Pride of Andover Winner – Michael McGarry, 60, owner of local martial arts club Kyouken MMA & Jujitsu, has won double bronze in the JJIF World Championships this week in Thailand!
Mike received his black belt in 1984 and is now one of only a handful of Japanese jujitsu martial artists in the UK that hold an 8th Dan coral belt in the art, he is also a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Brown belt, due to get his second martial art black belt imminently in ‘BJJ’.
He is one of the directors of Great Britain Jujitsu and, at the tender age of 60, is still out there representing his country – competing in fighting jujitsu and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
The JJIF world championships have over 2500 athletes from around the world, from 52 different countries, competing in several disciplines, including fighting jujitsu, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, combat jujitsu, duo, and have para-athlete divisions in all categories. The JJIF have successfully managed to get the fighting jujitsu in the World Games and are lobbying to get the sport into the Olympics, which would put Mike in the running to become the Olympic director for fighting jujitsu for Great Britain!
Mike fought other competitors to get onto the podium in Thailand – Andover is proud of all that you are achieving. – CONGRATULATIONS!
