8 AM Registration begins

10 AM Competition begins

Cost: $35 for all participants
$5 for adult spectators

The children’s division will be run first, followed by women’s and then men’s.

Location:

Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center
550 Laura Lane,
Dunedin, FL 34698

Gi and No-Gi

Children’s: Ages 8-10, 11-13, 14-16

Women’s: One division, one level, no weight classes.

Men’s: Weight classes:

• 159 lbs and below
• 160-179 lbs
• 180-199 lbs
• 200 lbs and above

Three belt divisions:

• White
• Blue
• Purple, brown and black

Masters: All belts, all weight classes, 35 years old and up

All 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners will receive medals.

There will be an absolute division for men. Absolute gi and no-gi winners each get a $200 gift card from Budovidoes.com.

Email: mgreery@gmail.com with any questions or 727-204-9731

Laid off? Purge your stress for free at gym

By Dalia Colón, Times Staff Writer

Getting laid off can make you want to choke somebody.

At Gracie Barra Clearwater, that’s okay.

The Brazilian jiu-jitsu academy recently began what it calls the Tough Times Training Program. Anyone who’s been laid off in the past six months is eligible for free classes three times a week. Just provide proof that you’re out of work — a bank statement or letter from your boss — and you’ll get free training for up to six months or until you find a new job, whichever comes first.

Owner and instructor Eduardo de Lima said he’s always given a break to students who couldn’t pay. The Tough Times program just formalizes the offer.

“I always said to my students, ‘If you lose your job, just come in anyway.’ It’s more important for them to work out, because it releases the stress of life,” said De Lima, 40, who’s been teaching jiu-jitsu for 16 years. “When (people) get stressed from money problems, they do dumb things,” he said, citing the Los Angeles man who recently shot his family and then himself after losing his job.

De Lima normally charges $110 a month for unlimited classes. Students in the Tough Times program can participate in Gracie Barra’s Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday classes, taught by De Lima and Matt Kirtley.

Chris Hartwig is one of the few to take up De Lima on his offer. Hartwig worked in the mortgage lending industry for more than three years and had been training with De Lima for almost two years. When he got laid off two months ago, Hartwig was prepared to quit martial arts, but De Lima told him not to worry about paying until he’s back on his feet.

“It was the only hobby that I had, and I was able to keep it, fortunately,” said Hartwig, 27, of Tampa, who no longer eats out and has cancelled a few vacations he’d planned. Jiu-jitsu brings stress relief and friendships that have been therapeutic during the job search process, Hartwig said. “You don’t have to go to a shrink when you have a bunch of guys in there that understand your situation.”

Tough Times Training Program

Bring in proof that you’ve lost your job in the past six months and get free hourlong jiu-jitsu lessons at 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, and noon Saturdays. Gracie Barra Clearwater, 1670 N Hercules Ave., Clearwater, (727) 204-9731