McBurney YMCA Group
Travels to Greece

Kyoshi Roman Lutak (7th dan), head instructor of Zujitsu’s McBurney YMCA chapter in New York City, was appointed last year as the official US representative to the United Nations of Jiu-Jitsu. This year he took six Zujitsuka with him to Halkidiki, Greece, to participate in the sixteenth annual United Nations of Jiu-Jitsu tournament, September 30-October 2, 2007. Accompanying Kyoshi Lutak to assist in judging was Sensei Barry Wilde (5th dan), along with the following McBurney competitors: Mike Melly (ni-dan), Don Selby (sho-dan), Sarah Johnson (brown belt), David Jenkins (purple belt), and Bryant Rock (yellow belt).

The group arrived in Thessaloniki, Greece, on September 27 2007, and met up with the UNJJ group from England to share a charter bus for the 90-minute drive down the Halkidiki peninsula to Sithonia. Later that afternoon they arrived at the Meliton, a five-star beach-front hotel within the resort of Porto Carras.

Participants spent a few days relaxing on the beach, swimming in the Aegean Sea, taking advantage of the hotel’s spa, and sight-seeing in small towns along the coast. There were parties and introductions as the New Yorkers caught up with friends they had met at previous UNJJ events in Europe and at last year’s tournament in South Africa.

After being well fed and well rested, Team USA buckled down to train and focus on the tournament, which began on Sunday, September 30. By the time the competition ended on October 1, this year’s Zujitsuka had in hand nine medals.

After fighting their way into the semi-finals, Mike Melly and Dave Jenkins ended up competing against one another in men’s 40-and-over heavyweight sparring. In the end, Dave won the silver, and Mike took the bronze. Don Selby sparred admirably, matched in his first round against a world-class kickboxer from South Africa. Although Don literally knocked his opponent off his feet with a beautifully executed spinning backfist, the judges ruled against him, citing that as an illegal technique. Sarah Johnson, unopposed sparring in the women’s 40-and-over division, was denied permission to compete in the younger division, and so by default was awarded a gold medal.

In men’s heavyweight groundfighting, 40-and-over, Mike Melly took the silver and Dave Jenkins took the bronze. Bryant Rock won the bronze medal for groundfighting in the men’s 18- to 39-year-old, light heavyweight (180-200 lb) division. Sarah Johnson was again unopposed in the women’s 40-and-over division, and again the officials were reluctant to bend the rules to allow her to compete in the younger division. This time Kyoshi Lutak stepped in and insisted that she be allowed to fight, so at the last minute she was placed in the 18- to 39-year-old women’s heavyweight groundfighting division, where she won the gold. Sarah and Mike also won gold for their pairs demo in the 40-and-over division.

A gala dinner followed the awards presentation, and the following day, seminars were held in the tournament hall. Kyoshi Lutak was very much in demand, and he taught nonstop for hours, showing students from all over the world new techniques and demonstrating creative variations of techniques he had observed them doing in the competition.

On the final day, the South Africans offered a workshop on knife defense, and later that evening the McBurney group prepared to depart and said goodbye to their UNJJ friends until they all meet again -- next year in Gibraltar! Oss!