10-year-old champion jiu-jitsu athlete, Chase Garrott, shines on the international stage

In a remarkable display of dedication and skill, 10-year-old Chase Garrott has risen to prominence in the world of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, winning the 2023 Pan Pacific Kids IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship in Melbourne. This young athlete, who trains locally at Joondalup’s DCA (Drilich Combat Academy), has been making waves on the international stage and thanks largely to exceptional discipline and training under the guidance of renowned coach, Alister Yong, himself a champion in the sport.

Chase’s journey began over two years ago when he first discovered Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) through his dad’s interest in the sport. Jiu-jitsu is a type of marital arts based on a system of unarmed combat and physical training. BJJ athletes use technique to grapple, hold and “submit” their opponent, usually in the same weight and skill level.

Under Coach Yong’s guidance, Chase trains six days a week (see his typical training day below). The training is paying off, with a total of 20 gold medals and seven silver medals, and with each passing competition, Chase has continued to make his mark in the sport.

“Chase absolutely loves BJJ,” his mother, Lynsey, says. “He’s the one driving it and we support him in what he wants to do.

“He trains almost every day but he still gets to be a kid and has fun. The whole experience with the sport has given him great confidence.”

“It’s clear that he loves training at DCA as he is surrounded by his friends, in particular, his best friend, Finn. Chase’s idea of fun is training and he wants to put the work in to make himself better.”

Supported by his family and coaching team, including DCA owners Anthony and Brandon Drilich (read more about the brothers below), Chase’s exceptional talent soon became evident to Coach Yong, who is one of only three coaching accreditors for Olympic wrestling for Wrestling WA. Coach Yong’s dedication to his students is evident as he emphasises the importance of technique, discipline, and perseverance, while also developing skills that will serve students off the mat, too.

Coach Yong expresses immense pride in his entire team and is a firm believer that the key to longstanding success is effective teamwork and the positive relationships built with peers to achieve goals together. Working hard alongside Chase are several other members of the DCA Kids Competition Team who have themselves won multiple WA BJJ State Championship titles. He believes that the roof to an individual’s dreams of success is determined by the team/community that supports that same dream. Though BJJ is an individual competition sport, the effective efforts of competitors and non-competitors alike working together in the DCA training room has accelerated the competition success of the team’s athletes. In addition, Yong notes, ‘I focus a lot on coaching kids about life skills. The focus is not getting medals, that’s part of it, yes, but not the focus. It’s about being motivated and working hard at something you care about.” All platers have strengths and I told Chase I want you to be good in all areas, not just one. I will force [students] to struggle to reach and learn that.’

Chase’s journey from a young enthusiast to a ten-year-old champion is a testament to the power of dedication, discipline, and unwavering support of his coaching team and parents. Reflecting on his success, Chase’s story reminds us that, regardless of age, true champions never let anything hinder their pursuit of greatness.

GenWest had a Q and A with Chase to learn more about him.

What surprised you about the Pan Pacific Kids IBJJF Jiu-jitsu Championship in Melbourne?

I ended up in the final to compete with an upper-age and weight go up an opponent in an upper-age and weight category! I was a 32 kg vs a 36 kg, he was older than me and I managed to beat him in the end.

Although Melbourne was a big competition I knew I would be OK as I had my big sister Charleigh (17) supporting and cheering me on (very loudly) and she is always on the sidelines cheering me on regardless of where or when it is.

What are your goals for the future?

I would love to go to Singapore to compete in the BJJ World Championships. I’m really hoping that next year I will be able to get some sponsorship deals so I can take my competition career further and to other countries to compete.

I also want to one day compete “Battlegrounds”. This is a form of BJJ competition where athletes compete on an elevated platform in front of a live audience and the event is live streamed online.

What does a typical training day look like?

After school around 3-4pm, train with Coach Yong, Brandon or Anthony.

4- 4:30pm coach the 4-7 year-old group at DCA.

4:30-5:15pm BJJ training.

Some days there will be strength and conditioning at West Coast Athletic Development.

To learn more about Brazilian jiu-jitsu, click here.

For more information about DCA’s programs and coaches, or to get in touch with Chase’s coaching team, click here.

About DCA

Drilich Combat Academy, well-known for its training facilities and exceptional coaching staff, has played a vital role in Chase’s rapid rise. The academy has cultivated a reputation for developing promising youth and adult athletes. Brothers Brandon and Anthony Drilich, both passionate about the sport, founded the gym around 2022. Anthony, a multiple state champion, competes internationally in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and is the reigning Eternal MMA Flyweight champion. Brandon is a current BJJ Black Belt and has competed in BJJ, Judo and MMA at a state and national level. He has won numerous MMA titles and competes in both jiu-jitsu and wrestling. The brothers are two years apart in age and were brought up in a marital arts family with their dad also being an athlete in the sport.