Aspida Kids

Aspida Kids classes have been added to the program since the beginning of 2012, now with four young men, between the ages of 6 and 12. The boys are learning the basics and picking up techniques and learning very quickly. The two new classes are on Tuesdays and Fridays from 5 - 6pm. For more information, call Andreas on 99842148 or Pantelis 99540008.

We are also introducing our new mascot - Aspidas designed by Anastasia Gerali.

Pan Hellenic Jiu Jitsu 2012

On the 4th March, members of Aspida Team went to Athens to participate in the Pan Hellenic Jiu Jitsu 2012 competition. The final results being we have two Gold medals, one Silver and one Bronze.

Gregory Demetriou won all three of his matches and came first in his category, White U76kg.

Greg, having a strong wrestling background, dominated the game from the beginning with good take downs and strong positioning. The final was a tough fight, with Greg's opponent being equally strong and skilled.

Giorgos Zapounis won the silver in White U88kg, playing very strategically and following instructions well. At only 18yrs old, Giorgos has only being doing BJJ for a year, with no previous experience in other sports. He shows great potential, competing against some very strong competitors with more experience, but with technique and clever strategy, won his games.

Andreas Achniotis came third in the Open category, Purple and Brown belts. Both of his fights were with competitors heavier and bigger than himself, yet Andreas showed great skill and strength. His first game, with a competitor 90kg, he won with an armbar submission. His second game was with a competitor 120kg. In the first 4 minutes, Andreas attempted to take down his opponent, with both athletes failing to take down, Andreas's competitor called the guard, Andreas managed to pass on half guard. He struggled to pass his big opponent using his other leg hook, and attempted a collar choke. The opponent used his advantageous body weight to flip Andreas from half guard taking 2 points and continued to play a defensive game staying in Andreas's guard, by holding Andrea's hand behind his back. At 30sec before the end, Andreas released his hand and started attacking by opening his guard, but time ran out. The end result being a 2-0 score.

Although Andreas Prezas lost his first fight, he did not play as well as he is capable of playing, playing a more defensive game as opposed to attacking, losing with points. His category had many good Greek competitors, making it a tough one to compete in.

Panos Petralis is a member of Aspida, now studying in Thessaloniki and training with Nuova Uniao, also joined his old team mates in Athens, winning first place in White belts Over 100kg. Well done again to everyone who competed and represented Aspida Team in Athens.

You can view videos of the fight on our Youtube channel at this link.

Aspida's Indoor competition

Aspida Team had it's second indoor competition on the 16th February, which was a big success with 30 competitors divided into 3 categories. The categories were (1) White /Blue belts Under 76kg, (2) Blue belts Over76kg and (3) Blue/Purple/Brown belts Open.

The brackets were decided based on competitor weight and skill, to keep the games fair. In the first category, White/Blue U76kg the final game was won by Gregory Demetriou vs. Nikolas Mavromati (won by submission).

Second category winner Bl O76kg, was won by Zacharias Aristidou vs. Christos Phantis (won by submission).

Third category winner Bl/P/Br Open, was won by Dino Kouyialis vs. Dimitris Louka (points).

It was a tight fight, which Kouyialis won 8 to Louka's 7 points.

Overall, the event was a success and brought a sense of sportsmanship to the whole team. In the beginners White belts, there was another fight against Phanos Mappouras vs. his cousin Phanis Tinizis, which Mappouras won showing immense skill and technique 12-2. Both players played extremely well, having only started two months prior. Phanos Mappouras attempted many submissions, one after the other.

Congratulations to all the competitors and a big thank you to all who attended, making this day possible.