Report: Summer Grading, mini-comp, open mat and social

It was an action-packed Sunday for the team at Borderlands Grappling as we hosted our latest in-house mini-competition and belt grading. The event brought together our grappling community for a fantastic day of sharp technique, hard-fought rounds, and well-earned promotions.

A milestone for Borderlands: Homegrown blue belts

We kicked off the session with a grading ceremony to recognise the dedication and consistency of our students.

This grading marked a massive milestone for Borderlands Grappling, as we handed out four new blue belts to James Moss, Josh Alderson, Jack Robbins and Craig Coleman.

While these aren’t the club's first blue belts, each of the students promoted started with us either entirely fresh to Jiu-Jitsu or with just a handful of sessions under their belts—marking our very first truly "homegrown" colored belts.

We were also lucky enough to have black belts Simon and Tom join us for the day, who offered some fantastic words of wisdom and encouragement to everyone who earned new belts and stripes.

Rolling dice and disadvantages: The mini-comp

After the promotions, we had some fun with a creative No-Gi mini-competition alongside our friends from HA BJJ.

We had 24 students on the mats making up two teams of 12. Team captains Josh Alderson and Melissa Davies took turns putting a competitor forward to match up with a contender from the opposing side.

To keep everyone on their toes, each competitor rolled a dice before their match to receive a specific "disadvantage" for the round—such as only being able to win via an armbar! Points were allocated based on wins, losses, and draws.

Across the board, everyone brought an excellent pace and showcased a high level of technical skill. Melissa's team ultimately came out on top, and a special shoutout goes to Asser and Drew, who walked away with the well-deserved "Fight of the Day" honors.

The afternoon was filled with plenty of laughs, mutual encouragement, and fun, proving that a competitive environment goes hand-in-hand with great camaraderie.

Winding down at Ludlow Brewery

To top off a brilliant day, the Borderlands crew headed over to Ludlow Brewery to wind down. It was the perfect opportunity to reflect on the day’s achievements and celebrate our new blue belts over a few well-earned beers, with plenty of soft drinks keeping our younger grapplers fueled. It was a relaxed, chilled end to a milestone weekend for the club.

Regardless of who graded or won their matches, we are massively proud of everyone’s progress and commitment. The future is looking incredibly bright on the Borderlands mats.

Interested in joining the team? Whether you are looking to compete or just starting out, we offer friendly, ego-free Gi and No-Gi classes in Ludlow. Book your free trial class today.