Kaiya Pangelinan, left, receives the silver medal in the Gray Belt Pre-teen Lightweight Division of the 2024 Marianas Open International Championship Jiu-Jitsu Tournament at the University of Guam Calvo Field House on last Saturday.
Chance Attao, left, is the silver medalist in the White Belt Kindergarten Lightweight Division of the 2024 Marianas Open International Championship Jiu-Jitsu Tournament at the University of Guam Calvo Field House on last Saturday.
SAIPAN Submissions collected a total of 10 medals — one gold, three silver and six bronze — in the 2024 Marianas Open International Championship Jiu-Jitsu Tournament at the University of Guam Calvo Field House on Saturday.
Leading the list is Saipan Submission President Troy Santos, who showed dominance in the middleweight class of the Master 1 White Belt Division to win the gold. He also competed in the open weight class and earned a bronze medal.
The three silver medalists are Kaiya Pangelinan in the Gray Belt Pre-teen Lightweight Division, Jacob Yamagishi in the Adult White Belt Featherweight Division, and Chance Attao in the White Belt Kindergarten Lightweight Division.
The bronze medalists are Urijah Wolfie Sablan in the White Belt Kindergarten Featherweight Division, Reiden Travilla in the Gray White Belt Pre-Teen Light Featherweight Division, James Garcia in the Adult White Belt Middleweight Division, Jesus Attao in the Adult Blue Belt Medium Heavyweight Division, and Bryan Deleon Guerrero in the Adult Black Belt Featherweight Division.
The other Saipan Submissions competitor was Joaquin Salas, who saw action in the middleweight class of the Adult White Belt Division.
Saipan Submissions instructor Bryan Deleon Guerrero was happy with his team’s performance. “The kids did great!” he said. “Ultimately my goal was to give them more exposure in the competition scene and challenge high-level competitors. Three of them had previous off-island competition experience, which showed in their matches,” Deleon Guerrero added.
“I wanted to use this competition as a chance for them to execute what we had been working on in the training room. They did that very well while displaying tremendous heart and excellent sportsmanship. I’m extremely proud of our kids — they are the spark of our team!”
As for the adult competitors, Deleon Guerrero believes that they performed just as great. “Each competitor handled their matches with great composure and skill. Each of them won multiple matches and got their hands raised, which speaks volumes of the hard work they’ve been putting in the training room,” Deleon Guerrero said.
Two of them, James and Troy, competed for the very first time.
“James, having only trained for three months since our opening, won several matches and secured bronze, while Troy competed in two divisions and brought home a gold and a bronze. The adults are the driving force of our competition team!”
Deleon Guerrero said everyone displayed a good level of technical skill and executed moves that they had been working on in their academy. “My goal as a coach is to equip them with techniques that I know they’ll need while in their matches. The goal is also to determine what moves need to be re-emphasized and identify areas that need improvement,” he said.
Deleon Guerrero entered his first black belt tournament in the Adult Featherweight Division. “My competitor was a seasoned black belt who is very active in the competition scene in Asia. He was a tough competitor and defeated me by points.”
Deleon Guerrero added, “Having been recently promoted, I know that I’ll be going up against guys who have been black belts for many years. I know the new division was going to be a big challenge, but nonetheless, ‘a pendulum will always swing back.’ I’ll trust the process and keep working hard like I always do. I’m excited for the next event.”
Deleon Guerrero said they went to Guam “with 10 competitors, nine of whom stood on the podium. The team is bringing home 10 medals back to the island. I want to emphasize though, it’s not about the medals. It’s about their self-improvement. I’ve seen each individual come into the academy and put their hours in on the mats, challenging themselves in every way possible to make them a better martial artist. That, to me, is the ultimate reward. I am blessed to have them under my mentorship and out there with me representing our island.”
He continued, “Being a young gym, it is heartwarming to know that many people are supporting and rooting for us. On behalf of the Saipan Submissions competition team, we’d like to thank all our sponsors and everyone who supported us. This would not have been possible without you!”
