Local medals a second time at Jiu Jitsu Pan American Championships
Charles ‘CJ’ White has been training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for nearly four years at Gracie Barra Paso Robles
–Charles “CJ” White recently flew out with his wife and daughter to Kissimmee Florida’s Silver Spurs Arena to compete in the International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation’s Pan American Championship; the highest level of competition in the sport side of the martial art.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a grappling martial art that uses leverage and submissions to win fights. Popularized by the early UFC events, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is now the go-to martial art for many as it is relatively low impact and touts real-world self-defense applications.
The 36-year-old Paso Robles resident was set to compete at the blue belt division in his respective weight class. White has been training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for nearly four years at Gracie Barra Paso Robles. His first foray into the Pans saw him take home gold in 2019. Emboldened by that success, White continued to compete in lower-level competitions to keep in in fighting shape and regularly medaled, often gold.
“This tournament was a goal of mine since March 2019 after winning Pans at White Belt” says White. “My next goal is to continue improving…to compete at Masters Worlds in November and hopefully stay on track to compete with the best.”
White has been training alongside teammates under the tutelage of Professor Garret Glava, himself a 3-time Pans medal winner.
“The Pan American is the hardest tournament in the world,” Gracie Barra Paso Robles’ founding partner, and the school’s black belt said, “With more than 2000 competitors and sometimes five hard fights to win (in one’s bracket). CJ put on an excellent bid for the title. 2nd place is a massive accomplishment and we’re very proud to have brought this victory to our community.”
– By E.R. Franco
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