Elite Team Wright was fierce at grappling and karate championship

Elite Team Wright trains at an Official U. S. National Martial Arts “Alliance “Training Academy. The New Jersey Branch State Director is represented by 40 Year Veteran Grand Master (Hanshi) Austin Wright, Sr. and the team’s newest rising stars. This year they went far above and beyond the call of martial arts duty by competing in various divisions such as: Grappling, Continuous Full Contact Kick-Boxing, Five Point Semi Contact Sparring, Weapons, Forms, and Breaking Divisions, says head coach Wright.
Team Wright out grappled, out kicked, out shouted, and punched their opponents to win numerous 1st place divisions. From ages 5 to 55! Members are from Bayonne and Jersey City.
The 2012 “Tournament of the Dragon” was packed to capacity with standing room only. Adrenaline filled the air at the Sheraton Hotel in Newark, New Jersey with an overcrowded packed room of competitors and spectators. The tournament director was Dr. Jim Thomas, and Austin Wright, Sr. was the arbitrator. Special guests on the scene, movie star icons, allowed photos and videos: Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa from “Mortal Kombat,” “Rising Sun,” “Showdown in Little Tokyo” and “The Last Emperor”; and Jeff Need from “Fast Five” and “The Awake.”
Various traditional, MMA and American styles came to the U. S. Open Nationals to show their techniques, skills, and experience.
“The Warriors Rolled On The Wright Thunder!” says Coach Thompson, 1st Dan Black Belt. Also, the assistant grappling coach Nelson Melendez did a great job. Wright has coined a powerful phrase that students must remember: “position to transition to KO, technique or submission.” One of the returning students, Brian Collins, Green Belt, 26, wore a shirt that said “If you want to fight, then do it Wright.” He took 1st place in his point sparring division.
The main judges included Bayonne’s finest, Grandmaster (Hanshi) Ralph Passero, 9th Dan, who is the president of the Don Nagel’s A.O.K.A., Mura; A.O.K.A., Shihan William Toolen, 6th Dan, Bayonne Martial Arts Center; UWA Instructors Sensei’s Vito Doria, 4th Dan; Kevin Rankin, 3rd Dan; Kenneth Thompson Sr. 1st Dan, and from Elizabeth, NJ Kyoshi Jonas Nunez, 8th Dan from America’s Finest Karate and Kick-Boxing Academy.
All did an outstanding job controlling the over-crowded rings and judging. An international delegate from Scotland, Grand Master Black, attended and judged as well.