Onra:July7,2011.CongratulationsCaesarWhitt

Hafa Adai,

It’s been Almost 2weeks past the Marianas Open, and before, during, and after that we are still finding a lot of things to think about, celebrate, and forever grow from with the arts of Submission Grappling and Jiujitsu as well as with other Combative sports and Martial Art.

A toast, a standing ovation, and fireworks for a massive and sincere congratulations to one of Guam’s first Brazilian Jiujitsu instructors Caesar Whitt of who after more than 15 years of training, after just as many years teaching,after several years of representing Guam Judo,after opening up Gracie Barra in Saipan, and after opening up Gracie Barra in Guam has received his Brazilian Jiujitsu blackbelt under the very-honorable Master Carlos Gracie Jr.

With all the epic paragraphs in Guam’s Jiujitsu Chapter, it seems quite fitting that one of Guam’s most significant pioneers in Jiujitsu and Mixed Martial Arts would receive the most sought after promotion from a world Jiujitsu icon so notable.

There are a lot of names that come to the surface with all the talent that is sprouting from Guam’s adventures in competitive Jiujitsu.. Alongside all the news that were hearing about some of the more mainstream academies /training centers locally, there are also a lot of development in lesser-known training groups and “backyard” gyms. Collected, Just in Jiujitsu and Submission Grappling alone–we likely have more than 500 people training in the grappling arts considering such a small island population.

It wasn’t too long ago when this number was less than ten.

Before all these academies, before the Marianas Open, before Premiere XtremeCombat, Geran Haga, FuryFullContactFighting, Jungle Rules, and even SuperBrawl, a healthy seed was planted for sharing Jiujitsu on Guam that sprouted in a small garage in Hyoondai in Santa Rita, from the good intentions of two people, Dan O’Connor and Caesar Whitt.

The original students there were hardly anything like our top local fighter-athletes today. Where the best of our competitors today are usually physically fit, athletically-impressive, and often quite-obvious. Though still(especially at the time) fight-formidable, The majority of the handful of people training Jiujitsu back then was far-less imposing, not nearly intimidating, and not the least-bit recognizable.Truthfully, it seemed that most of the guys group the were in some type of physical disadvantage. One thing that made Caesar’s instruction so valuable was that, regardless of size, shape, or form, the Jiujitsu he taught gave us all a fighting chance.

From there the very-private mat floated to a location on base, then also still at the garage, then to other garages, then to the University of Guam, FBLeonGuerrrero, GeorgeWashington High School,, The Judo Hut, Melchor Manibusan’s Backyard, the Dededo Clock Tower, at one point we were even doing matwork next to the GNOC office at the Corn Building.

Because of the extreme difficulty to find quality training, and because of the sensation and effectivity that this newly-exposed martial art had to offer, Even the idea of receiving a Jiujitsu Blue belt seemed like a lifetime achievement.

It’s simply amazing to see how much Jiujitsu has grown for us locally and even in our immersion with worldwide Jiujitsu today.

We have guys leaving island to compete all over the world and we got guys from all over the world coming to teach and/or train on Guam. We have World champions. Pan-American Champions. All-Asia Champions. Outside of competition the non-competitive population that makes up the majority of our Grappling community has never been so colorful with more than a healthy amount of blue belts, purple belts, and brown belts to carry this movement forward.

Dan O’Connor, Stephen Roberto, Terrence Aflague, James Quan, John Calvo, Joey Calvo, Mike Ulloa, and now Caesar Whitt. How enlightening it is to see that we have 8 resident Jiujitsu blackbelts training and teaching on island. How inspiring empowering it is to see that because of this, sooner than later we will have even more.

So many things have happened with MixedMartialArts and Jiujitsu on Guam. Neither of them are built on one single pillar. But a lot of credit for its positive expansion definitely goes to our very first instructors who chose to teach so responsibly. Its easier to understand now why they wanted the training to stay so private. As new students, we needed some type of maturing process, we needed to have a more familiar relationship with these potentially lethal defensive and offensive techniques.

Well, the maturing never stops and the techniques continue to evolve and as in island we’ve been in this thing long enough to get in as deep. There is no turning back.

To be honest with you, , still for some and among other things and – receiving a Bluebelt might still be a lifetime achievement. They re still training in Melchor Manibusans Backyard, they are still doing matwork at the CornBuliding, and most importantly—Jiujitsu continues to give us all… a fighting chance.

A whole lot of gratitude and much respect–Congratulations Caesar Whitt.

Thanks for dropping by.