About 100 athletes from nine teams participated in the tournament, coming from Bishkek, Aleksandrovka, and Kara-Balta. The chief referee of the tournament was Rinat Abdykerimov.
Almaz Mambetov, a jiu-jitsu coach at the "Manas" sports club in Kara-Balta and one of the organizers of the competition, stated that the main goal of the championship is to adapt young athletes to the updated rules, judging, and competitive atmosphere. The competition served as the first event in the new sports year and a preparatory stage before larger competitions, including the Kyrgyzstan Championship, which will take place in February this year.
Grappling is a form of wrestling that combines elements from various martial arts such as judo, sambo, jiu-jitsu, and others. The main focus here is on holds, joint locks, and pins. It is conducted in a no-gi format, meaning without a kimono. The fighters' gear consists of shorts and a rash guard—a tight-fitting sports shirt that clings to the body, eliminating any advantage gained from clothing. All technical techniques correspond to jiu-jitsu, but the absence of a kimono makes the matches more dynamic and requires different tactics from the athletes.
Grappling is a relatively young martial art that formed at the end of the last century. Despite this, it is not yet an Olympic sport. The essence of the matches is not so much about accumulating points but rather the pursuit of an early victory through joint locks and chokeholds that force the opponent to submit.
Unlike jiu-jitsu, grappling does not have a belt system—the athlete's level is determined solely by their results.
A. Mambetov noted the high level of preparation among the participants and mentioned that the athletes were informed in advance about all the changes in the rules. The judging panel particularly highlighted the team from the village of Aleksandrovka, which included twin brothers who are current world champions.
The organizers are confident that holding such tournaments contributes to the popularization of grappling in the regions and provides young athletes with valuable competitive experience necessary for further growth and participation at the national level.
