THEY came. They saw. They conquered.

A group of Moree martial arts students competed at the Brazilian jiu-jitsu NSW championships at Inverell recently and all returned home with medals.

Moree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Club members Austin Madden, Logan Cubis and Kenzie and Caden Cook competed against students from across New South Wales.

The 2024 NSW Country Championship, a double elimination event, targeted all levels of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competitors of all ages, and was held at Holy Trinity School.

The martial art, known as BJJ, is a self-defence and combat sport based on grappling, ground fighting and submission holds.

Assistant coaches James Rowe and Nick Sabine guided the Moree kids through the day-long competition with support, advice and encouragement.

“We’re very happy and proud of the kids’ performances,” Sabine smiled.

Assistant coach Nick Sabine with Moree medallists Austin Madden, Logan Cubis and Kenzie and Caden Cook.

Logan Cubis and Caden Cook won gold medals, with Austin Madden and Kenzie Cook collecting sliver.

“For some, it was their first competition and they all fought hard battles and did extremely well,” Sabine said.

The coach didn’t leave the mat empty-handed, either.

Sabine won gold, two silver and a bronze from eight matches at the championships.

“I am very proud of our team and the work they put in on the mats,” Sabine said.

“It takes a lot to step on the mats at competition level and those kids did it with the biggest smiles throughout the day.”

Sabine admitted to being overwhelmed by the medal haul.

“Every time the kids showed me their medals, I got a bit choked up. As assistant coach, it was a very proud moment,” he said.

“It was a very positive day. All the kids had fun, and the competition organisers were great and all said very nice things about our team.”

“Many of our students saw the great effort the team put in at Inverell and are very excited for future competitions,” he said.