Heart, Respect, and Victory: Inside Our M16 Open Experience by Nick Hughes

June thirteen was a cold, grey and rainy day in Adelaide, but as the athletes filed into the M16 Gym to weigh in, the sun started shining through.

Jackie and I had managed to hit the ground running as we had only a three-week turnaround from another long preparation and super fight bout to redirect our focus to this event and make weight successfully for our respective matches.

Even though Jackie was one half of the Championship Main Event, she was still chatting away happily with her opponent at the weigh-in as she has this uncanny knack for befriending all of her opponents. This one though, felt different. There was a definite sense of respect between combatants here as both Jackie and her opponent Amber Smith understood they would be vying for a championship previously held by none other than the best female athlete in the World; Adele Fornarino, and, that this may in fact be the last time this belt will ever be contested. So, with that premise setting the scene, they both knew they were taking part in a history making event and shared the respect worthy of the occasion.

Seeing our friends from all over the country each step on the scale one by one, along with the witnessing elite eight-man tournament bracket take shape, was a very exciting backdrop that made for a challenging task to remain focused on the goal. I was able to both meet and speak with my opponent Geffrey Tran, a technically gifted Black Belt out of Australian Elite Team, and he spoke to me about studying and analyzing my recent matches.

This really set up an intriguing prospect for me moving forward from that moment as I realized I would need to test my tactics against a game and prepared opponent whilst also revealing if my ability to adapt and problem solve was where it needed to be to be successful in this bout.

June fourteen, day of the show. Jackie and I completed a strict rehydration and refueling protocol, rode the waves of pre match nerves and made our way to the Brighton Performing Arts Centre. Upon arriving at the event and heading backstage to the warmup area, we immediately got the sense that this show was going to be a team effort. It honestly felt like regardless of state and academy, everyone had a shared goal of showcasing their skills in an entertaining and constructive format that represented our sport to its highest potential.

Match after match took place that exceeded expectations. The eight-man King of Adelaide Eliminator brought out the absolute best in each competitor whilst thrilling the crowd with nonstop technique, heart and determination. It really set the tone for the entire event as it reminded us all of why we were there and how far we had come as a community to have generated such high-quality talent in our own backyards.

In the lead up to my own match, I used the method of pre match ritual and grounding that I have developed over time just to become as present in the moment as possible, be clear of my intentions and focus on the task at hand.

I started my match with a planned opening sequence and tested Geoffrey’s ability to respond to my initial game. He did a great job countering and negating some guard work and inversions, extracting his limbs from leg entanglements and showing strong awareness of my intended setups. I switched to the second phase of my game which was establishing the Headquarters passing position and challenged his ability to counterattack. Geoffrey smartly employed a waiter sweep entry counter to directly oppose that game, so I adapted quickly to a three-quarter mount chest to chest position, closing the distance and maintaining pressure before the points period came into play before completing my passing sequence to earn points whilst moving into mount. Understanding my position in the match overall, I began to use distance-changing strategies to keep Geoffrey out of any attacking guard configurations which effectively held him in a defensive cycle, which again was part of my broader strategy leading in. I was ultimately able to earn the points victory and was extremely proud of my opponent for the strategy and game that he played.

Immediately upon conclusion of my match, I rushed backstage and started warming up Jackie, as this was her moment, her time to shine.

As we waited at mat side before her match, I watched Jackie put on her headphones and close her eyes. In this moment I recalled all the doubts, the uncertainty, the hardships, the defeats, the injuries, the illnesses and the harshest moments in the training room and realized that they were all about to be overcome with one single match. And what a match it was.

Jackie immediately employed her game plan of relentlessly attacking submissions from the get-go, and so did her opponent! The two traded back and forth with leg attacks that included straight foot locks, figure-four foot locks, outside heel hooks, lateral knee bars, Estima locks, bolt cutters... everything!

 The turning point in the match came when Amber switched gears and pulled Jackie into a Triangle Choke, where Jackie stayed composed and eventually escaped in dramatic fashion, turning the tables and establishing top position control. Jackie then worked her way through North South and patiently isolated the top arm whilst shin pinning the bottom to set up a dilemma attack. Jackie then sat in to a Knees Up Shoulder Trap Choi Bar variation that she learned only days prior, to earn the tap, gain the submission and become the new Female 61kgs M16 Open Champion.

 The pride I felt in that moment only increased as I witnessed Jackie raise up the crowd in support of her opponent, acknowledging the shared journey and experience they just had together. This was an inspirational way to cap off an amazing night of Grappling and of course, a fairy tale ending for one of the most deserving athletes in the scene.

 A message of gratitude must go out to all who supported both us and the event, because really, this was a big win for the entire community and a day that all of us will never forget.