Move over, world! There’s a new martial arts sensation in town, and she’s only six years old. Meet Alyssa Canavan, the pint-sized powerhouse from Newry who is taking the combat sport of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu (BJJ) by storm. Despite her small stature, Alyssa’s skills in BJJ are nothing short of impressive. She has been training at the Team Torres Newry and Team Torres Castlewellan gyms for nearly two years, under the guidance of head coach Sebastiao Torres and coach Eamon Binks. Sebastiao, a former member of the Brazilian Judoka Olympic team, holds a third-degree black belt in BJJ, while Eamon is a high-level purple belt under Sebastiao. Alyssa wasted no time in getting started, joining the sport just one month after her fifth birthday. Initially attending one class per week, she quickly fell in love with BJJ and increased her training to twice a week. Her coaches were amazed at her rapid progress and technical prowess, considering her young age. In fact, Alyssa’s talent is so exceptional that finding suitable training partners can sometimes be a challenge. She has even earned the nickname ‘The Piranha’ from one of her coaches. Last year, Alyssa was set to compete in the Dublin International Open 2022, but unfortunately, there were no girls of a similar age and weight category available for her to compete against. However, this year she has already made her mark in the Empire Grappling: All Ireland Championships, where she won a silver medal by defeating a boy on points and narrowly losing to an older boy. She followed this up with a gold medal at the Solid Ground: All Ireland Youth Championship, where she submitted both of her opponents in under 20 seconds. Alyssa’s next challenge is the Irish Open, the biggest event of the year in Ireland, which will be held in Dublin in October. She will also be competing in the Empire Grappling: Belfast Open and the local event Grapplepalooza in Newry before ending the year at the prestigious IBJJF European Kids Championships in Dublin. Looking ahead, Alyssa’s future is bright. Her father, Connor, plans to showcase her skills at events across the UK and even internationally, including the Pan Americans in Florida and the Abu Dhabi World Youth Championships in the UAE. Alyssa’s journey can be followed on Facebook and Instagram, where her fans can witness her rise to martial arts stardom. So, keep an eye out for this young prodigy as she continues to make waves in the world of martial arts!