Ballen Song, left, receives the silver medal in the adult lightweight division of the 2024 Marianas Open International Championship Jiu-Jitsu Tournament at the University of Guam Calvo Field House.
Ballen Song and coach Cuki Alvarez strategize before a match.
BALLEN Song claimed the silver medal in the adult lightweight division of the 2024 Marianas Open International Jiu-Jitsu Tournament at the University of Guam Calvo Field House on Saturday.
Song, the only competitor representing Saipan’s Trench Tech, went through three matches before reaching the finale.
In the title match, Song went up against a seasoned wrestler, who had won previous competitions. They fought for positions and advantages, but with no submissions made, the match followed the points system. Song’s opponent bagged the gold.
“Walking into the competition, I was nervous carrying the Trench Tech name on my back that day. I didn’t want my lack of skills to reflect on the gym’s reputation negatively,” Song said. “However, thanks to all the training under Professor Cuki Alvarez, we secured a silver medal for Saipan,” he added.
Song also competed in the adult open division, but lost his very first match due to injuries he received from competing in the adult lightweight division.
Aside from never being submitted throughout the tournament, Song’s biggest highlight was recording a submission within 16 seconds, a feat acknowledged by world champions Felipe Andrew and Leticia Cardozo, who were among the tournament spectators.
For his part, Cuki Alvarez received the Pioneer Award for keeping martial arts alive not only on Saipan, but on the neighboring islands as well.
“Shout out to all my coaches and teammates down in Trench Tech, especially Rey Kim who invests a lot of his personal time on the class curriculum for the students. Shout out to Kika of Purebred Guam for winning $5,000 for the brown belt division — all her hard work paid off. And to Saipan Submissions for representing the island,” Song said.
