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Jiu-jitsu fighters gear up for UK tournament

Numbers of female competitors on the up

A squad of local Brazilian Jiu-jitsu fighters are gearing up for their first UK competition since the start of the pandemic this month (July).

For those of you who don't know much about the sport, its origins lie in Judo and Japanese Jujitsu but with the Brazilian version there's more of a focus on ground techniques - also known by some as 'struggle cuddles'.

So a lot of the emphasis is on self-defense and leverage to use your body against your opponent.

It's a fairly male dominated sport but the number of women competitors on the Island are growing and that includes Louise Gawne, Catherine Moore, and Lucy Southword. 

All of them are from the Gracie Barra Club and are traveling to Manchester on 31 July to compete in the All Stars tournament.

They spoke to Rhian Evans:

If you'd like to give Brazilian Jiu-jitsu a try, you can find details on the Gracie Barra Facebook page.

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