Ju-jitsu competition comprises a range of disciplines. The 2025 SEA Games will feature four of them: newaza (jiu-jitsu), fighting system, duo and show disciplines.
Newaza (jiu-jitsu) focuses on ground grappling, where participants aim to achieve submissions or positional control. Striking techniques such as punches and kicks are not permitted.
The Fighting System is a comprehensive discipline that combines striking, throwing, and grappling techniques.
In Duo, the competing pair perform a choreographed demonstration of self-defence techniques, judged on accuracy and execution.
Finally, the Show category offers a creative and artistic showcase, where practitioners perform choreographed routines featuring acrobatics and expressive movements.
The Singapore Ju-jitsu Association (SJJA) will be sending a 25-strong squad to the Southeast Asian Games in Thailand from December 9 to 20, where they will compete across the newaza (jiu-jitsu), fighting, duo, show and mixed team events.
The team has performed well in May’s Asian Ju-jitsu Championship, held in Amman, Jordan (one silver, 10 bronze), and in July’s Southeast Asia Regional Championship in Pasig City, Philippines, where the 62-strong team brought home a record-breaking 48 medals (10 gold, 16 silver, and 22 bronze).
Seasoned competitors will compete alongside rising newcomers in Thailand as the SJJA look to build on their bountiful outings in Jordan and the Philippines while keeping an eye on the future of the sport.
Among the veterans are brothers Ivan (38) and Calvin Chua (36), who will be making their joint debut at the regional Games together.
Their last major Games outing came at the 2018 Asian Games, where Ivan narrowly lost by advantage to Thailand’s eventual bronze medallist, Banpot Lertthaisong, in the newaza (jiu-jitsu) -69kg category. Calvin, meanwhile, exited in the opening round after a 10-0 defeat to the Philippines’ Carlos Angelo Pena in the -62kg division.
Since then, the pair have been “staying consistent with training”.
“I used the past few years to build myself up quietly, physically, mentally, and emotionally, so that when the chance to compete again in the major games, I’d be ready,” Ivan said, adding that he has worked to find a balance between family, his professional career as a research officer and his athletic pursuits.
With the pair set to compete in the classic duo and show categories in Thailand, the brothers are chomping at the bit to showcase their skills.
“It feels really special. Competing at the SEA Games is already a huge honour, but doing it alongside my brother makes it unforgettable. The Classic Duo and Show categories are unique because they require trust and timing, and nobody understands me better than he does. Sharing the mats with him at this level is something we’ve both dreamed about,” Ivan added.
For Calvin, qualification is a testament to their years of shared sacrifice.
“It’s the culmination of countless hours training side by side, pushing each other through tough drills, and building a partnership that blends our sibling bond with the precision required for synchronised techniques.”
But beyond the mat, preparation has been far from easy as the brothers grappled with supporting their mother through a series of surgeries and lengthy hospital stays, with family responsibilities and career commitments.
“This has been the hardest time of my life. Since March, my mum has gone through three surgeries and has been hospitalised for many months,” Ivan shared. “Balancing that with training was incredibly tough. There were days I was physically at training but mentally still at the hospital. What kept me going was my brother and the example my mum set. Her strength in facing all of this gave us strength too, and we carried that into every training session.”
Calvin, who also works as a physiotherapist, has turned hardship into inspiration as they gear up for the SEA Games.
“Our mum is our biggest supporter, and we want to make her proud. On the mat, we motivate each other; when one of us feels drained, the other steps up with encouragement or a reminder of why we started. Knowing that every challenge we overcome brings us closer to our SEA Games goals keeps us moving forward.”
Aside from their duo and show events with Calvin by his side, Ivan will also compete in the newaza (jiu-jitsu) -77kg category.
“Having him by my side in training and competition keeps me grounded and accountable, and it gives me extra motivation because I know we’re pushing each other towards the same goal,” Ivan said.
Silat Switch
Another pair making their debut in the SEA Games ju-jitsu competition are former Silat exponents Nayli Nur Syazleen Sazali (23) and Atiq Syazwani Roslan (32), who only joined the sport in March and April, respectively.
However, that has not stopped them from achieving top honours at the Asian Championships, with the pair taking bronze in the duo and show category. Atiq also clinched a third bronze in the -56kg fighting system competition.
“My Silat background really helped, especially in striking, agility, and footwork, which are transferable skills. Ju-jitsu, however, requires a different emphasis, relying more on gripping, upper-body leverage, and control,” Atiq explained, adding that she initially struggled to adapt to the takedowns and ground game that ju-jitsu centres on.
For Nayli, keeping an open mind and being consistent in training were the keys to their early success.
“Even though Ju-jitsu was new to me, I treated every training session as an opportunity to absorb as much as I could. I listened closely to my coaches and partner, drilled the basics repeatedly, and leaned on my background in martial arts to adapt quickly,” the nursing graduate said. “At first it was uncomfortable, but over time I realised my Silat background gave me the exposure that I needed and it actually became an advantage once I learned to blend the two.
Off the back of continental success, Nayli is raring to go.
“My main expectation is to perform better than I did before. I don’t want to just rely on what happened at the Asian Championships. I want to build on it, sharpen my skills, and show real progress,” she said.
But their pursuit of success in Thailand will be a shared one.
“We push each other to grow, both inside and outside the sport. Having someone who understands the struggles, sacrifices, and victories makes the journey much more meaningful…Having chemistry is also very important when it comes to Duo. Wani has always been there to help me when I feel nervous or scared. She will give me advice and motivation to strive through.”
A two-time SEA Games medallist in Silat, with a bronze in 2019 and a silver in 2017, Atiq is also eager to recreate those winning memories with her newfound partner.
“I hope to reignite those moments of standing on the podium like I did in my first two SEA Games, while also embracing this new challenge in a completely different sport,” she said. “Nayli and I built our partnership on professionalism and honesty. We’re open to giving and receiving feedback during training, and we’re very clear about setting our goals together. That mutual respect is what makes us click.”
Young Guns
Fronting the contingent’s youthful ambition is teenager Jedd Tan, who caught some eyes in the local fraternity when he won the Singapore Ju-jitsu Open 2023 in the lightweight category at 16.
The 18-year-old is the team’s youngest representative and has shown early potential with a gold in last year’s Southeast Asia Regional Ju-jitsu Championship in the under-21 newaza (jiu-jitsu) -85kg category, and was fifth at the Asian Championship in the fighting system -77kg competition.
These results have been a confidence boost for the full-time National Serviceman going into the Games.
“Placing fifth in Asia was a decent showing for my first time, and it gives me confidence to perform in the SEA Games, especially with more practice,” he said.
Set to compete in the fighting system -77kg category in Thailand, Tan has his sights on gold, but tempered expectations with the Asian Championship being his only international experience in the discipline so far.
But the youngster will certainly not let his age be an obstacle.
“I don’t let my age limit what I can do… I am starting to free myself from the pressure of expectations and instead focus on being in the moment and doing what I need to do. I feel that is much more important than worrying about the outcome.”
Surrounded by a large cast of senior athletes has also rubbed off well on Tan.
“They have helped me achieve my goals by teaching me different skills during training. I have trained with some of them for quite some time, and it has helped my growth as an athlete.”
Admitting that he once dreamed of becoming a world champion or Olympic medallist, Tan is firmly focused on the present as he prepares for his debut at the regional Games.
“I am focused on achieving my short-term goals and being present in the moment, enjoying the sport. My ultimate goal is to use my journey in the sport to help me grow as a person.”
The SEA Games ju-jitsu competition is set to be held from Dec 10 to 13 at Rangsit University in Pathum Thani Province.
