Born in Guam (half Chamorro) and raised across the U.S. due to my dad’s Air Force career, I eventually settled on Oahu with my mom (half Hawaiian). I was introduced to BJJ by my cousin, Michael Ulloa, a black belt, who taught me a rear-naked choke and double leg takedown. Though I never formally trained until I was 25, I met Michael “Boom Boom” Bickers, who took me to BJ Penn’s camp in Hilo, where I learned MMA jiu-jitsu.

At 35, I moved to Martinez/Pleasant Hill, where I trained at UFC Concord. I was humbled by a 165 lb blue belt, who tapped me out six times in three minutes. That experience fueled my addiction to training. I later met Sabre when Thomas Haley received his black belt, and I had the opportunity to roll with numerous black belts, which became one of my best experiences.

On July 29, 2023, Bryant Pangelinan promoted me to black belt at 45. I realized that this was just the beginning, and the greatest lesson BJJ has taught me is how to fail. Success comes through persistence and learning from mistakes. No matter what life throws at you, join us on the mats and keep pushing forward.