Marilyn Cruz, center, poses with her gold medal in the brown belt open class of the Pan IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship 2023 at the Fort Worth Convention Center in Fort Worth, Texas.
MARILYN Cruz of the CNMI collected two gold medals during the Pan IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship 2023, which was held from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1 at the Fort Worth Convention Center in Fort Worth, Texas.
Cruz only had one opponent to face in the brown belt light-featherweight category so she decided to enter the brown belt open class as well.
It was a quick match for gold in the brown belt light-featherweight category with Cruz and her opponent hand fighting and battling for head position.
“My opponent seemed to be set on doing one thing only, so I pulled into a triangle submission and ended the match in under a minute,” Cruz said.
In the absolute division, she matched up against the medalists of other weight classes. “I had two matches and won both via points. I had a few submission attempts that failed but I ultimately won by overall points scored.” Cruz stated.
“I am very happy with the results! The…Pan championship is second to a world title so I am ecstatic to win…. I enjoy No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu, so competing in it is always a good time.”
She added, “It helps me see my progress and also gives me a chance to make improvements. It was also a great way to kick off the No-Gi competition season.”
Like most competitors, her biggest challenge was traveling to compete. “Going out there alone and getting into a good headspace to compete against competitors who trained just as hard for this event was tough. The next hurdle is usually right before the first match, typically that’s when all the nerves are at their highest, but I love being in that state and I enjoy the process of training and competing all together,” Cruz said.
Next on her schedule is the ADCC North American Trials in the East Coast slated for Oct. 14-15. This is a tournament for those who want to qualify for the ADCC championship in 2024.
On Dec. 9, Cruz plans to compete in the No-Gi World Championships and vie for the IBJJF world title.
“All these competitions bring in high level competitors from around the world. I am excited to get in there and challenge myself. Thank you to everyone back home who watched and supported me,” Cruz said.
“I’m hoping that I can spread motivation to the youth and especially those in Saipan who have dreams to do something with all their heart. And a huge thank you to my sponsors back home who support local athletes! They make it possible for me to compete and get my name noticed in a sport with thousands of competitors. Thank you Lone Fox Bistro & Lounge, Guam Nutrition and Fitness Coach and Project Row!”
