Martial arts: Anderson wins Jiu-Jitsu title

Jarrod Anderson, a Cottage Grove native who trains at Woodbury’s Next Level Combat, recently won the 2012 Florida State Jiu-Jitsu title.

Anderson, the son of Cottage Grove native Gary Anderson, won the championship in the Blue Belt Medium Heavyweight (194.5) division at the Florida Federation of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu State Championship in Pompano Beach, Fla., at the end of July. Anderson defeated Oliver Reyes for the state title.

Anderson has been training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu since 2009. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was brought to prominence by Royce Gracie in the early 1990s and focuses on grappling and fighting on the ground. It’s now a staple of Mixed Martial Arts fighting.

After beginning his fighting career in Woodbury, Anderson moved to south Florida in order to study at the renowned “Team Nogueira” training camp under Master Wald Bloise, a former champion and cousin of twin brothers and current UFC fighters Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Antônio Rogério Nogueira.

Florida is widely considered a hotbed for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and the Florida Federation of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu State Championships is considered the very best tournament in the southeast U.S., bringing in the top competitors from Florida and surrounding states.

Anderson battled through the tournament. His first two victories happened in come-from-behind fashion as he was down on points. However, he won the matches via submission on choke holds then went on to earn submission wins with choke holds in each of his matches en route to the state championship title.

The gold medal win was Anderson’s third in fewer than 30 days. He also won the FX Grappling Tournament championship and won his division of the North American Grappling Association US Open Tournament in Orlando, Fla., in July.

Next, Anderson will focus on earning a world title in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

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