Guam is almost 20 years into its timeline with Brazilian Jiujitsu and Mixed Martial Arts. From humble beginnings in the garages of Jiujitsu admirers lookign to learn the gentle art–the momentum has since spiraled above and beyond producing a  growing submission grappling community, a by-product of a resurgence in Guam wrestling, Regional Champions, World Champions and children and women that can kick more ass than believable

With barely a year since its launching–CAULIFLOWER CULTURE, a clothing company dedicated to the lifestyle and  culture where contact sports communities and fans come together, will be hosting the Abu Dhabi Pro Qualifiers on March 14th at the HotelNikko Guam

Heres an article copied and pasted from Guams leading newspublication  with the Cauliflower Culture Founder, Mechor Manibusan regarding a Sheik’s interest in this tiny dot in the Pacific growing , without a doubt, as a landmark  and fruitful destination for local and regional Jiujitsu opportunity…

‘It’s an amazing opportunity’: Local qualifier: Winners go to Abu Dhabi championship

Guam jiu-jitsu practitioners will have a shot to qualify for the prestigious Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship during a local event next week.

The Guam Pro Jiu-Jitsu Championships will be held at Hotel Nikko Guam on March 8. Winners of the 10 absolute divisions will be awarded entry and a paid trip to Abu Dhabi to compete at the world championship in April. Deadline to register is March 3.

“This is huge, man. It’s a huge tournament,” says UFC fighter and jiu-jitsu black belt Jon Tuck. “It’s an amazing opportunity. … (By qualifying) you already know you’re one of the best in the world, but being the top in the world is an unbelievable feeling.”

Tuck won a gold medal in the Open Light Division at Abu Dhabi in 2010 to become a jiu-jitsu world champion. He is not planning to compete at the Guam Pro because of a scheduled UFC fight in May.

The Guam Pro is a trials event run by the United Arab Emirates Jiu-Jitsu Federation, hosted locally by Melchor Manibusan.

“I hope the locals on Guam realize the magnitude of this event,” Manibusan said. “I would like our locals to realize the opportunity that’s on our island, take the opportunity and sign up.”

The Guam Pro provides the first opportunity a local jiu-jitsu practitioner could qualify for Abu Dhabi on island. Prior to this, Guam grapplers had to take a trip off-island to a trial.

The next world champion could now come from Guam without any travel expense. Prizes for the 10 divisions are valued at $8,000 per, Manibusan said, making the Guam Pro’s total purse about $80,000.

Absolute winners receive entry to the 2015 Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship, event registration, flight from Guam to Abu Dhabi, accommodations, meals, transportation, insurance and a travel visa.

“I kind of feel like that this is one of the largest events that’s happened,” says Gabe Baker, head instructor at Carlson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy, Guam. “… I was expecting something big would come to Guam, I just wasn’t expecting it to be Abu Dhabi.”

On the Carlson Gracie whiteboard, just below the quote, “Losers quit when they’re tired, winners quit when they’ve won,” is a reminder to the students to sign up and compete at the Guam Pro.

“It’s every day preached,” Baker said. “Some of my guys were planning to go to Pan-American, but then when this came up it changed their mind.”

Several fighters are expected to come from off island to Guam just to compete in the Guam Pro, Manibusan said, because it is one of the last qualifying tournaments in the world for Abu Dhabi.

Timing not ideal

The timing is not ideal locally, as it comes just three weeks before the largest jiu-jitsu tournament on island, the Marianas Open, but the Guam Pro is adults only and there is still plenty of time between the two tournaments for grapplers to compete, rest, recover and train again.

“Marianas is a very big event and I didn’t want to do it the same month as them, but if I didn’t do this on March 8 I wouldn’t have done it at all,” Manibusan said.

The idea of a Abu Dhabi Trials on Guam seemed impossible only a year ago, but Manibusan had a few coincidental interactions that made it possible.

Last year Manibusan founded Cauliflower Culture, a contact sport apparel company that grew aggressively last year at jiu-jitsu and mixed martial arts events across the U.S. mainland.

In July Manibusan set up a Cauliflower Culture stand at the UFC Fan Expo in Las Vegas. At another booth sat Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a key figure in Abu Dhabi grappling.

The sheikh helped found the Abu Dhabi Worlds in the late 1990s and Manibusan was invited to compete there in 1999. Their relationship started to fade until Manibusan and bin Zayed reconnected at the UFC event.

From there they exchanged emails, talked about hosting a pro trial on Guam and worked to firm up the details. The event was locked in place last October during the World Jiu-Jitsu Expo at the Long Beach Convention Center in California.

“From competing and now, a decade later, working with them, is cool to me,” Manibusan said. “…We talked about it and we’ve done it and it’s here. They’re brining the Abu Dhabi World qualifiers here to Guam.”

The Guam Pro will have multiple weights for each belt in male and female divisions. After the weight medals are decided, the absolute divisions will decide the Abu Dhabi qualifiers

Prizes will be awarded to under 75-kilogram (about 165 pounds) and over 75-kilogram absolute winners in the men’s blue and white belt, purple belt and brown and black belt divisions. The women’s absolute weight cutoff is under and over 65-kilograms (about 143 pounds), with prizes going to winners of the white and blue belt division and the purple, brown and black belt division.

Requirements

Weigh-ins will be the day of the event at 8 a.m. Fights are scheduled to begin at Hotel Nikko at 9 a.m. There must be at least eight competitors in each division to qualify for the Abu Dhabi prize, Manibusan said.

Practitioners must be registered at a UAEJJF-certified gym to sign up for the Guam Pro. Registration is $100 and can be completed online at UAEJJF.org/event/info/122.

“We’re so blessed to have the Abu Dhabi Pro,” Tuck said.