The Chicago Spring Open actually had a number of Master 6 black belts registered for the tournament. Nine individuals were spread across four weight classes. Unfortunately I was the only one at heavyweight. So, I registered for the Open division in hopes of getting some matches. The absolute bracket consisted of five individuals.
I had a first round bye and moved on to the semifinal. My opponent was the Ultra Heavywieght champion. After a takedown and a pass, I was able to secure the finish with a light switch choke.
The absolute final match was against the Middleweight champion. He pulled guard and we attempted for several minutes to score on each other. With less than a minute remaining and the score still all zeros, I was efficiently swept as I attempted a pass. I lost the final 2-0, but it was not a boring match by any means! Hats off to my opponent for the win!
