The Dutch Open is the most important grappling tournament in the Netherlands. Every year, dozens of teams try to win the title of ‘Best Team in the Netherlands’. But time and time again, they fail. The organizing team, Jiu Jitsu Factory, wins the team prize every single year. They’re one of the oldest and biggest teams in the country, with over ten locations.

This year, we aimed for the impossible: beating the biggest and strongest team with just a single academy. A school that’s only been open a little over two years.

For months, the whole gym had been building toward this day. And on June 14th, it was finally here.

White Belts

Wanci made an amazing comeback after her last competition. She won her first match on points. In the final, her opponent went for an illegal leg lock and got disqualified. Gold for Wanci.

Erwin competed in the masters and dominated. He won both of his matches with more than a 10-point lead.

Jesse also dominated his masters division. He won his first match by submission in under 30 seconds, and the second in just over a minute.

Jess and Nick competed in the adult lightweight division. A tough bracket, but these two Haven athletes stood out. They met in the semifinals, Jess advanced and won the final by submission. Nick secured bronze with a great submission.

But Jess wasn’t done. He entered the Open Class and threw every single, much bigger, opponent on his way to the final. He lost that last match, but it was an incredible run — especially as a lightweight. This morning, Jess was awarded his well-earned blue belt.

Blue Belts

Noel and Fitzie entered the featherweight division. Both had a stellar run, taking out top Benelux talent. Dean lost in the semis but came back strong for bronze. Noel submitted all his opponents — his longest match lasted 2:14.

Sebastian and Siddy entered Ultra Heavyweight. Sebastian won the division and even beat a tough opponent in the Open Class before being stopped in the quarters. Siddy grabbed bronze.

Red Bastiaan lost his first match but came back with a strong submission to take bronze.

Joran Mul was crowned king of the blue belts. He submitted everyone in his division, then entered the Open Class and submitted his first three opponents. In the final, he faced a very tough opponent — but Joran stayed relentless and won on advantages. Double gold.

Our masters did great as well. Serj had three matches against the same opponent — lost the first, but came back strong and won the next two. Philzão dominated his bracket and submitted everyone. Kevin and Sander took home silver; Rodney earned bronze.

Purple Belts

Cheq, despite preparing for an MMA fight, jumped into this tournament. He won his first match by submission, then got caught with a flying armbar.

Gabriel CJ also entered despite limited prep. He fought hard and brought home bronze.

Black Belt

Caio tested himself against some of the top black belts in the country. He won both matches in his division by submission. In the Open Class, he submitted both opponents again. Double gold. Back to London with a statement!

Best Team in the Netherlands

All those medals added up to something special: we did what many thought was impossible — winning the Dutch Open team prize with a single academy.

This only happened because of our team’s dedication. Competitors, coaches, hobbyists — everyone contributed. We trained, pushed each other, and on the day it mattered most, we delivered.

We are the best grappling team in the Netherlands.