LIHUE — Local mixed martial arts school Lions MMA took part at the North American Grappling Association (NAGA) Pacific Grappling Championship jiu-jitsu tournament last weekend.
Seven from Lions MMA competed at the NAGA event at Mililani High School on Oahu.
“This is only our second one (at NAGA),” said Lions MMA coach Mory Fernandez on Thursday in Lihue. “This time around was more nerve-racking. The camps never really went smooth because the boys had school, and my work, I was on the night shift. So, we just came together as a team.
“The days I wasn’t there, I had Max (Jordan) — which is my top student — run the class. I was available for them, like, twice. Sometimes the two days I was there, they had to be in school. We were kind of dodging each other the whole way, but somehow, we pulled it off.”
Lions MMA got quite a few top-three finishes at the NAGA tournament:
– Noah Howard, mens novice, gold medal
– Jaiden Ogata, 129-pound white belt, two gold medals, one sword
– Mikey Salomone, 2oo to 220-pound white belt gi, silver medal
– Janessa Llego-Finney, girls beginners, two silver medals
– Derrek Brock, mens masters, bronze medal
– Kade Brock, kids novice, two gold medals, one sword
Jordan also competed, but withdrew because of dehydration. When Lions MMA last competed at a NAGA tournament in October, Jordan won four gold medals.
“There’s no words that can describe what they did. Just showing up there, stepping on the mats and fighting to the end,” Fernandez said. “When my boys step on the mats, they put on a show. It ain’t no joke for them. It’s business time.”
He added: “Just big shoutout to professor Kalani (Lizama) at Powerhouse Jiu Jitsu. He’s my professor. He taught me everything I know. Without him, I wouldn’t have them (the students). And without them, I wouldn’t have me.”
Ogata, 16, of Lihue, has been a partitioner for a few months. He competes for the wrestling team for Kauai High School.
“I felt proud of myself,” Ogata said. “I trained hard. I didn’t expect this to happen. … I was pretty confident. I trained hard to try to at least come back with a reward.”
Salomone, 26, of Wailua, has practiced jiu-jitsu since September.
“I feel I did really good. I was really nervous because it’s a big competition,” Salomone said. “There’s a lot of people from different states that come over. So, it’s pretty nerve-racking seeing all the people there. From doing Triple Crown to NAGA, you kind of learn to work out your nerves, get over it and focus on what’s most important like your breathing, your technique and just staying calm.”
Salomone added he almost didn’t compete.
“The week before, I got really, really sick,” he said. “I didn’t think I was going to go. Luckily, two days before, I got healed up. I was like, ‘Yeah. I’m still going.’”
Lions MMA will next compete in May.
“It’s going to be at Kauai High School, the Triple Crown,” Fernandez said. “I’m also having them compete with no worries of weight cut or whatever. Just go as it is, just to get the mat time.”
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Nick Celario, sports writer, can be reached at 245-0437 or ncelario@thegardenisland.com.
