A recent martial arts tournament was dominated by athletes across Chatham-Kent.
Members of Armstrong Academy of Martial Arts won 64 medals at the 2026 Windsor Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Open this past weekend. Twenty-nine of the medals were gold, 21 were silver, and 14 were bronze.
These medals saw the Academy finish in first place, well ahead of second and third.
Thomas Armstrong, the owner and Head Instructor at Armstrong Academy of Martial Arts, told CK News Today the competition was nothing but a success.
"We had new guys tryout, seasoned [athletes] that competed really well, and a lot of guys who'd never won a gold medal won their first," he said.
Among the many who took home gold medals were Armstrong's two daughters, Isabelle and Keira. While he explained that he loves to compete, it always puts a smile on his face to see his kids shine.
"I just love that they're following my lead," he added.
Also competing was Rain Pfaff. The Blenheim native has won five gold medals during the last three World Championships. Armstrong shared that it's gotten to the point where he has started to feel bad for Pfaff's opponents.
"I think, hands down, that she has to be the top female competitor in Canada right now. I don't know anyone that would even come close," he laughed.
The other athletes to win gold alongside Pfaff and the Armstrong family were Millie Malcolm, Charlotte Goodwill, Zane Gauthier, Gracie Millar, Lance Therrien, Daved Guenther, Axel Campbell, Weston Dreise, Callahan Browning, Katelyn Deryck, Rory Hart, Ollie Cikatricis, Andy Cikatricis, Brody Ford, Oleksii Surmylo, Jake Martin, Brian Coleman, Jordan Dreise, Jeff Williams, and Josh Regan.
Ollie Cikatricis, Dreise, and Coleman also won silver medals, joining Aayah Ahsan, Will Faubert, Alonzo Emas, Wyatt Pickard, Grayson Dalios, Malia Dalios, Callahan Browning, Cooper Martin, Cole Vankoughnett, Aaron Campbell, Francis Yanga, Danielle Spall, Senthil Hanlan, Matt Levesque, Jeremy Baker, Ken Baker, and Ryan Ford.
The bronze medal winners included Isabelle Armstrong, Jake Martin, Cooper Martin, Andy Cikatricis, Matt Levesque, Senthil Hanlan, Katelyn Deryck, Sophia Dozois, Luke Faubert, Ben Goodwill, Nicholas Dalios, Zoey Hart, and Hunter Regan.
