William (Paul) Wittkop, 13 of Laguna Beach, won a gold medal at a recent International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation tournament in Long Beach.
William competed against athletes from across the U.S., Canada and the United Kingdom.
He was undefeated, winning multiple matches.
The seventh-grader who attends Connections Academy in San Juan Capistrano said he trains 30 hours a week.
His father Scott Wittkop, the Laguna Beach High School cross-country coach, says William’s training is comparable to cross-country runners and football players.