AUSTIN, TX, October 3, 2012 – Whenever you ask most Texans about which city they love to visit you’d probably get plenty of responses saying Austin is the place to be. From the gorgeous parks and scenery to the music scene and nightlife, the capital of Texas is just teeming with things to do and places to see. It’s just that awesome.
This is why we love it when Fight to Win / World Grappling Circuit come to town at least once annually to put on the Austin Open. It’s just another reason to visit arguably Texas’ most beloved city and get in a day of competition to boot.
For those of you that haven’t heard, the 2012 edition of this F2W/WGC tournament is just right around the corner with the 2012 Austin Open set to take place next Saturday, October 13 at the massive Delco Center right off HW290 and HW183.
According to promoters Seth Daniels and Brett Boyce, this venue is one they have very high expectations for and one that will be well equipped to handle the large turnout they are anticipating come event day.
“It’s BIG and has bleachers,” Boyce told TXMMA.com with last year’s turnout in mind.
“I challenge the 900 competitors that showed up at last year’s Austin Open to show up all at once. We will have room to accommodate everyone and it’s going to be a good time.
Adding to lessons learned in the past and looking to increase tournament satisfaction, they’ve also made it a point to add some weight to the medals winning grapplers will earn as well with this tournament edition measuring at a whopping over 4 inches and 3/8 inch thick.
Spot-checking the picture as seen here, they compare well to the type of medal one would get at the BJJ World Championships with some added Texas flair.
Above and beyond aesthetics, another reason competitors may want to keep note of this competition is the introduction of some new divisions into the fold – including a seniors (40+) division and a submission-only absolute division that will surely prove to be a tough test for those to enter.
“I was hearing a lot of other tournaments were messing with the idea and my assistant head ref Mark Peltier really sold me on including it in our tournament,” Brett said, adding they’ll do it their own way in typical fashion while expressing excitement that this and all the other new wrinkles thrown in place should be something competitors should really enjoy.
“That is the one thing from us…. You may see a few things added and some things taken away from time to time, but we are tried and true. Heck we know we are not without our hiccups from time to time but we try and make it right and do the right thing with the competitors in mind. Expect a well-run tournament with HUGE medals this time.”
Pre-registration for the 2012 Austin Open ends this Sunday with three weigh-in locations for weigh-ins (Houston, Austin, Dallas) in advance of the tournament next weekend.
It should be another good one and TXMMA will be there to report all the action. Check out all the additional registration info here and we’ll see you on the mats!