ONRA:October22nd,2010

Hafa adai.

TrenchWarz 13: Vengeance is set for Oct. 29 at the Saipan World Resort while Josh Calvo will be competing in a featured bout at Rumble on the Ridge 14 in Washington on the 30th.

Reminding ourselves of Guam’s impressive resume in martial arts, we can marvel at the fact that Guam’s footsteps in the martial arts world are not just incredible — our atlas of achievements also make us into a credible martial arts identity.

Take, for instance, the late and honorable Carlos Palacios receiving his KyokuShin black belt from the Great Mas Oyama, or maybe, Guam aikido’s Ben Galarpe having a very direct relationship with the seemingly untouchable Koichi Tohei of the Ki Society — or, maybe, looking at what’s impressive in our MMA profile such as Melchor Manibusan serving in the corner when Enson Inoue submitted The Legendary Randy Cotoure in Professional Shooto or John Calvo fighting the at-the-time UFC world champion Dan Severn at the University of Guam field house. These accolades, along with the not-so-spoken-of ventures and the endless accounts of our unsung heroes, give testimony to our legitimate collective footprint in the martial arts world.

Contributing to all that is the fact that Bruce Lee really isn’t dead and that he’s really been training with your friend’s uncle in the jungles of Talofofo (just kidding). We can all attest that not only do we have a lot to say; but also that, of Guam, there is much to be said.

Something that seems to be a big issue these days and one matter that should be of great concern to our martial arts and mixed martial arts communities is the topic of bullying.

Whether it be in high school or in the workplace, or unfortunately even occasionally in local politics — a reality of life is that the abuse of power exists in more places than it needs to be.

After Guam’s first foot in the door to No Holds Barred Fighting Competition — it seemed that the transformation from NHB to MMA would also graduate us beyond the evolution from ring to cage and would escort our sport from a still-admirable proving ground for spirit, to a true contest of skill

the eyes of the idealist — MMA was to be destined more as a platform for martial arts and/or martial skill and less a podium for violence.

Today, a decade and a half later — is this still the case? Reading articles and hearing cases of bullying accounts of students’ feeling threatened at school, of being unjustly intimidated into work decisions; taking into account the impressive popularization of MMA in the islands–it’s helpful to question ‘What role does MMA play in this situation and have we become a part of the solution or a part of the problem?

Keep it in the cage

Years ago the fellows at Premier Xtreme Combat had the initiative to launch the campaign to “Keep It In the Cage.” I Really have to tip a hat to that because they did a great job of gathering some of our most proven fighter-athletes to voice and endorse the campaign. Shortly thereafter, the phrase caught on and in more than a few places the words have become a household phrase.

Although the intention had been admirable and surely offered healthy advice for the people; it had inadvertently delivered a mixed message and missed a few highlights for the hopes of MMA’s aspired variable in the Guam Anti-violence Equation.

The martial arts in MMA goes far beyond — “I want to fight this guy but I only want to do it legally so I’m going to resolve this fight professionally,” way of thinking. The martial arts in MMA stands to offer the virtues of respect, honor, and humility to those first in search of not martial arts — but entertainment.

Outside of offering the figurative promise of the ability to defeat a man with a single move — arguably martial arts true power stands in the ability to cultivate the rationale and psychology to often resolve confrontation without the necessity of violence.

And in situations where confrontation is inevitable (and there are such situations) — martial arts also teaches us to fight for honor and self-defense as opposed to fighting with malice and self-glorification.

How can we pass this onto our athletes present and future? How can we pass this to the tens of thousands more in the audience? And most importantly, how can we accept, embrace, and practice this ourselves?

Just as Football goes far beyond being a tackling contest;In its best light — MMA can or should be recognized and communicated far beyond legalized violence and far beyond the facilitation of grudge matches.

In this pursuit of strength — we should remind ourselves that martial arts is a whole lot more than just being a tough guy — and the potential of MMA holds more for us than just becoming or identifying who is the the toughest guy.

Mixed martial arts has been alive and sustatining on Guam for 15-plus years.We are nearing or at an age of longevity where our MMA talent isn’t about harnessing what talents we might find in our fighters. We have arrived at the opportunity, we have grown with a wider knowledge to introduce athletes into this sport and from the get-go encourage them towards a code of conduct and an experience forged not in just the pursuit of victory, but in the values of honor, respect, and humility.

In truth, the weight of MMA’s obligations should not rest on any single identity’s shoulders and we can easily find credit and credibility in our current industry. But, as citizens and residents of Guam, the obligation for the conscious effort to improve if not maintain our island should rest on the shoulders of all. So, for the sake of martial athletics and competition, not for the sake of legalized violence — let us keep it in the cage. But maybe we can also go beyond that and start or continue this movement for a bully-free environnment, with a head rooted in the common sense of what helps society to better function properly and from a heart aiming for a more peaceful yet still exciting community.

Thanks for dropping by.