Several of our martial arts students and instructors had the opportunity to go to Texas to participate in the 2024 Dallas Invitational Judo Tournament! Sensei Derek and Sensei Gilberto, along with students Xena and Jolie, traveled alongside additional instructors to put their skills to the test. They were there for the tournament for four days, arriving on Thursday. That Thursday night, they trained at the East Side Dojo in preparation for what was to come.
All of them did their best, and Xena secured a third-place win! Gilberto had an extraordinary opportunity to fight the third ranked fighter in the world; a true test of his abilities!
After the tournament, they took some time to enjoy Dallas, enjoy some great Texas BBQ, reconnect with previous PAL martial arts instructors, and wind down with a few rounds of billiards. Overall, it was a bonding experience that did more than test themselves. They got to rally behind one another in support of their individual goals, meet other like-minded and driven people, and create new goals for themselves with the intent to return next year. We’re proud of them all!