Pacific Top Team Kelowna’s Kathy Hubble won gold, while Sarah Draht brought home a silver medal from the World Jiu-Jitsu Masters Championships this month in Las Vegas.
Representing Canada, Hubble, a Kelowna Judo Club instructor, successfully defended the blue belt title she won at worlds last year.
Hubble, who also teaches at PTT Kelowna, has an extensive background in Judo—including a black belt Masters World Championship—and has been focusing her attention lately on Jiu-Jitsu.
Draht, who has an extensive background in competing, has focused mostly on Jiu-Jitsu over the last six six years. A decorated athlete at purple (including four-time Pan-Am Jiu-Jitsu gold medalist), she earned her brown belt within the last year but has struggled to find female brown belts to wrestle with in Canada. Her coaches and personal trainer crafted a game plan mimicking what the opponents do and what to expect. The silver in women’s heavyweight proved that their game plan is working.
“This silver is probably one of my proudest. Just battles on the mats with these ladies” she said.
There were thousands of competitors competing over the four-day competition with experience levels ranging from blue belt to black belt, each athlete competing according to their belt and weight category, thus matching up some of the best in the world challenging for that gold medal.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is like a game of human chess, involving fitness, mental focus, and technique and strategy.