03/08/2026
This is going to be lengthy because frankly what I saw this team achieve today was really something else. Strong performances all around. Everyone did this team proud today and sometimes I cant even believe I get to coach you guys and girls. It is a true pleasure for me to see your hard work pay off!
Pat Galante - Gold, Silver. From a complete physical transformation, to a technical beast, Pat is the embodiment of commitment and progress. Dominant today.
Anthony D’onofrio - Silver. Another student with a remarkable physical transformation. Great ex*****on today, and guard work was really on point. Impressive for such a big guy. Invented the D’onofoplata today.
Joseph Catalano - Silver. Who knew such a mature and esteemed professional had such a dog in him. Great, fluid movement on the mat. Very effective. Coachable. A testament also to the morning coaches who are holding up the standard of this Academy in their sessions.
Braedan Hill - 2 Silver, 1 Bronze. Smart gameplay on the mat today. Braedan is one or two tweaks from really taking off on the comp mat. A solid result today. We are so happy you chose this Academy.
Kids
Troy - 1 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze. No last name. He is just Troy. One of a kind. Leo his brother bowed out of his matches due to illness and so Troy stepped up and did his own divisions (gi and no gi) as well as his brother’s - fighting kids 2 years older and much, much bigger. Troy just tore it up. A machine.
Ali - Gold. An incredible ability to recall sequences from class and adapt under pressure. One of the most technical kids ever in this program. This kid is on a rocket ship. So impressive and a pleasure to coach.
Roman - Gold. His first tournament, the smallest and youngest in his division (he went up a year). Brutalized the competition. So incredibly intuitive for only 5 years old. Roman hit one of the nicest under mount to mount transitions I’ve ever seen a kid do in a competition.
Leo G - Gold. This kid has come so unbelievably far. He is driven. Today was the culmination of all of his hard work. A major success story out of this gym. Looking forward to the future with this kid.
AJ - Silver, Bronze. Started a little slow but really kicked it up. One of the best guard players in this kids program. Today he was poised and was executing. He is showing more confidence with every event, he is rounding out his game and becoming an excellent martial artist.
Dina G - 2 Silver. What a debut. Her and Evelyn had a very tough girl in their division who frankly should not have been there. Regardless, she dealt with tremendous pressure and stayed technical throughout. She has an incredible tough spirit. Really can't wait to see her compete again.
Evelyn - Bronze. Coming off an ADCC gold performance, Evelyn had a very tough time with he first kid in her division. She came back and fought hard in her next match (against Dina). Evelyn is such a tough little girl, it is only up from here for her. Very proud of how she hung in there today.
Ryan - Bronze. Ryan is showing progress with every tournament. Another kid who had some really tough opponents today but hung in there. By his last match, he was really looking good. Another one with incredible determination.
Max G - Max missed the podium today but had one match that was his best ever. Max excels in the submission tournaments and just needs to add a little something to his game and he will be well on his way. He has a love for Jiu Jitsu and level of commitment that is unmatched.
Big thanks to our coaches, including my copilot on the kids program who never misses a class (unless he is in a tree stand), James. So many dedicated coaches for our kids class, it's truly special. Steve’s introduction of wrestling and amazing transitions has brought this program to another level. The morning class lead by Jay and Terry have created an excellent program. Special mention something that has been a game changer for our kids and adults - many of our competitors are taking private lessons from Nick and Jay and it is having a very big impact.
