Saturday, May 11, 2024
Four martial arts students under the instruction of Danny Williams were recently named state champions at the state tournament on Nov. 18.
The students study at Danny Williams Combat Martial Arts Program located in Granbury where Williams is an instructor alongside his wife Glenda.
The school opened in 2021 and just finished its first complete season where the school competed in numerous tournaments across Texas. The league is divided into North and South and William’s school competes in the North region. The season lasts from January to November and the big state tournament takes place in November.
The students and school as a whole earn points throughout the entirety of the season leading up to the final state tournament.
Four students took home state championships including Curtis Harris and Michael Miller, along with Danny Williams’ wife, Glenda, and daughter, Abby. The school also took home multiple second and third place wins.
Harris took first place in the traditional weapons category. Miller, Glenda and Abby each received first place in point sparring, which consists of points being earned after certain acts of fighting are performed and displayed.
Both Danny and Glenda were thrilled to have students earn championships and are beyond proud of the work that was put in throughout the year.
“It just shows a lot of determination and grit. When you start something and you spend a year working at it and then you get to the end and actually get recognized for your efforts, it just feels fantastic,” Glenda said.
“It was very encouraging more than anything. To be able to see the hard work for all our students pay off and see them reach their goals — it’s overwhelming. It was a real honor for us,” Danny said.
Now that the season has ended, the school is looking forward to next year with some state champions and more experience under its belt. The school will also have a group called “Team Lightning” with over 20 students of a variety of ages competing as a team throughout the state.
The school is also looking forward to hosting its very own tournament next year on Feb. 17 at STEAM Academy at Mambrino.
“We love Granbury, it’s a beautiful town and to be able to share with competitors from around the state what an amazing town we have is something we are really looking forward to,” Glenda said. “We would love to see anywhere from 300 to 500 competitors come out.”
Signups for entry into the tournament are open until the day of the competition on Feb. 17. For more information on the tournament or Danny Williams Combat Martial Arts Program visit the website at dwcmap.com.
