When Q. Wiggins looks at his Senshi Do Kai MMA competition team, he sees many young beginners along the walls of the dojo. They’ve only been training for the year or so that the Plant City school has been open.
But when he looks deeper, in his mind he sees a lineup of 14 winners. Wiggins believes the training each student has undergone at the mixed martial arts school has prepared them for what’s next, which is the Aug. 22 Florida State Open.
The Florida State Open, a precursor to the annual U.S. Nationals tournament in Coral Springs, is part of a national tournament series put on by Newbreed Ultimate Challenge. The event typically attracts competitors from around the country, but unlike the national championships the venue changes from year to year.
Fortunately for Wiggins and the Senshi Do Kai team, this year’s competition is right in the school’s backyard. Strawberry Crest High School will host the one-day tournament in its gymnasium.
“It made it perfect for us,” Wiggins says. “We don’t have to travel so far.”
The tournament divides competitors into beginner, intermediate and advanced divisions, with each division being categorized by the number of years its fighters have had training experience.
From there, competition is straightforward: everyone is grappling all the time, and competitors can fight while wearing a gi or no gi.
The difference in attire is simple but huge. While wearing a gi, the action takes a more traditional turn in the sense that the outfit makes certain holds and maneuvers possible that cannot be done without a gi. In short, it’s pure jiu-jitsu that often sends competitors to the top of the ranks.
Without a gi, it’s a little more complicated. Fighters in this field will wear tight clothes, sometimes without a shirt on, which makes it much more difficult to latch on to the opponents. It’s here that competitors will be forced to branch out into different styles, such as wrestling. Now considered a near-necessity to a successful MMA career, wrestling can get a victory for a competitor with such a background.
According to Wiggins, this sort of competition is why many amateur wrestlers choose to train in jiu-jitsu in the offseason.
Wiggins’ confidence in the team comes from its constant training, which might be an understatement.
“We have this thing called ’10,000 reps,’ where I make sure that the guys get 10,000 reps in everything they do,” he says. “So, if they’re passing the guard, they’ve got to pass the guard 10,000 times. I’ll keep track of everybody’s passing. It’s just been drill, drill, drill, drill, drill, so that they don’t get caught up in situations they’re not familiar with.”
In the last Newbreed event that the Senshi Do Kai team competed in, the team performed well. Some students, including Joe Tucker, brought home gold medals and are gunning for more this month.
Tucker, 9, considered one of Senshi Do Kai’s top young competitors, loves grappling on the big stage. He says that crowds like the one he’ll encounter at Crest don’t bother him.
“It looks fun, and I just always think to do my best,” Tucker says. “I’m just looking at my opponent and blocking the crowd out.”
This month, he’s excited to get back out there and try to top his performance from last time, which also included a silver medal. He last competed in the intermediate division, after being able to jump in as a beginner, and will go into this tournament in the same division with the appropriate rank and plenty of experience.
“I’m looking forward to doing my best,” he says. “I think I’ll do pretty good.”
Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.
IF YOU GO
NEWBREED ULTIMATE CHALLENGE FLORIDA STATE OPEN
Where: Strawberry Crest High School, 4691 Gallagher Road, Dover
When: Saturday, Aug. 22
Cost: $10 for admission
Tickets: Spectator admission tickets, as well as more information, can be found at NewBreedGear.com/NEWBREED_ULTIMATE_CHALLENGE_TAMPA_FL_p/046-tampa-fl.htm