Rehash of the September 28 Catch Interclub

On Sunday, September 28, 2025, young grapplers from across Taiwan gathered at Catch Jiu Jitsu in Kaohsiung for a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competition. Teams came from Kaohsiung, Tainan, and Taichung to take part.

The event was lively and well run. Catch had digital scoreboards, clear seating around the mat, and extra space in the foyer for people to move around. The energy inside the gym was high, with cheers and encouragement filling the air.

Our team, Northside Jiu Jitsu, brought five competitors between the ages of 10 and 13. All are grey belts. They fought ten matches in total and won four. More importantly, every one of them showed courage and effort. As their coach, I am very proud of them.

Competitions are always a learning experience. Alongside the technical reminders—“hooks in,” “stay off your back”—I was struck by how much focus matters. Jiu Jitsu requires attention to detail. Students need focus not only to compete, but also to learn and grow on the mats. I often ask my students, “What does Jiu Jitsu cost?” Their answer is, “You have to pay attention!”

In today’s world, it is harder than ever to capture attention. Phones and screens compete for focus. As a coach, I have made changes in my classes: shorter sessions, adjusted seating, and lesson tweaks to keep students engaged.

This is not discouraging—it is motivating. Helping young athletes build focus is part of the challenge, and it inspires me to improve my own teaching. That means rethinking class structure and planning carefully. Writing and note-taking are a big part of that process.

Here is one training outline I am working with:
• Warm-ups
• 3 rounds of light rolling (3 minutes each)
• 1 technique breakdown
• 3 rounds of positional sparring (2 minutes each)
• 4 rounds of full sparring (5 minutes each)

Of course, the best results happen when everyone arrives on time and ready to train. My goal is to keep the gym a positive, focused place where young athletes can step away from screens and step into the world of Jiu Jitsu.

More updates to come.