A GROUP of Benicia jiu-jitsu fighters will compete in the World Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi IBJJF Championship this weekend at the Cow Palace in San Francisco.

A group of local jiu-jitsu fighters have been going through strenuous workouts at Pro-Faction Martial Arts & Fitness in Benicia preparing for this weekend’s World Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi IBJJF Championship at the Cow Palace in San Francisco.

The championship is a prestigious Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) tournament hosted annually by the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation. The tournament had been held at California State University in Long Beach since 2007 but was moved to the Cow Palace this year.

“We go to the championships every year and we’re just glad this year it’s near our home town,” said Daryl “Rocky” Fort, a black belt instructor at Pro-Faction Martial Arts & Fitness. “We’ve got a lot of guys who are working hard getting ready to compete. A lot of guys have lost weight and are in great shape.”

Benician Rich Goodwin is the second-oldest Pro-Faction fighter at age 50 and is an assistant wrestling coach at Benicia High. A two-time blue belt champion, Goodwin missed last year’s World Championship due to an injury but is ready to compete this year.

“We train five or six days a week, and it’s been hard and intense for the last month,” Goodwin said.

Approximately 20 fighters will represent Pro-Faction at the World Championship. Virtually all of the Pro-Faction jiu-jitsu enthusiasts have full-time jobs and include doctors, electricians and students.

“We wanted to put together a camp for guys who have families and full-time jobs, and these guys are committed,” Fort said. “They don’t miss class and they know the importance of being here and working out.”

Bryant Pangelinan, a black belt from Concord, is also competing for Pro-Faction, as are two brown belts. Most of the Pro-Faction representatives in the World Championship have been doing this for so long, they practically know the sport by heart.

“We haven’t really gone over any technique for the past couple of months,” Fort said. “We’re just refining everything we know. We focus on the specific rule set of the tournament so we know what’s going on. You can win or lose just by knowing or not knowing the rules. We’ll go in prepared.”

Pro-Faction Martial Arts & Fitness is located at 4876 East 2nd St. in Benicia. Call 750-1644 and ask for Fort or fellow instructor Geoff Quarres.

“We’re the best kept secret around,” Fort said. “There are no big-name athletes or sponsors here, but the people who check us out usually stay. We’re a pretty tight group and everyone chips in. This is an art that we all have a passion for.”

The World Championship takes place this Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. Doors open at 8 a.m. For more information, go to IBJJF.org.

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