In the Ring

The Calm Before the Storm

I wasn't born a gentle weak baby, I was born a fighter, I fought for my life coming out of the womb. As the last one born of quintuplets, on top of which being the smallest, it was a miracle I even survived. My earliest memory that I can remember clear as day was my father training boxers. Then for the next 8 years, he trained me to be a boxer. My father called me a prodigy but I say I've had a lot of practice.

Tatay was strict on his discipline in his gym. Nanay was strict on chores in her household and farm. My siblings practice different martial arts than me but we still spar each other. My sister Lavina practices Taekwando. Cris does Capoeira. Val exercises the art of Tai Chi. Rey trains in the art of Aikido and Judo. Meanwhile I, Elvira practice boxing and kickboxing. Yet before training in our chosen martial art, Tatay taught us Kali or Filipino martial art similar to Aikido.

Growing up on a farm in the Philippines was not difficult nor easy because of all the chores and school activities. We grew a lot of produce ranging from Boku to Gabi to lychee. My favorite crop were the guavas because they were everywhere and you can just pick them right then and there. Our lives were perfect for us.

Then the day came after a monsoon destroyed my land and home, so we had to move to America. I was only 10 at the time.

The move from the Philippines to America was difficult, to say the least. Everything familiar to my family was ripped away from us. All of us grew up on the rice paddies and farms of our home, we were not ready for modern life, let alone suburban life. I wanted to stay but the damage was already done onto the gym. 

That day gave me a rude awakening of the real world and for all, I knew it would get worse from there.