Double Team Titles at the IBJJF St. Louis Open Championship

Watson Martial Arts & TAC Team BJJ Claims

Double Team Titles at the IBJJF St. Louis Open Championship

This past weekend, the TAC Team BJJ family celebrated victory at the IBJJF St. Louis Open, and Watson Martial Arts was proud to be at the center of it.

For the fourth consecutive year, our team captured the Gi Team Championship, cementing our place as the premier Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competition team in St. Louis. But this year, we didn’t stop there. TAC Team BJJ also claimed their first No-Gi Team Championship, making this our most successful IBJJF St. Louis Open to date.

A True Team Effort

Championships like this don’t happen overnight, and they certainly don’t happen alone.

Our affiliates traveled from across the Midwest and throughout the St. Louis area to compete, support, and represent. From seasoned competitors stepping onto the mat with years of experience to newer students competing for the first time, every single person who showed up played a role in this victory.

But the story of this championship isn’t just about the competitors who earned medals. It’s about everyone who made those medals possible.

The training partners who showed up week after week to help competitors sharpen their games deserve just as much recognition. The coaches who put in extra hours drilling positions, building game plans, and keeping athletes mentally focused. The teammates who showed up on tournament day, cheering from the sidelines, and making sure no one stepped onto the mat feeling alone. These are the unsung heroes of a team title,  and this one belongs to all of them.

Jiu Jitsu for Everyone, Competitor or Not

Here’s something worth knowing about Watson Martial Arts: while we’re proud of what our competition team accomplishes, the majority of our members never compete at all, and that’s completely by design.

Most of our students are hobbyists. They train because they love Jiu Jitsu, because it keeps them fit, because it challenges them mentally, and because they’ve found a community they genuinely look forward to being part of. There is zero pressure to compete at Watson Martial Arts. Our coaches don’t measure success by medals. They measure it by whether you’re becoming a better version of yourself.

That might mean stepping onto the IBJJF mat and chasing a podium finish. Or it might mean showing up three days a week, improving your health, learning real martial arts, and building friendships with people who push you to grow. Both paths are equally valued here.

Our coaching staff works with each member individually, helping them identify their own goals and building a training experience around what matters most to them, competition, fitness, self-defense, or simply becoming a better martial artist alongside a positive, welcoming community.

What Makes TAC Team Jiu-Jitsu Different

At Watson Martial Arts on Papin Street in St. Louis, MO, we’ve always believed that Jiu Jitsu is strongest when it’s built around community. Our TAC Team network brings together affiliate gyms from across the Midwest under a shared culture of collaboration, accountability, and high-level Jiu Jitsu.

Winning the Gi team title four straight years is a testament to that culture. Adding the No-Gi title for the first time shows that we’re not just maintaining, we’re growing. And that growth starts with every single member who walks through our doors, regardless of whether they ever enter a tournament.

The Road Ahead

Winning is meaningful, but what we’re most proud of is the process that got us here. The early morning sessions. The extra rounds. The teammates who pushed each other when it was hard. That culture of support and shared growth is what defines Watson Martial Arts, on competition day and every day in between.

To every competitor, coach, training partner, and supporter who was part of this, thank you! This is your title too.

If you’re looking for top-tier BJJ in St. Louis, a welcoming martial arts community, or simply a place to challenge yourself and get better, we’d love to have you come train with us.

👉 Contact Watson Martial Arts today to schedule your free intro class and experience the difference for yourself.