AOJ Collects 73 Medals on Home Turf at OC Winter Kids
Art of Jiu Jitsu turns Costa Mesa into a medal factory with 41 golds from 79 fighters. Charlotte Kleintank arrives as the top seed from out of town and takes the highest-rated gold.
The Orange County Winter Kids International Open runs 293 gi matches at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa — and Art of Jiu Jitsu treats it like a home game. AOJ sends 79 fighters and collects 73 medals, including 41 golds. That is a 92% medal rate on their home mat.
But the tournament's highest-rated gold medalist is not from AOJ. Charlotte "Tank" Kleintank, a Teen 1 competitor from Stoa Jiu Jitsu rated at 11,299 Jits, takes gold as the clear top seed. The next closest gold medalist is rated 3,179 Jits below her.
Top Performers
Charlotte Kleintank at 11,299 Jits is the tournament's undisputed top competitor. She enters as the only S-Tier fighter in the field and walks out with gold in Teen 1.
The deep bracket stories tell the real tournament. Caleb Makai Blanco of Gracie Barra Roseville fights three matches to win gold in Junior 1 at 7,093 Jits — the highest-rated three-win gold medalist at this event. Charles Gabriel Bowers, a Junior 1 competitor from Renzo Gracie Rockland rated at 6,014 Jits, also runs through three opponents for gold. Bowers travels from the East Coast and earns his medal the hard way.
Ethan Brock Genest of Gracie Humaita Valencia fights three straight in Junior 2 at 5,753 Jits. Kaito Nakajima of Alliance South Bay does the same at 5,413 Jits. Both leave with gold.
AOJ's own deep bracket fighters include Epifanio Cruz Pinca Vi (5,573 Jits, Pee Wee 3, 3 wins for gold), Cameron Meredith (5,089 Jits, Pee Wee 3, 3 wins for gold), and Idris Khan (5,230 Jits, Junior 1, 3 wins for silver). Khan wins three before falling in the final — a full bracket run that earns silver the hard way.
Results
Top Rated Gold Medalists
| Fighter | Rating | Academy | Division |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte Kleintank | 11,299 | Stoa Jiu Jitsu | Teen 1 |
| Jacob Mhar Bagaygay | 8,434 | Lansang BJJ | Junior 1 |
| Sophia Alina Rueda | 8,120 | Art of Jiu Jitsu | Teen 2 |
| Bailey Cerda Heinsohn | 7,933 | Art of Jiu Jitsu | Teen 1 |
| Caleb Makai Blanco | 7,093 | GB Roseville | Junior 1 |
Deep Bracket Gold Medalists (3+ wins)
| Fighter | Rating | Academy | Division | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caleb Makai Blanco | 7,093 | GB Roseville | Junior 1 | 3 |
| Charles Gabriel Bowers | 6,014 | Renzo Gracie Rockland | Junior 1 | 3 |
| Ethan Brock Genest | 5,753 | Gracie Humaita Valencia | Junior 2 | 3 |
| Epifanio Cruz Pinca Vi | 5,573 | Art of Jiu Jitsu | Pee Wee 3 | 3 |
| Kaito Nakajima | 5,413 | Alliance South Bay | Junior 2 | 3 |
| Cameron Meredith | 5,089 | Art of Jiu Jitsu | Pee Wee 3 | 3 |
Academy Report
| Academy | Fighters | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Art of Jiu Jitsu | 79 | 41 | 20 | 12 | 73 |
| Gracie Barra | 47 | 10 | 13 | 12 | 35 |
| Alliance | 43 | 14 | 6 | 9 | 29 |
| Checkmat | 31 | 9 | 10 | 7 | 26 |
| One Jiu-Jitsu USA | 23 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 16 |
| Atos Jiu-Jitsu | 21 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 15 |
AOJ's 73 medals from 79 fighters is a 92% medal rate. For context, the next closest academy — Gracie Barra — medals 35 times from 47 fighters (74%). AOJ doesn't just outscore the field; it out-densities them. Nearly every fighter they bring home earns hardware.
Costa Mesa is AOJ territory. The OC Fair & Event Center sits in their backyard, and it shows. But the gap between first and second (73 vs. 35 medals) is not geography alone. AOJ entered more than twice as many fighters as Checkmat and still medaled at a higher rate per fighter. That is depth on top of volume.
Alliance brings the best gold rate among the top academies: 14 golds from 43 fighters. Their medal total is lower, but their gold-to-total ratio (48%) outpaces even AOJ (56% gold rate). Alliance sends fewer fighters and converts more of them to first place.
By The Numbers
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| TOTAL MATCHES | 293 |
| FORMAT | Gi only |
| ACADEMIES REPRESENTED | 6 with 15+ medals |
| AOJ MEDAL RATE | 92% |
| TOP SEED RATING | 11,299 Jits |
| 3-WIN GOLD MEDALISTS | 6 |
Full results and fighter profiles available on every competitor's page.
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