13 Mar ONRA:InTheWordsOfFrankCamacho
Hafa Adai,
It is very unfortunate that Kelvin and Maitai were arrested last week. I know Kelvin and Maitai personally and they are very cool dudes. They love the sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and most importantly they represent themselves, their family, and the Marianas EVERYTIME they step in the cage/octagon in domestic & internationally competitions and they do so well in the sport. Because of the bad decision they made, they must accept full responsibility for their actions, especially being house hold names in the Marianas Mixed Martial Arts scene. I’m saddened to see island headline fighters choose this road. Mixed Martial Arts is not and should not be held responsible for the decisions they made, if anything MMA kept them off the streets and in the gym.
Toby Maguire said it best in Spiderman the movie, “With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility.” As a professional MMA Fighter you are already branded as a “violent trouble maker.” That is not the case at all! My first perception of MMA was two tough steroidal men viciously beating each other till someone gave up. I’ve grown and come to realize that Mixed Martial Arts would be a way to find peace of mind. I was astonished as to how much discipline, respect, honor, and camaraderie flowed through the Mixed Martial Arts gym. It amazed me how I could learn discipline, respect, honor, camaraderie, humility, self defense, martial arts techniques, and live a healthy lifestyle all at the same time. It was then, that I got hooked!
Mixed Martial Arts has not just been something great that has happened to me. I do believe that it is a blessing not only for me, but for the CNMI as well. I have learned many of the fundamental values of MMA like discipline and respect. This helped me change my lifestyle for the betterment of my self-being. Through MMA I’m a 100%, Go Hard, goal oriented person. Set your goals high, and don’t let anyone or anything stop you or slow you down from reaching your goal. Becoming in shape and knowing that I could defend myself was definitely a self-esteem and confidence boost. MMA has kept me off the streets and in the gym. Looking back at it now, I have NO IDEA what I would have been doing if I wasn’t at the gym training. Driving around with friends? Going into abandoned buildings and hanging out for the fun of it? Go and get some beers? Party? Thank goodness I found the Trench Tech gym for me use up all my teenage energy! It definitely kept me occupied and out of trouble, that’s for sure!
Mixed Martial Arts has also helped me help others. It has given me the opportunity to be a role model for our youth and tell them that it is ok to dream big, it’s ok to set goals higher than your standards, in that they can accomplish anything they put their minds, hearts, and souls into. MMA has given me the opportunity to show the entire world where I’ve come from, who Chamorros are, and where this little island is located on the globe. An ideal example of what a combat sport can do for people is Manny Pacquiao. The province he is from is benefiting so much from him. The man is a Hero! Manny Pacquiao is a blessing to the PI. He stands as a role model not only in the home front, but on a global scale.
Hear me out fellow MMA fighters and combat competitors! Here is my take on street fighting… Well, I really don’t have a say in street fighting because I’ve never been in one. I think the number one cause of street fights is EGO! Yup, EGO is something you got to watch out for if you are a mixed martial artist/combat athlete. Ego will sneak up on you (trust me… It has on me), and you will make bad decisions based on EGO. In my personal experiences you can’t have EGO training full time at a gym. If you do have a big ego and do train, you won’t last in the sport. TRUST ME! You will always get beat, and there is always someone better than you. In that being said… Be the bigger person and walk away from a fight. Will you feel like a champ punching someone in the face at the bar? Will you feel better about yourself beating the mess out of someone? Will you feel better about yourself picking on the smaller kid at school because he won’t let you copy his homework? If you do feel better after that, then you have issues that need attention. You won’t be a better fighter fighting in the street. You will be a better fighter by surrounding yourself around better fighters and training in a controlled, safe environment with professionals. Remove your EGO and walk away. (Self Defense is a totally different situation)
A Big Thank you Trench Tech for giving me the opportunity to showcase my skills and gain the experience I need that has helped me in my MMA career. It’s a journey for me as a martial artist and as an individual to pursue happiness. I’m truly blessed to be given the opportunity to live MY LIFE to its fullest. One day I wish return to Saipan and give back to the island what the island has given me through Mixed Martial Arts.
MMA is a beautiful sport/art which has done great things for me as a martial artist and as a person. It would be selfish not to give our future the same opportunity I was given.
“It starts off as a DREAM! Turn it into a GOAL! Don’t let anyone or anything stop you or slow you down from reaching YOUR GOAL! “
“The sky is NOT the Limit… Because there are no Limits! Go get it!”
-Frank “The Crank” Camacho
Keep it Rockin…