Castle Crowned Twice In Two Days
Bobby Castle with some of the hardware he’s brought home from competitions. Photo courtesy Shauna Castle
Most people use their weekends to take it easy, relax and not expend a ton of energy.
Not so for Bobby Castle. The 15-year-old from Kapa’a headed to the Mainland for the 2011 Kids World Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Championships July 16 in Riverside, Calif. He then drove down to Long Beach to take part in the California Classic the very next day.
Both turned out to be successful ventures as Bobby grabbed gold in the teen division for green and blue belts Saturday, then another gold in the adult purple belt division Sunday.
“It was a really good experience for me,” he says. “I had a lot of fun, a lot of tough matches.”
Having started at 8 years old under Kendal Goo, Bobby has been training in jiujitsu on Kaua’i ever since. He is now working out at Longman and Powerhouse Jiu Jitsu under Jared Espina and Bruno Ewald.
“I feel like if I train hard enough at home inside my dojos, then win or lose, I did my best,” he says. “That’s satisfying enough for me.”
His mother Shauna says that Bobby’s work ethic has inspired her to get into jiujitsu training, as well as seven of his eight siblings the lone exception is still just 2 years old. Bobby’s dedication has taken him to numerous competitions each year, as he hits different Hawaii events as well as Mainland tournaments such as the Pan Am Championships, the Arizona Open and the NAGA West Coast Championships.
All that travel has certainly paid off, as Bobby has 48 gold medals and a pair of championship belts (above).
“I train 100 percent every class I go to,” he says. “I train my best as hard as I can and I’m trying to get some sponsorships so I can do more tournaments and better my jiujitsu.”
Being home-schooled has freed up much of his schedule, so he can train in the morning, then do his schoolwork, then train some more at night.
“Jiujitsu teaches you good respect and discipline,” he says. “It built confidence in me, and my overall lifestyle has just been so much better. I’m eating healthier and I get in good shape. Everything is just so much better since I joined jiujitsu. I love it.”
His eyes are set on continuing to improve and ultimately becoming an instructor so he can “teach the art and travel the world.”
One of Bobby’s dream destinations is, naturally, Brazil.
“That would be so sick,” he says.
