By TXMMA Staff
Texas BJJ Community chooses People’s Choice Award Winners for 2013 TXMMA Awards
The 2013 TXMMA Awards People’s Choice Voting (popular votes) wrapped up last week with over 7,500 fans of Texas MMA and BJJ voting in this year’s annual polls.
On the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) side there were 34 awards up for grabs with the goal of highlighting the top grapplers, performances, and contributors for 2013. The people’s choice award winners were 100% decided by popular vote (yes, popularity contest) but everyone considered all deserved to be there considering the exemplary year they had in 2013 along with some worthy nominations.
Here’s a few quick notes from us on the 2013 edition of TXMMA Award People’s Choice Voting before we list this year’s winners:
- First and foremost, thank you to everybody who participated. Like we’ve been saying all along, ALL the finalists nominated were already winners in our book regardless of this voting stuff. People’s Choice is just another way to recognize everyone and rally team support while getting BJJ and TXMMA out to the masses. Thanks for being a part of this, and us. It’s pretty obvious that our community here in Texas continues to grow and that’s awesome!
- As far as the award winners themselves go, this year’s edition of People’s Choice represented a whole spectrum of individuals and academies across the state with plenty of representation from all. By the time the official stats-based awards are out, we hope to recognize even more.
Voting-wise, we’d like to give a special nod to everyone who campaigned hard this year. This includes the Next Generation team who campaigned hard from day one and ended up winning Academy of the Year honors, quite an accomplishment for a team still relatively new on the Texas competition scene. Team leader Chris Brennan won match of the year honors in the nogi category while his boys Lucas and Tyler took home teen and kid honors respectively, all well-deserved.- There were expected winners and definitely some surprises in the other categories as well with some contenders coming out of nowhere to beat the statistical favorites. Either way, all very exciting until the very end and it speaks volumes for the amount of support all these winners have at their backs. (BJJ Sponsors, pay attention!)
Last but not least, a special note of congratulations to TPC’s Pat “Hawk” Hardy for winning our lifetime achievement award and making our TXMMA Hall of Fame. To be honest this is more of an ‘official’ award for us as opposed to People’s Choice but we’ll just say right now that Mr. Hardy will be winning both this year for contributions to the sport in the state of Texas. Starting officially under Royce Gracie back in 1994, Hawk was one of the first to further the sport of BJJ in the Houston area and East Texas and one of the first Americans (along with Eric Williams) to place at the international tournament level, winning the International Masters in Rio in 2005. We’ll go through more of Hardy’s achievements in our official awards but give him a pat on the back if you see him!
Without further adieu, here are the 2013 TXMMA Awards BJJ Edition People’s Choice Winners. Stay tuned in the next week or so as he we highlight the Official (Panel Chosen) Winners based on last year’s competition statistics as translated by our judges.
2013 TXMMA Awards – BJJ Edition People’s Choice Winners
- Academy of the Year – Next Generation Frisco
- Association of the Year – Nova Uniao (Bruno Bastos Jiu-Jitsu Association)
- Men’s Black Belt of the Year – Carlos Diego Ferreira (Team Ferreira / Atos)
- Women’s Black Belt of the Year – Fabiana Borges (Gracie Barra)
- Men’s Brown Belt of the Year – Julian Vega (Elite MMA)
- Women’s Brown Belt of the Year – Tessa Simpson (Gracie Humaita)
- Men’s Purple Belt of the Year – Levi Mowles (BQuick)
- Women’s Purple Belt of the Year – Danielle Alvarez (Alvarez BJJ)
- Men’s Blue Belt of the Year – Damion Oranday (Elite MMA Baytown)
- Women’s Blue Belt of the Year – Karen Lingle Kovach (F3)
- Men’s White Belt of the Year – Marshall Cevallos (Elite MMA Baytown)
- Women’s White Belt of the Year – Miriam Villar (Alvarez)
- Masters/Seniors Grappler of the Year – Shannon Smith (Elite MMA Baytown)
- Male Teen Grappler of the Year – Lucas Brennan (Next Generation)
- Female Teen Grappler of the Year – Zoe Jones (Elite MMA Baytown)
- Male Kids Grappler of the Year – Tyler Brennan (Next Generation)
- Female Kids Grappler of the Year – Nina Smith (Paragon Dallas)
- Men’s Gi Match of the Year – Robert Yamashita vs. Rico Bastos (BJJ Classic)
- Men’s No Gi Match of the Year – Chris Brennan vs. Toby Imada (Austin Open)
- Women’s Match of the Year – Tessa Simpson vs. Lana Hunter ( Matshark)
- Kids/Teens Match of the Year – Justin Rebolloso vs. Matt Hernandez (Matshark SA)
- Men’s Submission of the Year – Carlos Diego Ferreira – standing wristlock on Albert Hughes (BJJ Classic)
- Women’s Submission of the Year – Ahlysa Wise – RNC on Ashley Westfall (AGF)
- Ironman of the Year – Carlos Diego Ferreira (Team Ferreira / Atos)
- Ironwoman of the Year – Lora Hallock (Paragon Texas)
- BJJ Family of the Year – Alvarez Family (Daniel, Sophia, Danielle)
- Inspiring Grappler of the Year – Garrett “Deaf Grappler” Scott (Ronny Lis)
- Tournament Referee of the Year – Brandon Quick
- Tournament of the Year – American Grappling Federation
- Seminar of the Year – Nova Uniao Super Seminar
- Texas BJJ Brand of the Year – War Tribe Gear
- Texas BJJ Sponsor of the Year – War Tribe Gear
- Lifetime Achievement Award / TXMMA Hall of Fame – Pat Hawk Hardy
- Community Service Award – Girls in Gis
