ElevationIIsla13N144E:Shoyoroll&Jiujitsu

Giving props to a fellow company originated in Guam that is aiming for Guam’s positive landmarking in action sports. Shoyoroll has been around “since the 90′s”. Fokai and Shoyoroll have been on common paths, and shared among a similar circle of friends. Sharing i the path of an already-large-and-growing extended campaign of Hafa Adai–We can identify with the struggles and setbacks in the very competitive clothing and Jiujitsu Industry and are very stoked to see friends making it happen.

Here’s a pretty dope feature copied from www.guampdn.com..Check it out for some insight into the source of one of the Jiujitsu world’s most recognized gi manufacturing and clothing companies. Props.

It wasn’t too long ago when fashion and martial arts mixed as well as oil and water. The fighters’ traditional uniform — the gi — was worn to showcase technique and skill, not to flaunt the latest ensemble. Vince “Bear” Quitugua sought to change that perception more than 10 years ago. He is the founder of Shoyoroll, a company of humble beginnings that recently blew up the martial arts world, growing to global recognition status. Quitugua, a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt, is also a formidable businessman in the mixed martial arts and BJJ communities. Born in California and raised on Guam, Quitugua founded Shoyoroll, a premium fight wear company specializing in high-quality gis.

The clean designs, contrast stitching and fitted cuts make the brand among the most popular on the market.

Inspired by his love of surfing, skateboarding and grappling, he created the electric yellow Shoyoroll logo prominently visible at major competitions in the United States.

“Seven years ago we would only see a few of the gis being worn at competition, and it was just fighters we knew and gave the gis to. Then the next year we saw a few more, and realized it wasn’t just people we gave the gis to,” Quitigua says. “That was super cool to see.”

The million-dollar company appears to be an overnight success, but the brand’s roots originate on a tiny island in the Pacific. Bear started with a handful of hats and T-shirts, created inside a little garage on Guam.

“I was just a creative kid trying to do something that I thought would be cool,” Quitugua says.
Shoyoroll frenzy

Here’s a scene from the World Jiu Jitsu No Gi Championship held in Long Beach, Ca. just four months ago. A crowd waited in the cold air for the gate to open, eager to watch the battles of the premiere submission-grappling tournament of the year.

But instead of filling the stands surrounding the arena at the Walter Pyramid, more than a hundred people swarmed the Budo Videos retail booth. Each one hoped to buy the collectable Shoyoroll gi named the “Charles Lew,” but only 50 were for sale.
Budo Videos, a top martial arts online retailer, first carried Shoyoroll gis in 2009 after agreeing to be the exclusive retailer for North America. President Dave Contreras clearly remembers the initial public response:

“They just sat in our warehouse. No one was really buying them,” he says.

Now, they sell out within minutes. Thousands of people around the world wait anxiously for the moment the limited-edition gis go on sale. Once the site opens, only a small percentage of buyers get lucky, surviving site crashes and thousands of other online buyers all wanting the same thing at the exact same time.

“They brought something really unique to the market by changing the look at the time. The other gi brands had been making the same gis for years,” says Budo Videos CEO Jake McKee.

Quitugua always sets a few aside for his Guam distributor and friend, Wayne Matanane, but still — not everyone gets one.

“When you look good you feel good, and when you feel good you roll good,” says jiu jitsu black belt “Big” John Calvo, who supported the brand in its early days. “That’s what wearing a Shoyoroll gi will do for you.”

Ultimate Fighters Jon Cruz Tuck, BJ Penn and Benson Henderson wear the brand with pride too.

Founder of top clothing brand RVCA Pat Tenore says simply: “Shoyoroll rules.”

All the success Quitugua enjoys didn’t come without sacrifice.

“People think the brand all of a sudden became popular. They don’t know the back story, all the work that took place and all the struggles we went through,” he says.

The founder of a million-dollar company today talks about his childhood home in Ordot, made with wooden walls and a leaky tarp for a roof. Rainy day puddles were normal, and typhoon warnings sent his family packing to a safer structure.

His family didn’t have much, so they safeguarded what they had.

“Our house wasn’t concrete like the other homes, so if a typhoon hit we’d lose everything,” he says.

Those days left him yearning for a better life and hungry for a solution.

“I told myself I wanted to me a millionaire by the time I was 30. When I was 5 I told my dad I wanted to be an engineer,” he says. “He told me, ‘Good, they make a lot of money.’”

He fell into a rut along the way, caught up in an aimless lifestyle. He said far too many of Guam’s youth also get snagged and unfortunately, a few will never get out.

“Depending on your circle of friends, you can get stuck, using the wrong people as role models, getting in trouble and dropping out of school,” he says.

His only secret to success was no secret at all: hard work.

