughter on an exciting match. With only 4 girls in the bracket, Ceci would take the third-place podium spot, giving her double bronze medals at this year’s tournament.
On a higher note, after competing at Kids Pans 3 years in a row and earning double gold medals at last year’s Jiu Jitsu Con, I was very pleased to award my hard-working daughter and pro-style athlete her orange-white belt. Levelling up!! Way to go, girl!
To say I’m proud of these four amazing competitors is definitely an understatement. I feel very blessed to have them as students and look forward to what the future holds for each of them on their Brazilian Jiu Jitsu journey. Congratulations, and keep training hard.
Thank you to the parents for supporting your children with love and encouragement, and also for the support towards myself as a teacher and coach, and towards our team/school. I am beyond grateful.
What a fun-filled event! From rubbing shoulders with the greats of our sport to the many Jiu Jitsu company booths providing their products, especially Jesus and Jiu Jitsu, I think I can speak for the group that attended this year’s JIU JITSU CON KIDS tournament when I say that we all had a blast. I hope we can do it again next year with an even bigger team.
Osss!!!
On 3… DO BJJ!!
1, 2, 3… DO BJJ!!!
Sensei Dallas O’Regan
