ArchivesONRA:June20,2007

First, Hafa Adai and thanks again fro checking this column, Id like to apologize to anyone who might have been offended by any words of the previous article. That is never the intention. I want to also concede that Im not the authority on the sport but I am speaking for MMAs positive identity on our island and also for the Love of the Game. So here we go with some more babble…

 

Rivalries exist in every sport so what seems to exist in local MMA is nothing new. There is nothing wrong with competition. It better guarantees the evolution of quality and product satisfaction. So Im not here to bicker about that.

 

 In this industry, sport, and lifestyle, different fighters, academies, and events will always exist and so will different perspectives and opinions. There will always be a red corner and a blue corner. That is human nature. But people from all gyms and all events, though we stand apart on certain things; were doing pretty much the same things, making the same sacrifices for the same sport on the same island and ideally for the same island. Hopefully this can stand for something.

 

Just as in typhoons, adversity tends to bring people together. Well theres a lot of conversation right now about a massive population boost in the next few years. Of course this is positive for several reasons, but for some cases, symbolically, I think a storm is in the brew. Think about the impact this can have on our culture and our people. So why divide when we can multiply?

 

Id like to say to every gym, and every member in every gym, Jiuitsu, TaeKwonDo, Kickboxing, Judo, MMA, etc… you’re all doing a great job in training your members. The fighter-athletes of today are levels ahead of those in our past and hopefully levels behind of those in our future. We must continue to evolve.  Hopefully that evolution can also speak of our efforts for a positive impact to our island and other good things with the potentials of well-structured and synergized combat sports.

 

Everybody trains for different reasons and maybe not everybody on Guam is training for

Guam but moreso for themselves. Once again, there is nothing wrong with that. Different strokes for different folks. But through lets work collectively or independently so that, as athletes, supporters, and citizens of

Guam , our children and their children can live freely among bridges and not boundaries built with the sport of modern gladiators.

 

For Guam Mixed Martial Arts, these are historical days. We are writing the prologue for what can be endless accounts of honor and pride; of victory and defeat, of hard training and epic battles. Years, decades, and centuries later, our descendants will read our story. Will this be several tales of victory for a few, or a Grand tale of victory for all?

 

OneLove. Prepare for Glory