“If there is anything I can tell the young kids on Guam today, the freshmen in high school, is, to stay in school. Expand your circle of friends. Hang out with people that want to go to college,” he says. “When I hung out with my boys, that’s all I knew. Having fun and partying. But when I networked myself with different friends, I realized I had to change my mindset to pursue bigger things.”

But he doesn’t believe an aimless detour should stop anyone from reaching goals. Continually striving for a goal can make changes and create outlets even where there are seemingly none.

“I was really discouraged just a few years ago. I was losing money with the brand. It wasn’t popular. Yeah, people thought it was cool, but after awhile you just think, ‘is it worth my time?’ But I kept at it,” Quitugua says.

The company grew slowly.

His wife Melissa gave up her position in human recourses to focus on the brand.

Bear Quitugua left a successful position in sales a year and a half ago, and hasn’t looked back since.

“It was a huge leap. This started out as a hobby, and we have kids to take care of. With our jobs we had benefits, insurance and income we relied on. My wife was super scared, but it’s probably the best decision I’ve made in my life,” Quitugua says.

He’s happy to say he hired two others from Guam, Natasha Barsana and Georgianna Castro. The warehouse manager Juan “Roach” Rodriquez is from Mexico, but already he’s been given “honorary Chamorro” status.

“Everyone says I act like you guys,” he says.

Quitugua also changed his goals, and not all revolve around business.

He realized working hard just for money doesn’t necessarily create happiness and success. Melissa keeps him balanced at home and at work and together, they raise two children — Bear’s absolute pride and joy.

“In that regard, I would say I’ve made it.”

Fokai Product Development: Fokai DUDE BAG!

The details of the new Fokai Dude Bag

This bag was inspired as a workout bag and kept in mind the martial arts and jiujitsu competitor. All over the bag there are rubber grips for workouts for the seasoned competitor or for the chelu in need of a nice workout on the beach.

With next level pocketing system. Mesh pocketing, large zipper pocketing system, and small side pocketing.

Part of the dude bag, it is reinforced with a strapping system. It can be used as a gym duffle bag, backpack, or your daily travel “dude” bag!

Available at the fokai online store @ www.fokaistuff.com

Way of Life w/ Martial Skills

Fokai.tv Blog Visit Site

Martial arts existed before as a means of survival and self defense, then somewhere further down the line it became along for competiton, fitness, and glory.

Lloyd Irvin,Friends, and BudoVideos break it down to basics int his interview when the Secret to Lloyd Irvin’ss success is partially unveiled in this solid evidence that the many paths of martial arts can truly be life enhancing.

Fokai&TheMendesBros:

It’s been over a year now and were proud and honored for the mutual support from the MendesBrothers, Rafael and Guilherme. In their innovative methods and no-secret hard training– they are the front runners pushing the performance for Jiujitsu all over the world.

Excellent representatives not just of jiujitsu,but of martial art and of sport–they make wider the road for  excellent representation of authority and goodwill.

A salute and toast in the form of Tshirts and rashguards —

Rafael Mendes:

5x World Champion (All belts) – 2006-2007-2008-2010-2011
2x World Pro Champion – 2009-2010
ADCC Champion under 66 kg – 2009
World Pro No Gi Champion 2011
European Champion – 2010
3x Brazilian Champion – 2006-2007-2010
World No Gi Champion – 2008

Guilherme Mendes:

6x World Champion (All belts) -2005-2006-2007-2008-2009-2011
World Pro Champion – 2010
World Pro No Gi Champion 2011
European Champion – 2010
4x Brazilian Champion -2006-2007-2008-2010
World No Gi Champion 2008

http://mendesbrosonlinestore.bigcartel.com/products

SoCal2012:Legends Past,Present,Future

1st 24hours back in Cali and had the honor of visiting the Gracie Academy in Torrance.  What was supposed to be a casual browse through the Gracie Museum turned out to be a martial arts highlight as Rorion Gracie of the originally touted Gracie Brothers gave us a thorough narration of the museum icons,  relatively detailed history of the birth of Gracie Jiujitsu and the UFC–and a rare first person perspective into some of the good and great times behind the scenes in the Gracie compound.

Only 2hours after had the benefit of breaking a serious sweat at the newly opened UFC gym in Hawthorne. Rocked by kettlebells, humbled by the VersaClimber and absolutely floored climbing Jacob’sLadder–watche dteam Purebred/LloydIrvin Guam and Team LloydIrvin Academies from the east coast go into group training, better acquanitance, and a special impromptu photo op in their octagon for a future UFC.com photo…

A Magic Day for the Jiujitsu Kids
ANother day of strength and honor in the Guam Jiujitsu Almanac.

FokaiHawaii:NSJJYouthProgram

Fokai is proud to stand with FokaiFamilia’s Mike Fowler of TeamPurebred/Lloyd Irvin in sharing the gentle art throughout the Aloha State. Team LLoydIrvin’s empahsis on a strong learning curriculum will inevitably take to the next level those that are willing to commit to it. Cheehoo and Au’Ryyyte!

