Black Flag Jiu-Jitsu was back on the competition mats this past weekend for the IBJJF Chicago Summer Open 2026, with Jeff Larsen representing Black Flag and Pedigo Submission Fighting against another strong field of competitors.
IBJJF Chicago Summer Open 2026 Brings Two More Medals Back to Rockford
Jeff has continued to make competition a major part of his development at purple belt, and Chicago provided another opportunity to test himself on the IBJJF stage. He entered the Purple Belt Heavyweight Division and put together a strong run that earned him a silver medal.
Taking second at an IBJJF Open is another great result for Jeff as he continues gaining experience against talented purple belts from different academies and regions. Every tournament brings different opponents, styles, and situations, and consistently stepping into difficult brackets has become an important part of Jeff’s progression.
Jeff wasn’t finished after his weight division.
He also entered the Purple Belt Absolute Division, where competitors can face opponents regardless of weight class. Jeff battled his way to another podium finish, earning bronze in the absolute division and leaving the IBJJF Chicago Summer Open 2026 with two medals.
The weekend was about much more than individual results, though.
One of the best parts of competing under the Pedigo Submission Fighting banner is getting opportunities to reconnect with the larger PSF family. Chicago brought out a huge group of PSF competitors, coaches, and teammates, including Heath Pedigo, who was there supporting the team.
Black Flag is proud to be part of Pedigo Submission Fighting and the larger Daisy Fresh family. While our athletes train every week here in Rockford, tournaments like the IBJJF Chicago Summer Open 2026 provide opportunities to compete alongside teammates from throughout the PSF affiliation.
That collective effort produced another impressive team result. Pedigo Submission Fighting finished fourth overall in the Adult No-Gi competition, adding another strong team performance at a major IBJJF event.
For Black Flag, Jeff’s results are another example of what consistent competition can provide. Winning medals is always something to celebrate, but every tournament also creates opportunities to identify weaknesses, gain experience, and bring new lessons back into the training room.
Jeff has continued to challenge himself throughout his purple belt run, competing in traditional brackets, absolute divisions, and superfights. That willingness to continually seek out difficult competition has helped him develop while representing Black Flag Jiu-Jitsu and Rockford on increasingly larger stages.
We are proud of Jeff for bringing home silver and bronze and thankful for all of the PSF teammates and coaches who made the weekend another memorable one.
Congratulations to Jeff and the entire Pedigo Submission Fighting family on another successful IBJJF Chicago Summer Open 2026. Now it is back to Rockford, back to training, and on to the next one.
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