Holton native Binkley earns jiu jitsu championship

Sean Binkley of Topeka, a Holton native and member of the Holton High School Class of 1988, is now a world champion in jiu-jitsu.

Binkley won the Master 6 featherweight blue belt division at the World Master IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship in Las Vegas, Nev. earlier this month. 

More than 20,000 athletes competed at the championship, which were held Sept. 3-5, Binkley said.

Binkley said it was very intimidating walking in the first day of competition because all the athletes were “sizing each other up.”

“But by the time they handed out the medals, everyone is hugging each other,” Binkley said.

There were as many as 12 athletes in each bracket. Binkley won three matches to take the title in his division despite being ranked last in his bracket. His division was for competitors weighing up to 154.6 pounds.

Binkley attended last year’s World Master competition as a spectator. He said the experience sparked a desire in him return and win the title. 

“I told people all year while I was training that I was going to win,” he said.

In the months leading up to the competition, Binkley also tightened up his diet, cutting out sugar and alcohol.

Winning the championship, he said, was difficult to put into words.

“It was indescribable,” he said.

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