Kosciusko Junior High School student Braden Ray won two gold medals in jiu-jitsu at the American Grappling Federation Mississippi State Championships last Saturday at the Jackson Convention Center.
He won the 125-pound junior Gi division and the 135-pounsd No Gi division. The difference is that competitors wear the traditional loose-fitting garment in Gi but not in No Gi.
In each competition he won two bouts, including one by submission,
Ray is top-ranked nationally for the 12-13 year old age group and was not nervous going into the competition. “With so many tournaments I have done, I have sort of lost the nervousness. I’m a little more comfortable going into matches now.”
Jiu jitsu is a form of martial arts similar to wrestling, according to his father, Daniel Ray. “But there is a whole lot more technique to it.”
The future might include tournaments in Atlanta in May and Biloxi in June. “We’re going over his baseball schedule to see where he can go,” Daniel Ray said.
Braden is an outfielder on the Kosciusko Junior High baseball team. He also played soccer.
