Long Beach, CA — Besting older (clearly), more experienced opponents to win a $2500 prize, 14-year-old Trinity Pun won the strawweight BJJ tournament at Submissions on the Shore over the weekend. The tournament, comprised entirely of female athletes, went down in Long Beach, California, and included competitors like Kyra Batara — well known for her time in Combate Americas.
The jiu-jitsu event was held aboard the Queen Mary, docked in harbor in Long Beach. Quite the setting for Pun’s triumph.
“I’m speechless,” she told Cageside Press following the tournament. “I feel like I’m in a dream. I can’t wake up. Oh my god, the money, I got it. All my hard work paid off.”
Pun, an orange belt, submitted Paulina Granados via triangle in the opening round. She also picked up wins over Jess Khan and Chelsi Aguayo (in a particularly exciting match) before facing Batara in the final.
Once again, to seal the deal, she used a triangle to pull off the win — defeating the Combate Americas alumni, and claiming the prize in the process.
Going through her mind, said Pun, “I was just thinking— I went all the way here, all the hard work, all the moves, the whole, over time, each opponent, I was like ‘I have to finish this. I can’t quit now, if I do, it’s over.'”
It’s an impressive feat for a young teen still juggling homework with training. But while she’s still focusing on her studies, with the goal of hitting 80s and above, Pun also plans to continue competing. “I have a lot of tournaments and super-fights coming up,” she said. “It’s all packed.”
Keep an eye out for her in the future.
Watch our full interview with Trinity Pun above!
