Members of Meaford’s Georgian Bay Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gym, which operates out of the former GBSS high school building on Eliza Street, travelled to Aurora on April 19 to compete in the 2025 Aurora Annual Jiu-Jitsu Championships, and several of them came home with medals.
“This was a medium-sized tournament with around 500 contestants split up over various weight classes, belts, and age groups,” Kyle Clements, co-owner of Georgian Bay Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu told The Independent. “What was most significant about this tournament was that this was our first time having adults compete from our club and the second time we had kids compete. This was the first time competing for all of the athletes with the exception of Trystan. Trystan is undefeated in competition. We were also competing against much larger, more established gyms that have a long history of competition. In contrast we have been open less then a year.”
First developed in 1925, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, which is based on grappling, ground fighting, and submission holds, has grown in popularity in recent years, becoming one of the most popular of the martial arts.
The seven Meaford competitors ranged in age from six years old to 36, and five of those competitors came home with medals.
Owen Johnson, age 6, won Silver in No Gi competition.
Daryl Johnson, father of Owen, age 36, won Silver in No Gi competition.
Kayden Marsh, age 8, won Bronze in No Gi competition.
Trystan Marsh, age 11, and brother of Kayden, won Gold in Gi, and another Gold in No Gi competition.
Kristen McCormick, age 30, who also co-operates the Meaford gym with Clements won Gold in No Gi competition.
Also competing were Desmond Posey, age 11, and Dan Fevreau, age 31.
“Desmond Posey went 2-2 in his No-Gi division, winning some hard fought matches against some tough competition including an epic come from behind victory where he escapes a super tight submission and scored a last-minute take-down for a victory,” Clements told The Independent.
Gi competition is done with a traditional martial arts uniform, while No Gi competition is done without the Gi, wearing instead a t-shirt and shorts, Clements explained.
The tournament was a great success for the Georgian Bay Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gym, which has been operating for less than a year.
“Georgian Bay Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is the newest BJJ academy in the area. We offer kids, teens, and adult classes six days a week. Our students range in age from 5 to 63 years old. There is no kicking or punching in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, it is a ground-based grappling martial art that combines wrestling with submission holds so that with the proper use of timing and technique a smaller person can defeat a bigger stronger opponent. Matches can be won either by points or by making your opponent tap out due to a submission hold,” Clements explained. “We also have a variety of other fitness classes including Yoga, Mace Yoga, and women’s only group fitness classes. We want to make Meaford a healthier, happier community and our goal is to provide something for the entire family.”
You can find out more about the Georgian Bay Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gym by visiting their website: https://georgianbaybjj.com. You can also find them on Facebook and Instagram.
