Students at the Rilion Gracie Miami Lakes jiu-jitsu academy led the competition at the South Florida JitzKing Open in Miami on Oct. 29.
The academy said it placed first overall.
Seventeen students ages 6 - 13 demonstrated their skills in grappling, wrestling and the martial art, with some taking home more than one gold medal.
“I’m really proud of our team, coaches and parents who bring their children to us and entrust us with their development in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu,” co-owner Carlos Ramirez said in a media statement.
His co-owner in the business at Cypress Village Shopping Center is Wilson Sgai.
Sgai is a 4th degree black belt and head coach at the academy.
Shown in the photo at left, clockwise from top left are just some of academy’s students who medaled that day: Brothers Alex Leyva, 6, and Max Leyva, 8; Pedro Sgai, 8, Liam Roque, 7 and Ryan Ravelo, 10.
--Linda Trischitta