CONVOY’S TJ MCMENAMIN has won double European gold medals in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at the 2016 European IBJJF NO-GI Championships.
The competition, where no Kimono is worn, was held on Saturday at the Palazzetto dello Sport, Piazza Apollodoro in Rome, Italy.
McMenamin took part in the Masters Blue Belt Division at Medium Heavy weight and secured victory over Giorgio Gastaldi from Italy by a points decision.
He then later in the evening took part in the Open Weight competition and secured victory in very close final by a point decision over Mike Tajik, a Superheavy weight from Sweden, whom won his division at the Worlds Masters last year in Las Vegas at Ultraheavy weight.
Bryan Gorman from Donegal Town, also secured a European NO-GI silver medal in the Masters brown belt category, at medium heavy weight.
McMenamin also won double gold medals in the Rome International Open, where he fought in the Masters blue belt GI competition on Friday at the same premises.
He won his weight division by walkover, but took part in the open weight division, where he submitted the lightweight Marc Thompson, and again had met Mike Tajik in the final, where he secured a points victory over the Super heavy-weight.
In January of this year, TJ previously won a European Bronze medal in Lisbon, Portugal at the 2016 European IBJJF (Kimono is worn) championships, and on March 5, he secured gold in his weight division and silver in the open weight division at the IBJJF London International Open.
McMenamin is a self employed Architects called MCM Associates, based in Raphoe and trains out of the Rilion Gracie BJJ Academy, which is based based in Old Town Letterkenny, run by Brian “Barney” Coyle, whom himself secured a Gold Medal at the 2016 European IBJJF (Kimono is worn) championships in Lisbon at the start of the year.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is one of the fasted growing martial arts systems in the world and UFC Stars Conor McGregor and Joseph Duffy both hold Brown Belts in this particular discipline, which is essential to all MMA fighters.
