Posted on 03/18/2016 4:10:43 PM PDT by BBell
While most 10 year-old little girls are home playing with dolls, Dakota Armond occupies her spare time working on her jujitsu techniques at the Clementi's Gladiator Academy in Slidell. She is the daughter of Derrick and Beth Armond and granddaughter of Lynda Shouse.
Although she has her share of bloody noses, she is determined. One day while wrestling with her dad, she became really mad and decided that she wanted to learn jujitsu to become more competitive. Jujitsu is a Japanese system of unarmed combat by putting your opponent in pain until they give in or tap out.
"I still wrestle with my dad but it's more like practice," Dakota said.
Beth said when Dakota walked into the academy in 2013, she was ready to compete. Two weeks later, they attended a competition as spectators so she can observe a competition but she was ready. Only three months later, she won a bronze medal in her first competition.
"I love the excitement while sitting on the edge of my seat," Beth said. "We are UFC fans, so having her do this is amazing."
But don't let her toughness fool you, because she is also a girly-girl who loves to wear dresses.
But the dresses take a backseat when she's in competition mode.
Dakota, along with her coaches and family, travels to various states to compete in tournaments to develop her technique.
"I love traveling and I love meeting other people," Dakota said.
In December, she won the world championship title in Texas and currently holds state championship titles in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi.
"It feels really good to be a world champion," Dakota said, "That's an amazing feeling."
A multitude of trophies, medals, belts and swords account for her determination and persistence.
"Like any sport that pushes their own limits, I think it teaches
(Excerpt) Read more at blog.nola.com ...
Dakota Armond is contemplating her opponents first move in the jujitsu competition at the Alario Center on March 12. (Submitted by Gina Rivere)
World Champion Jujitsu competitor, Dakota Armond poses with her number one supporters-her family, at the competition at the Alario Center on March 12. Left to right: Lynda Shouse, grandmother, Beth and Derrick Armond, her parents, her twin sister, Destin Armond and older sister, Blakely Shouse.(Submitted by Gina Rivere)
Well, good for her! I took martial arts for a few years. Good exercise. And being quite petite...gives me a little edge to, hopefully, get out of some situations should they arise.
Good post. Jujitsu is an oriental art, but that young lady shows what was once the American spirit.
that’s cool!
If we keep importing rape happy muslim men she may very well need to use her skills....
Good for her. I took Judo classes for a year or so in Huntsville, Alabama, while I was in the army. A real pleasure.
I will see about this summer or fall, depending on how money goes.
Today I was reminded how out of shape I really am.
Well she is from Louisiana.
Check out this out guys.
The next generation of female MMA fighters is gonna blow the current one away.
Definitely
Boys should not be taught to fight girls. I would not let my son fight them. Compete in non attack sports like baseball, compete, fine. Bit boys should not be bloodying girls’ noses. This is repulsive.
Word is MacGregor/Diaz rematch in July instead of MacGregor defending his belt. WTF?
Repulsive!
Guess you aren’t aware that in High School wrestling, girls wrestle boys.
At that age I feel it is downright indecent!
Also puts any decent guy at a disadvantage—trying to figure out how/where? to grab her.
I can’t wrap my mind around a parent condoning this but they do.
I know seriously right?
Someone told me Diaz, wanted the rematch because he felt highly disrespected by everyone supposedly, making excuses for Macgregor loss.
Gonna headline event. I’d be okay with this fight if it was at 145 for the belt. Not sure why they’re fighting at 155??
I doubt that Nate could make 145.
Children’s martial arts is not like shotokan in the 70s
It’s a family thing
My wife got one belt from black in tae kwon do
This is not pure combat martial arts like the first wave from 60s and 70s
It’s like how YMCA has gone chicks
You have to seek pure fighting martial arts
The money is in the fitness style stuff for family and women
A buddy of mine owns 4 tae kwon do schools..dojo in Korean...not sure the word
He said he go broke just doing fighting style hard core belt achievement programs
Man in the old days it was brutal..you had to want it
Everyone got hurt
Everybody sparred and women were very very rare
Kickboxing sort of brought them in
When my large family got into it 5 years ago I asked the girl instructor about well when do they really fight and she looked at me like I was from another century
Well you will have to find certain clubs that stress that...her reply
Now girls are doing the same thing to boxing gyms for hipsters....it’s more about conditioning
Only crazy women want a face and ears like a man who really fights
Yep, WMMA is still in its infancy. In the next 5-10 years the part time unathletic WMMA’er, who originally took up fighting just for fun, will be replaced by actual female athletes. Higher level fighters like Rousey and Holm will be closer to the norm in the UFC than the exception.
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