The inaugural Emerald City Kids Grappling Championships took place October 16th from inside Sleeper Athletics in Seattle, with kids 16 & under from around the NW participating in BJJ & Submission Grappling. A total of 43 gi competitors & 29 no gi competitors took part and represented such schools as Sleeper Athletics, T-Town MMA, 5 Rings Jiu Jitsu, North Sound BJJ, Purebred BJJ, & Gamebred Jiu-Jitsu. The gym was packed full of proud parents, coaches, & supporters who witnessed these future stars of tomorrow shine brightly with incredible technique & sportsmanship on display. This special tournament was the brainchild of BJJ Black Belt & MMA Fighter, Cindy "Sleeper" Hales, who owns and runs Sleeper Athletics. In this interview below, Cindy explains her reasons for starting up this event and plans for its future, as well as giving some info on her school...

Sponsors that helped make the event possible included VXRSI who had a booth setup with tons of very cool apparel, Liberty Events and Promotions who will hold their next BJJ/sub grappling tourney The Revolution 11.13.10 on Nov 13th,

Capoeira Males, Kid N Play, Stand Up Paddle Quest, Taco Vinyl, & NW Fightscene.

Cindy Hales' Sleeper Athletics is located in the back of the old Rainer Brewery (now the Tully's Building) on 3150 Airport Way S, just minutes South of Downtown Seattle. The school offers BJJ, Submission Grappling, Wrestling & Boxing for kids and adults. Learn more about Cindy Hales and the school at sleeperathletics.com.

Tons of photos and videos of the action are below...