Southern Quarter, Verwood Boxing Club, and Ippon Gym’s Darla Anderson won gold at the European Kids International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) Jiu-Jitsu Championship, qualifying her for the Pan IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship and the AJP World Championships
Ringwood teenager Darla Anderson, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) practitioner, won gold at the European Kids International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2025 in Ostia, Rome.
The 13-year-old is now ranked number one in the world in her age, weight and belt bracket after a dominant performance, winning both her fights by submission in around 30 seconds.
“In her first fight, she managed to hit a collar drag takedown and finished with a kimura submission in 30 seconds”, said her father, Jamie.
“In the final, she missed her takedown but remained in control and submitted her opponent with a helicopter armbar in 28 seconds.
“It was a very dominant performance, as a narrow points margin normally wins these fights.”
BJJ is a grappling-based martial art and combat sport which focuses on submissions and chokes. It emphasises using leverage, angles, and technique to defend oneself against a larger and stronger opponent, with practitioners aiming to subdue opponents through joint locks, chokeholds, or compression holds.
Jamie added: “She was in shock after winning, and it took a while for it to sink in. She had come close in 2023, losing in the final, so this victory was a culmination of two years of hard work to achieve a lifetime dream.”
Darla has qualified to compete at the Pan IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship in the USA and the AJP World Championships in Abu Dhabi. However, her participation is contingent upon securing funding.
“She is feeling confident about going to Pans and looking forward to testing herself at the highest level possible. She hopes a good result will help her finish the year as the world number one in her age, weight, and belt category,” said the proud father.
The talented teenager, a yellow belt who trains at Southern Quarter in Amesbury, Verwood Boxing Club, and Ippon Gym in Bournemouth, has been training for four years.
When asked what inspired her to take BJJ, her father said: “She was so timid and quiet. I signed her up to build her confidence, and she fell in love with it immediately.
“A lot of her friends don’t quite understand what BJJ is about. Lots of people assume it’s like karate.
“They are all really proud of her, though, and very supportive of how dedicated she is to the sport. She makes a lot of sacrifices when it comes to socialising as she is really driven to make this a career.”
Darla’s next competition will be at Enyo 7, the world’s largestwomen’s-only grappling show, at Central Hall, Southampton, on June 7th.
To help the teenage martial artist achieve her dream, visit her crowdfunding page at gofund.me/41353bd0 or contact darlaandersonbjj@gmail.com
