Our First Tap Cancer Out: A Bronze, Close Calls and a Day for a Great Cause

This weekend, The Garden MMA was in the corner at the Tap Cancer Out BJJ Open for the first time. Tap Cancer Out tournaments bring the jiu-jitsu community together to raise money for the fight against cancer, so every match on the mat counted for something bigger than the scoreboard.

We brought two competitors, Vafa and Cory, and came home proud of both.

Vafa: bronze in his first tournament

Vafa stepped onto the mats for the first competition of his life and walked off with a medal.

He took 3rd place, and the one match he dropped was close, decided on points. That's the kind of result that tells you he belongs out there, and it gave us a clear list for what's next. In the words of his coach:

> "Passing closed guard in the gi is on the menu."

Cory: two tough matches, never submitted

Cory fought through two matches and lost both on points, one of them very close. He wasn't submitted in either one.

Competing is hard. Losing a close one on points is harder. Showing up, making it competitive and leaving with nothing taken from you is exactly what we train for.

Why we compete

At The Garden, competition is never required. It's one more way to test what you learn in class against people you've never rolled with. Doing it at an event that raises money for cancer research made our first Tap Cancer Out one to remember.

Thank you to the Tap Cancer Out team for running a great event, and to everyone at The Garden who checked in and cheered from home.

Congratulations, Vafa and Cory. See you on the mats. 🌱

Want to start your own journey?

Every competitor starts on day one, knowing nothing. Book a $35 Day Pass, no gear needed and no experience required: thegardenmma.com/trial

4537 Wayne Ave, Germantown, Philadelphia · Park in the Apsley St lot.