August 1, 2020
Dear friends and families,
On July 11th, Coach Jo Maisonneuve took part in Submissions on the Shore, an 8 female No Gi Jiu-Jitsu tournament, in San Pedro, California. OAMA is so proud of the amazing Jiu-Jitsu and wrestling skills that she put on display against purple, brown and black belts.
Only receiving her purple belt in January, Coach Jo was more than eager to get out there and do what she loves! Not only did she defeat a tough opponent in a very close first match, she submitted a black belt in her second match. She lost in the finals but walked away with the well-deserved Warrior Spirit Award.
“This is for the athlete who best exemplifies the “warrior spirit” clarity, focus, determination, courage, consistency. Views hurdles as opportunities and is not afraid to pursue a purpose to its conclusion. Overall sportsmanship, humble, represents themselves, their team, and jiu-jitsu on and off the mat.” (@subimissionsontheshore)
We had a chance to sit down with Coach Jo recently and do a post-fight interview. You can watch the full video on our YouTube channel.
When asked how she found the experience, she said “It was a very nice opportunity to be able to compete at such a high level…I just got my purple in January, I was like let’s test this, let’s go to the best, let’s see where I’m at.”
Jo said her opponents were “phenomenal, very strong, and very talented”.
All the matches were very intense and showcased talent from all over North America. Jo’s first match was an outrageous one! Those watching it live can tell you it was a nail-biter!
Both women went through all the positions, with Jo showing phenomenal wrestling and takedown. The match went the full 10 minutes of regulation time with no points awarded, and then went into EBI (Eddie Bravo Invitational) overtime rules, which is basically the person who escapes the fastest, accumulates the time.
After the overtime, Jo’s hand gets raised. Just as she walks off the mats she’s called back on and the referee raises her opponents hands! Professor Eric, who was in her corner, and I, at home screaming at my TV like a maniac, added the time and knew Jo clearly was the winner. The promoter told Professor Eric we needed to prove the time accumulation to dispute the call. It being a live event, those of us watching from home thousands of miles away, couldn’t go back to calculate the time. We all rallied very quickly to find an answer, and after going through many family and friends we found out that Jo’s brother recorded the fight! Just minutes before the next match was to begin, Professor Eric was able to show the promoter the recording, and they agreed with what we knew all along…Jo was the winner! It was such a close match with only a difference of 13 seconds.
With having a great coach in your corner and an incredible team and community backing you up, anything is possible! If it weren’t for all the people who tuned in live and who worked quickly to find proof of the time accumulation, Jo wouldn’t have gone on to fight the next two matches.
OAMA’s mantra of “We are organized as a team and take care of each other as a family” couldn’t be truer!
The following matches were just as intense and filled with phenomenal submission attempts and a huge double-leg takedown. We will share the videos of these matches on our YouTube channel very soon.
We are so proud of the great display of Jiu-Jitsu Jo showed in the tournament, both on and off the mats. She exhibits all the traits of a true martial artist and her spirit and love for the art shine every day. Even with the intense hurdle at the end of her first match, she never lost her composure or focus.
A big thank you to Professor Eric for being in Jo’s corner and helping her conquer this milestone.
You can watch the video of Jo’s first match on our YouTube Channel. Be sure to subscribe to our channel so you don’t miss out on any videos.
Live your best life,
Matthew “Hammer” Hache
Ottawa Academy of Martial Arts