Wrestling advocate Ray “Coach Mac” Pigott was named this year’s Kaua‘i Martial Artist of the Year. Associates for kauaimartialarts.com selected Pigott to receive this annual reward. Pigott was selected for his personal performance in martial arts where he won a
Wrestling advocate Ray “Coach Mac” Pigott was named this year’s Kaua‘i Martial Artist of the Year.
Associates for kauaimartialarts.com selected Pigott to receive this annual reward.
Pigott was selected for his personal performance in martial arts where he won a world championship in jiu jitsu for his division.
Pigott also set standards outside the mat with his tireless work in bringing the sport of wrestling to the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation and for his service to the community in the popularization of grappling.
Wrestling will be brought to the KIF for a trial, exhibition run thanks in part to Pigott’s campaigning. If successful, it may become a sanctioned sport.
Pigott also started the first wrestling club on Kaua‘i.
He has hosted free grappling tournaments and clinics on Kaua‘i in the past and will host the island’s first FILA submission wrestling gi tournament in addition to no-gi and wrestling.
Pigott, of the Westside Club, has coached several successful young wrestlers over the year.
One of them being, Daniel Quinlan of ‘Ele‘ele who went on to win the silver medal at the Hawai‘i High School Athletic Association state tournament held in Honolulu.
Quinlan, wrestling for Lahainaluna, was taken down 9-5 by Punahou’s Rudie Schaefer in a match that went all three rounds.
With Pigott’s coaching, he took Quinlan and Lahainaluna teammate Edison Hidalgo to nationals in Las Vegas.
