07 Oct Onra:October7th,2010
Hafa adai.
Congratulations again to Carlson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy’s Mike Carbullido for capturing the gold in the medium heavyweight adult bluebelt division in the 2010 American National Jiu-Jitsu Championships and to instructor Gabe Baker for returning home with the bronze.
Guam did well in the 2010 Mr. Olympia Grappling Challenge in Las Vegas on Sept. 25 as Ron Okada won first place in the Men’s 139-pound Intermediate Class and Ted Vida won the gold in the Men’s BJJ Purple Belt Executive Division also taking silver in the Master’s Executive No-Gi Advanced 149-pound Class.
And congratulations go to Team Guam in the MACP 2010 U.S. Army Championships Combatives Tournament at Ft. Benning, Ga., this past weekend. Represented by 12 soldiers and airmen from the Guam National Guard in what was supposed to be a 16-man team, Guam placed 11th out of 67 teams.
Spike 22 Academy has started Greco-Roman Wrestling Camp slated from Oct. 1 through Jan. 10 in preparation for the Christo-Lutte 2011 Greco-Roman Tournament scheduled in France on Jan. 29.
Good luck to Josh Calvo. He’s fresh off a win in late August, and will be facing undefeated Strikeforce veteran Lyle Beerbohm at Rumble On The Ridge Oct. 30.
Saipan MMA is on for Oct. 29 with Trench Warz 13: Vengeance at the Saipan World Resort, and grapplers are getting ready for the next Marianas Open slated for Dec. 4.
Its pretty amazing at how well our islands are doing abroad in competition and how much attention has arrived to the island via the trials of our fighting islanders.
Professional fighting as a sport has really come far. With rules in place in a controlled environment — the ways of fist and feet have truly proven to be a thing of athletics and to be one of the more technical sports around today.
Across the world, not too long ago, and maybe even still, critics have accused MMA as being a form of bloodbath and brutality. Often blind to the more-than-obvious skill requirements to compete on a respectable level, these skeptics have even tried pushing for the banning of these events.
ow do these same skeptics feel now, seeing big industry players like Burger King and EA Sports investing into this same sport, and how would those skeptics feel if they ever saw the post-fight resolutions we’ve seen after epic confrontations such as BJ Penn vs. Matt Hughes, Royce Gracie vs. Ken Shamrock or, locally, Stephen Roberto vs. Manny Chong?
MMA — local and abroad — has proven that even after the highest forms of physical confrontation, forgiveness takes place, winner and loser often resolve, and seeds often arrive with the fallen fruit.
We are fortunate today to have a champion stable of gentlemen and thinking people.
This, and the sciences applied in the greatest form of confrontation, have illustrated many times over that we have long graduated from barbaric to athletic.
This is an episode playing throughout the planet as we are reintroduced to the increasingly difficult sport of modern and very professional gladiators.
A contender yesterday, a champion today, and maybe an upset tomorrow.This is what keeps it exciting. This is mixed martial arts.
Justice is served … with the legalization of MMA; authority is earned … not just by commissions and lawmakers but through the blood, sweat, and tears it takes to excel in the bluntest display of true athletics.
Hopefully, in appreciation for this growing acceptance across the planet, our local players and local industry can recognize and execute in our efforts — so that we are not lost in the process of justifying fighting and we are found in the ventures of authorizing athletes. There is a difference.
Thanks for dropping by.