Chris Thring had a gold medal to show his Little Constrictors when he taught class this week.
Thring, head instructor at Valley Jiu Jitsu, won gold in the lightweight division of the BC Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Championships March 5 in Vancouver.
“It felt great to represent Valley Jiu Jitsu and Gracie Barra,” Thring said. “I had the opportunity to fight alongside fellow Gracie Barra team members from the lower mainland and the Shuswap/Okanangan.”
The experience gained will benefit Thring’s students, some of who will compete in upcoming regional tournaments, and who may one day compete on the international stage.
The event was well attended and the crowd was treated to a super fight between Kalib Starnes of UFC fame and Rodrigo Carvalho, a Gracie Barra black belt from Brazil. The 10-minute bout ended early as Carvalho applied a gi choke from the mount forcing Starnes to submit.
/Submitted by Valley Jiu-Jitsu