That Grappling Thing

I mentioned last week that I'd went to a grappling match.  I didn't really have the slightest clue to what it was; I'd just been told it was a fight.  And this teenager that I know, Joeli, was going to be fighting.  She's already won a "world championship" or, something like that, in Dallas and this was the first time that a grappling party would be held in Okie City. 

I googled it before I went, and according to the big gobbler, the "fight" was actually "grappling" and there's quite a following of this stuff - check out "NAGAFIGHTER".

I believe it is a type of jui juitsu.  I probably did not spell that right.

Anyway, it seems that you can become a grappler at age 4 and stop when you get too danged old to grapple. 

The funniest thing I happened to see all day was this "grapple" between two little boys, maybe five years old - one wearing a shirt, the other in "skin".  The little guy with the shirt made it about 10 seconds and then started to cry, so the referee stopped the fight to give him a chance to get his little self together.  He's wailing and crying big ol' tears - while the shirtless little tyrant danced around him like Rocky fighting Mr. T.  So, the fight starts again, and two seconds later, shirt-boy is crying again, and Rocky Balboa is doing that dance again - the referee then declared skin-boy the winner.  And shirt-boy went to sit with his mama.

So, back to the grappling.

Here's Joeli waiting for her OKC debut:

She's in the white shirt.  The guy to her right - with "Conan's" on his back - is Conan himself, the owner of the gym where she trains.  I've been told that Conan (not his real name) ((really?  his real name isn't CONAN?)) was once Chuck Norris's sparring partner.  Well, then, he probably knows some Chuck Norris Facts.

Here, Joeli's Dad, Joe, is explaining the way to deliver a uppercut.  I think.

And while that was going on, there were about 12 rings of grapplers, grappling.

Joeli met her next opponent here.  Sizing her up.  Planning her attack.  Guesstimating her grapple.

And then she grappled her head. 

And in a few short moments, she had grappled her way to victory, and the obligatory handshake took place.

Joeli wins!  And she wins a stick of some sort, which she holds up in the air!  (Can you tell by now that I have no idea what I'm talking about?)

Now, Joeli, with the defeat of that opponent, had defeated all the girl contestants in her age/size group, so she became the Queen of Grappling!  And held up the stick again!

Guess what the Queen did next?  She took on a Prince of Grappling!

That's right, they had her grapple some BOY!

Talk about a do-or-die moment for the boy.

Joeli didn't prevail in the Queen v. Prince match.

Personally, I think she let him win just so he could show his face in public.

Because Joeli is ONE TOUGH GIRRRRRRRL!