JiujitsuGuam:RolledUpEpisode31

Budowvideos and Shoyoroll Present: Rolled Up Episode31:GuamSpecialEdition.
Click into the link below for a window into the past, present, and future of BrazilianJujitsu on Guam.

http://www.budovideos.com/online/shows/rolledup/rolled-up-episode-31-guam-special-edition/

TheFokaiOhanaW/CrazyMike

small window into a very large thing with TeamLloydIrvin and the FokaiFamilia’s CrazyMike Fowler and his growing efforts to enhance lives in sharinjg the gentle yet extremely effective art of Jiujitsu

Results:MarianasOpenXIII2012

kids division
26-38
elijah castro
zion delacruz
kaekala leon guerrero
40-45
caleb laserna
ethan sablan
rai peredo
50-58
colin ada
william ludwig
jordan lujan
63-69
lance galarpi
darren cruz
colin santiago
71-79
miria peredo
jesse manglona
javon borja
80-86
justin untalan
ayden duenas
stevie shimizu
87-100
mason manglona
scott goulet
devin patawaran
115 up
brian roberto
dj cruz
duke appleton
juvenile
64-76
kawai flores
adriano cruz
byron cabaccang
78-88
eddie muna
ethan flores
kenneth ledesma
90-97
cory quitugua
cj quitugua
bryana cabaccang
105-113
jeric tabunar
kyle taitingfong
johnny garcia
114-124
jude garcia
napu taimanglo
jonah carbullido
134-147
jayronne gandaoli
ambroshio shimizu
cory mendiola
151-161
norberto rosario
billy larrison
ethan cruz
180-190
brandon ogo
matthew pojas
alex sablan
200+
davin matanane
shane baluran
MEN’S BLUE BELT
130under
john untalan
gerard perez
eric alcantara
131-145
david harris
kevin cruz
kevin diaz
146-160
chris thomas
trevin jones
chris unpingco
j161-175
ryan bustamante
skyyler taitano
drew palomo
176-190
noah villanueva
larron gandaoli
chad ada
191-205
john moser
ruben rivas
johnny aguon
205+
ryan schilling
james lee
rayjo san nicholas

GuamBJJ:Carbullido&AyuyuAgain

Ayuyu, Carbullido capture gold

3:00 PM, Nov. 8, 2011  |

Comments

Former Guam residents Miguel Ayuyu and Mike Carbullido continue their climb up the ladder of Brazilian jiu-jitsu as the pair recently notched gold medals at the 16th US Open BJJ Tournament that took place on Oct.15-16 in San Jose, Calif.

Competing as blue belts, Ayuyu placed first in the lightweight division and Carbullido topped the medium heavyweight division. The US Open marked the sixth tournament Carbullido has participated in this year and he does not intend to slow down. His sights now are focused on the World Jiu-jitsu No-Gi Championship set for this weekend in Long Beach.

“I want to make it as far as God is willing to take me,” Carbullido said via email from San Diego.

Ayuyu also is preparing for the no-gi championships and added that BJJ has become an integral part of his life. “I’ve been doing jiu-jitsu for six years now and I’ve worked hard to get where I am [so] quitting now would be the worst decision I could make,” Ayuyu said via email.

Just over a year ago the former Carlson Gracie Jr. Academy students and graduates of George Washington High School decided to relocate to southern California in order to pursue their BJJ dreams.

Multiple tournaments and several gold medals later, it appears as if the move has paid dividends. Ayuyu said regularly training with world champions and high-level BJJ players has taught him a lot about the martial art. “Moving to the states has really brought my game to another level,” Ayuyu said.

In addition to receiving top-notch instruction, the deeper pool of competition and frequency of tournaments allows Carbullido more opportunities to test himself. “I’m able to get [into] big, worldwide tournaments easier with me being out here compared to being on Guam,” Carbullido said. “I’m able to concentrate more and train harder.”

The dreams of BJJ glory, however, do not come to fruition without challenges and trials. When asked what the most difficult aspect of constantly training and competing is, Ayuyu simply said, “Bills.”

Motivation

Carbullido added that it wasn’t easy to leave his family and to pursue his dream, but he knows the rewards are worth it. “I always remind myself of all the sacrifices and dedication I’ve put in over the years,” Carbullido said.

“The fact I can’t be with my family and my sister, the fact I can’t eat red rice and deer keleguan whenever I feel like it. All those reasons push me to never give up no matter the struggle.”

Carbullido thanks his mother Pilar, his sister Mikenna and the rest of his family for their support. He also thanks Gabe Baker, Byron Evaristo, Beachwood/Fleetwood San Diego, Nakama Brand, Apparatus Jiu-jitsu, Cars Plus and the people of Guam.

Ayuyu thanks the people of Guam, as well as Baker and Moya Brand

« Previous Page — Next Page »