Prevail Jiu Jitsu

A good weekend out for Neil at Nationals.

He picked up gold in his division by default, but rather than leave it there, he stepped into the open weight and went looking for some work.

First match: slow start, a little clunky and was on the receiving end of a very nice takedown. But Neil rallied, recovered guard, reversed, mounted and then kimura and the win.

In the final he came up against a significantly bigger opponent and fell short, but there is a lot to be proud of in choosing to step up, test yourself and have a crack when there is absolutely nowhere to hide.

One of the unofficial traditions at Prevail is that medals spend a little time hanging at the club before they head home. They belong to the person who earned them, of course, but for a little while they also sit amongst the medals of everyone who came before and with the people who helped prepare them.

Because nobody really gets there alone.

Training partners, coaches, the crew who pushed the hard rounds, helped sharpen the game plan, turned up for the early sessions and kept you moving when you were tired - there is always a little bit of the room hanging from that ribbon too.

Well done Neil. Proud of the way you represented yourself and Prevail at Nationals this weekend.

Enjoy the medal mate. We’ll borrow it for the wall for a little while first.

No one rolls alone.

These three photos tell a story I think is worth sharing.

The first is Daz sitting beside me at one of his first competitions. He had high hopes, trained hard and genuinely believed he was ready. Then the day didn’t go the way he’d hoped. Anyone who has competed long enough knows that feeling. Sometimes you do the work, put yourself out there, and still fall short.

Not long after that photo, Daz stepped away from Prevail and Jiu Jitsu. A year or two later, out of nowhere, I got a message asking if I’d mind if he came back. Of course he could.

The second photo is Daz winning the Victorian Championships last year as a white belt. The third is this year. Blue belt. Victorian Champion again.

So what changed?

Yes, he trained harder. Before both campaigns, Daz was on the mats four or five times a week. But more importantly, he didn’t just invest in himself. He invested in the room around him. He encouraged others, challenged them, held them accountable and allowed them to do the same for him. His journey became part of ours, and ours became part of his.

That’s leadership. Daz may not be standing out front telling everyone where to go, but rather leading from alongside them. Sharing the hard sessions, holding the standard and lifting others while allowing them to lift you.

Sometimes you fall short. Sometimes you walk away. Sometimes you need time. What matters is what you do when you come back.

Daz earned those moments with his hand in the air. But the victories aren’t the most important part of these photos.

The space between them is.

You don’t rise to the occasion. You fall to the level of your training.

And at Prevail, none of us trains alone.

There is something special happening at Prevail at the moment.
And I don’t think it has much to do with medals, numbers or how busy the room looks.
Sometimes people look at a mountain and see a hill.
They don’t realise they’re looking at a volcano that’s just been sitting quietly in the background.
Last year, after Vics and Nationals, I could see the competition crew was cooked. They’d given plenty. So I told them to take a knee. I’d step forward in their stead and compete at Pan Pacs for them.
This year has been a little different.
We had a cracker showing at Vics, but afterwards the injuries and niggles started piling up. More importantly, the room just wasn’t feeling Nationals.
So I made the call not to enter a Prevail team.
Because this has to remain something we love doing.
We’re a community doing life together. We should look forward to walking through those doors. To technical sessions. Hard sessions. Stupid sessions. Laughing between rounds. Apparently Mel and Steph dancing between rounds now too.
The journey matters.
But I knew there was one person who might see Nationals differently.
One of my brown belts - Neil.
One of our longest-serving members quietly kept preparing. No fuss. No expectation that everyone else needed to follow him. He has already previously won the Vics and Nationals at brown belt.
And through his actions, I think Neil has basically said:
“Take a knee on this one, crew. I’ll take this one for Prevail.”
So this morning, a small but committed Saturday crew showed up to see him through his final hard session before Nationals.
That’s Prevail.
Sometimes one person carries the flag. Sometimes the rest of us help them carry it. Sometimes we compete. Sometimes we dance on the mats and laugh at each other.
But we keep showing up for one another.
People might look at Prevail and see a little club quietly sitting in South Geelong.
That’s okay.
Let them see the hill.
We know what’s underneath it.
One day.

Congratulations to Gebsy on receiving his 1st degree on his black belt yesterday at Renegade.

This is a significant milestone and a well-earned recognition of the years of training, coaching, leadership and contribution he has given to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

Gebsy is proudly Renegade, but he has also been a valued friend and supporter of Prevail over many years. We are pleased to recognise this achievement and congratulate him on reaching the next stage of his journey.

Well deserved, mate.

JiuJitsuCommunity

This weekend, Lara steps onto the mats at the German Nationals.
Though she lives across the world, Lara is Prevail through and through. She trained with us, helped build our community, and will always be family.

Stepping up takes courage. Your strength comes not just from within, but from those who believe in you.
We’re with you, Lara. Every step.
Trust yourself. Have fun. Enjoy it. We’re already proud.

No one rolls alone.

Last night was a historic night for Prevail Jiu Jitsu.

We awarded our first ever black belt.

And we could not be prouder that it was Mel.

Mel has been with us from the start. She has grown with the club, helped shape the room, and has become a huge part of what Prevail is today.

On the mats, she is truly a force to be reckoned with. Tough, technical, relentless and composed under pressure.

But the belt is about more than that.

What many people do not always see are the quiet acts of service and kindness. The way Mel looks after people. The way she supports the room. The way she gives her time, her care, her energy and her loyalty without needing recognition for it.

That is black belt.

Not just skill.
Not just toughness.
Not just years on the mats.

Character.

Mel is part of the soul of our community, and tonight we had the honour of recognising that.

We also had the privilege of awarding John “Reddog” his purple belt.

Reddog is one of those people every good club needs. Steady, loyal, hard-working and always willing to help the team around him. His purple belt is well earned, and it reflects not only his growth on the mats, but the way he continues to show up for Prevail and the people in the room.

Congratulations, Mel.

Prevail’s first black belt.

And congratulations, Reddog, on a very well-earned purple belt. A scary roll for everyone one on the mats and a big heart for our community.

No one rolls alone.

blackbelt purplebelt faixapreta faixaroxa grappling martialarts southgeelong geelongbjj geelongmartialarts community noonerollsalone

Tomorrow night …

Attention Members: Please note our updated timetable. Thanks

Social Sunday at Prevail

This Sunday, 31 May.

4:00 pm - Rolls
5:15 pm - Catch-up, food and a laugh

Come in for a roll, hang around afterwards, share some food, and spend a bit of time with the crew off the mats.

Nothing complicated. Just good people, good training, and a reminder that Prevail is more than just the rounds we do.

No one rolls alone.