By Naomi Rivera-Zuganelis
Self defense. Fun. Hardwork. These are the three words Cole Nelson uses to describe Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
Nelson is an Indian Trail High School and Academy freshman who just competed for the World Title in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu this past November and took gold.
This wasn’t a feat that happened over night. Nelson has been practicing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for four years and before that he practiced Taekwondo for five years.
“I’ve always been into martial arts, I did taekwondo for five years, but I got bored of it and I was looking for something else. I just decided to try [Brazilian Jiu Jitsu] and it was really fun,” said Cole Nelson. “I’ve learned a lot of self defense but also it’s helped with work ethic and discipline because you have to work hard with all martial arts to be at a competition level.”
Making it from a Kenosha, Wis. dojo to Long Beach, Calif. competing in the Sport Jiu-Jitsu International Federation Kids’ Worlds competition took many hours of practice and technique building.
“I trained really hard in practice, especially in the four or five weeks before Worlds. When I’m getting ready for a competition I just give it my all,” said Nelson.
“What really separates Cole from others is that after other sport practices Cole will still come to my gym. He’s sometimes here six days a week. None of my other kids do that,” said Professor Dave Rosenmarkle, Nelson’s instructor since January 2013.
All of Nelson’s efforts paid off. He won gold in both the ni and nogi divisions, beating all of his opponents by way of submission.
“I was really happy and excited because it’s the first time I’ve ever won in the orange belt division at the Worlds. I won the Worlds last year in a different division, so I was just really happy that I could win it again,” said Nelson.
“I was not surprised [when Cole won.] In every tournament he’s in he finishes in or near first. I can not emphasize enough that he has great work ethic. His results are directly from that,” said Rosenmarkle.
Nelson doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon. He is currently training for another competition being held in March in California called the Pan American Games.
“It should be a fun trip but it’s going to be a hard competition because I’m starting to go into the adult division and the skill level is going to be harder. It will be hard but I’m working for that right now,” said Nelson.
Nelson plans to seek a future in martial arts and this won’t be the last we hear of him.
“I think whatever Cole decides to do he can do it. He’s a good kid, he’s strong in character. He can do whatever. I think he would make a great teacher,” said Rosenmarkle.