Representing the Hillsdale Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Club, junior Fred Woodward won silver and sophomore Finnian MacAulay won bronze at a tournament in Detroit April 11.

MacAulay, the club’s president, restarted the club last fall with the help from two other students. MacAulay said he thought about resurrecting the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu club while taking a one-credit course on the sport. The club participated in its first tournament since returning April 11, allowing four students the opportunity to compete against other BJJ students from across the state of Michigan.

Among the students involved were MacAulay, Woodward, freshman James Barder, and Oscar Marquadt, who is from the Hillsdale community. Two of the four Hillsdale representatives medaled in their respective disciplines and weight classes. Woodward won silver while MacAulay earned bronze. 

The tournament in Detroit proved to be a beneficial experience of on-mat competition for Hillsdale. Barder, one of the new members,  described his time at the tournament as an “incredible experience.” 

“There’s a certain point when you get so used to rolling with your teammates that you know generally what to expect from each individual,” Barder said. “This is not the case at a tournament. All the athletes come from many different training backgrounds, so it’s an opportunity to test what you’ve learned against someone new in a live and all out match.” 

Barder also gave props to the team saying everyone competed great, especially MacAulay and Woodward.  Moreover, he said is grateful to his coaches and older club members for their dedication to founding the club and all the work they have put in. 

The growth of the jiu-jitsu club extends beyond their first tournament too. MacAulay 

said around 10 students come to open mat practice every Saturday. Barder also said BJJ is something he had always wanted to try. The club even works with two local jiu-jitsu coaches, Michael Cantrell and Larkyn Dasch.