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24 - Tise Canadien Champion, Tuesday, July 18, 2000 -Hefty hardware.. haul for top Jiu-Jitsu clan BSTVLBANC The Champion Milton's first famnily of Jiu-Jitsu wrapped up another award-winning season recently in Hull, Quebec. Darlene and Daniel Kelsis - daugister and grandson of patriarcis Bob Kranstz - botis secured top isonours attise newly-establisised Canadian Martial Arts Games. But wisile eacis were in tise spotlight during tise national showcase, sciseduled to mun every two years, tisey stood out in very diffeoent capacities. tTwelve-year-old Daniel shone in actual competition striking gold in tise 1l to 14-year-old boys division of Sport Jiu-jitsu. Daniel dominates conspetition ise Milton Scisool of Jiu-jitsu competitor decisively downed bis two opponents en route to tise title. Said motiser Darlene, "He was a convincing winner, alrigist." Tise preteen brown beit dominated isis two matches on tise strength of a well-versed attack tisat included ldts of impressive ground work - witis takedowns and pins tisas really sisowcased bis superior skili and sed "Daniel was a linlie smaller tisan tise otiser guys, but ise's very quick and pisysically strong," added bis motiser. Meanwhile, Darlene brougist home hardware as well, aithougis it wasn't earned in combat - as least not directly. Now retired frQm competition, tise former world cisaipion - wiso's taken on more work as an instnsc- tor over tise past couple of years - was recognized for her dedication to the sport with an outstanding achievement award fmom the nation's goveming body of Jiu-jitsu. She was just one of two to receive tise special ser- vice award within her individual martial art form. Moved by award 'This honour makes me realize how important ail the other ones have been," said the fifth-degree black- beit. "I've neyer really stopped to add them ail Up, but 1 did some reflecting after this one and came away feeling pretty good about what I've accomplished." As well she should. Over the paat decade tise local inatructor hais donc juat about everytising possible in competition as well as earn a place in botta the World and Canadian Jiu- Jitsu Halls of Fame. But looking back now on a career cut short by knee and otiser injuries, Darlene does question if ase sacri- ficed a hlte too mucis for iser love of competitive Jiu- iitsu. "Tisere's nothing like it (tisrill of victory) in day-to- day life, but sometimes t wonder if it was ail worth it," she said. 'As much as there are rules and everytising, it's stili figisting and it's stili dangerous." Tise Kelsh's recent award-winning weekend comnes on tise iseels of a 7tis Dan (equivalent of a seventis- degree blackbelt) being bestowed upon Kranstz early last montis attse World Kobudo Federation's International Convention and Competition in Vienna, Austria. Tiserr, Milton's Joe Taglieri struck silver in men's open Sport Jiu-jitsu. While sciseduled to go to tise Canadian Martial Arts Games, ise was unable to com- pete due to injury. Photo by GRAHAM PAINE Darlene (left) and Daniel Kelsh show off the hardware they brought home from the recent Canadien Martial Arts Gamnea in Huli, Ouebec.