Several members of the Keweenaw Jiu Jitsu club competed this past weekend in a tournament in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin. Pictured are (back row, from left): Alec Koski, Stan Myaskovskiy, Myles Baril, and Mia Taylor. In the front row (from left)” David Torstenson, Gunnar Matson, Tom Knewtson, and Luis Valencia. (Photo submitted)

PLEASANT PRAIRIE, Wis. — Over the weekend, the Keweenaw Jiu Jitsu club traveled to Wisconsin to take part in the North American Grappling Association tournament. The club sent eight competitors to the tournament.

Coach and club founder Stan Myaskovskiy, who is a black belt coach, led the group. He earned a silver medal in the competition himself. The tournament was his first competition since having knee surgery.

Alex Koski, founder of Living Proof Brewing Company, a local kombucha maker, earned a co-silver. He had not competed in seven years.

Myles Baril had been competing a lot. He finished his weekend with a pair of gold medals. He is planning to be back in competition again this coming weekend in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

In one of his brackets, he lost his first match of the day, but later defeated the same opponent twice en route to his gold medal. He also finished a match in just five seconds by securing an arm bar as his first move.

“He enjoys training and competing so much that he wanted to share his passion with his younger sister, and paid to sign her up for her first tournament,” said Keweenaw Jiu Jitsu member Luis Valencia. “He’s been working at the Loading Zone to make money to pay for his entrance fees as well as selling his homemade thimbleberry jam, and his crafted outdoor furniture. He is currently working to restore a boat to sell.

“There’s been hurdles and losses, but I don’t think anything can stop his passion and drive.”

Baril’s younger sister, Mia Taylor, won bronze in her division.

Valencia described what makes Keweenaw Jiu Jitsu such a special group.

“KJJ is a great place that is here to support the local community in their goals of Jiu Jitsu and combat sports,” he said, “not only are there people competing in Jiu Jitsu tournaments, regularly, but also some that are aspiring to fight MMA, learn self defense, or even just someone that is looking for alternative ways to stay in shape and make friends.

“It’s not just a gym, it’s a community center located in the Paavo Nurmi Center for Physical Education.”