"Final Countdown"
Saturday November 6, 2004 - 7 PM
Nitro Community Center - Nitro WV

In 1977 a martial arts tournament took place in Hawaii using rules that allowed kick, punch, throw and grappling techniques. There were 5 teams present including teams from mainland USA & Canada. Sixteen years before anyone had ever heard of the UFC. In 1984 , 86, 88 & 1990 World Championships were held using similar rules as the International Sport Jujitsu Association uses today.  For many, many years in Brazil there has been a competition known as Vale Tudo where participants are allowed to use just about anything they wish (making this a grandfather sport to all NHB events).
Jujitsu, Jiu-jitsu, jujutsu world championships around the world were called just that World Jujitsu Championships.  The term Sport Jujitsu was not used by promoters, or magazines until 1993. This term describing a jujitsu competition was coined by Ernie Boggs (the 1st American ever to win a world title in Jujitsu) in 1992 and first used by the USSJA in 1993. The USSJA was the first martial arts association to promote a mixed martial arts event for men, women, and children on a National level. The International Sport Jujitsu Association (ISJA), the first to promote it world wide with more than 27 countries using it's rules today.  There are literally dozens of MMA organizations and hundreds of events today. However, all ISJA gold medalist and professional full contact champions are recognized in more than 27 countries around the globe as legitimate World Champions.

The Nitro Community Center was host to some of the first ever MMA full-contact world title matches ever held in the USA with participants from Japan, Australia, Canada, England, Denmark and Argentina. Those events were called Saturday Night Super Fights, they were sanctioned by the USSJA/ISJA and followed their rules & regulations.  This weekend will be last sport jujitsu event held at the Nitro community center (hence the title Final Countdown).  It is sanctioned by the ISJA and will feature 10 bouts. A post fight party & celebration will follow the event at Rivers Edge Cafe located in St. Albans, WV.  Many of the current as well as former sport jujitsu world champions and TEAM USA members will be there in honor of the sport and venue that started it all! 

The next Sport Jujitsu event will be held at WV State University in March 2005.  It will consist of a tournament for all ages & rank during the day with professional bouts in the evening. For more information on either event you can call 304 759-1060 or email us at bciwv@....  Thank you very much and I hope to see you this weekend.

Sincerely your friend in the arts,

Ernie Boggs   Ernie Boggs
Team USA Head Coach