BRITISH OPEN: Gi 2024

On the 18th of May, just a week after the Yorkshire Open, we had two teens competing at the British Open. After the success of the previous week, the team took the short trip to Manchester with high confidence.

Toby Colling was first up, winning his match against a much bigger opponent by executing his now-signature Seoi Otoshi, throwing his opponent face-first into the mat. After a few scrambles, he managed to lock up a triangle for an armbar finish from his back.

His second match proved to be his biggest challenge to date. A tough wrestler scored takedown after takedown, racking up points early on. Through sheer toughness, Toby managed to survive a nasty kimura, ultimately losing by points but picking up the silver medal.

Next up for the Combat Base Leeds Teen Competition Team was Ben Cole. His game plan was thrown out the window as soon as his opponent pulled guard. Not dealing with the grips on his collar led to a nasty cross-collar choke that eventually put Ben to sleep. His opponent went on to take gold.

At Combat Base Leeds, we don't just celebrate the wins; we learn from our losses, taking away valuable lessons and heading back to the gym to work on our weaknesses. Coach Nam came away super proud of his students for stepping on the mats and testing themselves against the best Britain has to offer.

If you would like to sponsor our growing team of athletes, then please get in touch, we have sponsorship packages available for all budgets and needs.

If you would like to train, then simply head to the Membership page, sign up and we'll see you on the mats.

Photography: https://alcphotography.co.uk/