The Jiu Jitsu Kid

Academy fifth-grader to compete in international tournament in Ireland

May 11, 2023

Emma Hanusch, an 11-year-old Academy student, shows off her jiu jitsu form. Emma plans to compete in her first international fight tournament this December in Ireland. David Stone photo

DAVID STONE | OUR TOWN TEMPLE

Emma Hanusch is training to take on the world.

The 11-year-old Academy fifth-grader has been studying the art of jiu jitsu for more than two years, and she plans to travel to Dublin, Ireland, in December for her first international fight — the European Kids IBJJF Championship.

Emma has been training with Travis Moore, owner and operator of Legends Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in Temple, since she was 9.

“I had been playing softball, but I wanted to do something different — I wanted to expand my athletic abilities,” she said. “I discovered martial arts and self defense, and I took a free class. That was it — I immediately fell in love with it.”

“Since then, I’ve been to quite a few tournaments,” Emma said with a smile. “Most tournaments present a sword as the top award. I’ve won five swords, about 30 medals and I’ve finished first in my age group eight times.”

“I’ve won some; I’ve lost some,” she added. “I take all wins and losses as a learning opportunity. I take what I did right and what I did wrong, and apply what I learned to future fights.”

Matthew Hanusch, Emma’s dad who is dedicated to her success, said the Ireland trip will be a family affair.

“Her brother Vaughn and I will be going along,” he said. “We will be there for about a week. We will get there in time for her to have a day to rest after the long flight and they get ready for her first opponent. Right now, we are getting passports in order.”

The trip will cost the Hanusch family about $8,000, and Emma is leading the fund-raising efforts. A bake sale will be held May 23 at Charlie’s Cuez to kickoff their money-raising campaign.

“In 2021, Emma decided she wanted to raise her own money for her competitions,” Matthew said. “She’s done remarkably well. She is the most driven kid I’ve ever known.”

“She mows lawns, walks dogs, does house and cat sitting, washes cars and she even balled up yarn for an elderly lady whose hands couldn’t do it anymore,” he said. “She also raises money for other causes such as local animal shelters.”

“Emma collected more than 150 stuffed animals to donate to the local children’s hospital, to the police station to pass out, to foster care homes and to local churches.”

“We were leaving H-E-B one day after shopping, and Emma saw an elderly lady struggling to get her basket to her car,” he said. “Without hesitation, she jogged over and gave the lady a hand unloading the groceries, then she put the cart up for her. The woman offered Emma some money, but she declined because she said she was ‘doing the right thing.’ At 9 years old she turned down money while trying to make money for herself. I was blown away.”

For now, training is a huge part of Emma’s life. Besides keeping up with her schoolwork, she trains at Legends five days a week.

“I go to classes Monday through Thursday, and on Saturday we meet and prepare for competitions,” she said. “We warm up, get into some drills, then we start sparring. The Saturday classes are intense — they get you ready for an upcoming fight.”

“I also train at home, and Dad and I workout at Planet Fitness,” she said. “I do some kettlebell training and work on a punching bag at home, and I’m looking for a good battle rope.”

“I’m also big into nutrition: I start my day with a protein drink and I really watch my carb intake. I’ve lost 30 pounds since I started.”

While her future focus is on the Ireland competition, she intends to continue competing in the years to come.

“I don’t really think that far ahead often, but I want to keep practicing and advancing in jiu jitsu,” she said. “I have potential, and I plan on pursuing that potential. I want to be the best. It’s fun, and I am enjoying the process.”

“Not only is jiu jitsu fun and good exercise, I’ve met many friends through the sport that I would have never met if I didn’t participate and compete,” she said. “It’s definitely a good social experience.”