Four months ago Steffen Banta put on a gi for the first time.
The 16-year-old Lake Highlander decided to try Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu — a martial art that focuses on grappling, holds and ground fighting.
“I’ve always been interested in martial arts,” Steffen says. “And I wanted to learn some self-defense.”
Steffen must be a fast learner because last weekend he won two gold medals at the 2016 Europa Supershow at the Dallas Convention Center. He went undefeated in the tournament, beating his first opponent — someone with more than two years experience — by outlasting him and earning more points. All of Steffen’s remaining matches were decided by submissions.
“Steffen was the overall champion for his weight class and age division,” Steffen’s father, Michael Banta, says.
Steffen says he likes to keep active, but Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has quickly become his favorite extra curricular. He trains two or three hours a day, five times a week.
He started taking classes at RCJ Machado Jiu-Jitsu studio, from triple black belt Marcio Santos. Training against classmates at the studio helps him hone his skills, but fighting against the same people every week isn’t the same as being up against an unknown fighter, Steffen says.
“We all know each other’s strengths and weaknesses.”
With his early success last weekend, Steffen says he wants to continue to train and attend new competitions so he can challenge himself against new rivals.
When you’re in the match you have to figure out your opponent’s fighting style, which could include any number of mounts, submissions or holds, Steffen says.
“It’s like physical chess,” he says. “It’s intense.”
