Nickole wins gold in 2023 Pan Kids JiuJitsu Championship

Nickole Salem, after recently armbarring her way to gold in the IBJJF Kid’s American National Championships 2023, is also now a champion in the 2023 Pan Kids JiuJitsu IBJJF Championships last July 23 in Kissimmee, Florida.

The 6-year-old Brazilian Jiu Jitsu prodigy, who is currently ranked No. 3 in the world in her category, went up against some of the best children in jiu-jitsu.

In the Pee-Wee 1, Featherweight 53-lb. gray belt division, Salem beat out Madison Ana Khoder for the gold in a tough championship matchup. 

Salem caught a knee to the nose on the way down from her takedown which caused her nose to bleed, and they had to clean her up before fighting again. Tied for third place were Avery Grace Svidergol and Pearl Rosalind McConnell.

Nickole’s father, Nicko said in a Facebook post, “All the hours and tears she put in just to make it here was incredible… I reminded her how much work she put in and she started crying because it really meant that much for her.”

He added, “I couldn’t sleep the night before, but I put all my faith in God and asked my mom and others to help pray for her safety and that she stayed focused on all her matches. Thank you again lord… God bless everyone who supports her and will continue to support her. Nickole says she loves you all.”

As for Nickole, she said in an interview that she feels “amazing. I feel more amazing than last year. Thank you to those who supported me, it has led me on a long and good path.”

When asked how’s her progress so far, she said “I feel even better than I did last year. What I feel good about last year was there were a lot of fights compared to this year, but I’m so proud that I won and with how I fight—I’m just so proud.”

She said that last year, she won all her fights via submissions, with her wins this year a combination of submissions and points.

When asked what’s next for her, Nicko said that she won’t be doing any competitions for a while. “She wants to take up soccer and gymnastics for the rest of the year, but will still be training JiuJitsu at her gym,” said Nicko.

Nicko is a U.S. Marine and a 2012 graduate of Saipan Southern High School, while his wife and Nickole’s mother, Maria Victoria, is an alumnae of Marianas High School. They now reside in Charleston, South Carolina.