Broome’s TJ Anderson crowned State Jiu Jitsu champion despite fighting above weight class

Despite fighting above his weight class, Broome’s TJ Anderson was crowned the WA Jiu Jitsu Champion in the juvenile boys absolute No-Gi division at the State Championships in Perth on November 26.

Faced with a shortage of opponents in his designated weight class, Anderson took on the challenge of competing against an opponent weighing 9kg more.

Undeterred by the disadvantage, Anderson demonstrated his prowess in the Juvenile Boys Absolute No-Gi division, securing the gold medal in an intense match against New Zealander Norman Berryman.

In an impressive display of skill and tenacity, the young martial artist managed to take down Berryman in a hard-fought bout to clinch the gold.

However, the competition brought a mixed bag of results for Anderson, as he also competed in the Juvenile Boys No-Gi above 86kg ultra-heavy division, facing Berryman again.

Berryman won the bout, claiming gold while Anderson brought home the silver.

This recent success follows Anderson’s participation in the Pan Pacific Jiu-Jitsu Championships in Melbourne last month.

At that event, the talented fighter demonstrated his prowess by securing two gold medals, a silver and a bronze across various juvenile divisions.

Anderson also displayed his skills at the 2023 AJJC Australian National Championships in Melbourne in August.

He secured a silver in Gi sparring and a bronze in No-Gi sparring within his division, adding another notch to his already impressive martial arts belt.

The high-performing youngster also won his division at the WAJJC State Gi Championships in Perth in July.

In that competition, with a flawless 13-0 record on points, Anderson secured victory in his division with a submission.