Thomondgate native Tom Halpin hopes to become the first ever Irish man to win the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu World Championships next month. The event will take place in Anaheim, California, between December 7 and 11, pitting the crème de la crème of the sport against one another in an all-out showdown.
“The goal is the same as always, to be number one, to continue to improve all aspects of my game and enjoy the process,” Halpin told the Limerick Post.
What many people may not know about the 29-year-old Halpin is that he’s incredibly highly regarded throughout the world of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
He experienced a meteoric rise, gaining his black belt while ranking frequently in the top 10 in his 70kg weight class.
“I progressed through the ranks quite quickly, receiving my black belt in around six years. That was five years ago, so I’ve learned a lot since and thankfully had some great success as well.”
Opening up about his biggest accomplishments so far, Halpin recalled being titled European Champion and winning the Combat Jiu Jitsu World Championships.
He’s also proud to have become the first Irish man to qualify and compete at the ADCC World Championships.
“It can be difficult to keep track of titles because the sport is similar to tennis in that the competitions have their value based on prestige, so I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to win some world-renowned competitions.”
Tom credits his upbringing as a pivotal part of his success to date, particularly his parents influence.
“They have such a positive outlook on life that they shared with me,” he said.
“Sports can be challenging at times, so I’m happy to have that to fall back on.”
He also credits being a pupil at Gaelcholáiste Luimnigh for his success. Halpin has happy memories of his time at the school and says that the “positive attitude to learning and competition, as well as high expectations for all the students”, has stood to him.
“I definitely learned a lot of lessons there that helped me with my sporting career, so I’m very grateful for that.”
For those unfamiliar with the sport, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a combat sport and self-defence martial art based around ground fighting, grappling, and submission holds.
“I usually describe it as fighting without striking, or just grappling,” says Haplin.
“The past few years with Mixed Martial Arts becoming much more popular, I don’t have to describe it in as much detail. I probably have Conor McGregor to thank for that.”
Jiu Jitsu is an integral part of MMA. Halpin has trained with many professional mixed martial artists. He even submitted former UFC fighter Brett Johns in 2018.
These days Tom spends much of his time training and coaching between Ireland and Spain. His highly regarded skills mean he is sought after as far afield as Rio de Janeiro.
Halpin is proud of Limerick’s long sporting tradition. He believes that over time and with its growing popularity, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in Limerick will take its place alongside other well-known centres for the sport.
“The people I do know from Limerick that train and compete do so with a lot of passion, so once the sport continues to grow here, it should rival any other European city in the near future.”
