Saipan Submissions collects 10 medals in Marianas Open

It was raining medals for the 10-man Saipan Submissions Academy team as they competed and hauled in a bunch of hardware in the 2024 Marianas Open International Championship Jiu-Jitsu Tournament (gi only) last Saturday at the University of Guam Calvo Field House.

Nine out of 10 of their martial artists stood on the podium and boasted one gold, three silver, and six bronze medals.

The lone gold medal was won by Troy Santos in the middleweight class of the Master 1 White Belt division. He also won a bronze in the open weight class.

The three silver medals were grappled by young martial artist Chance Attao in the lightweight class of the White Belt Kindergarten divisions; Kaiya Pangelinan in the lightweight class of the Gray Belt Pre-Teen division; and Jacob Yamagishi in the featherweight class of the Adult White Belt division.

For the bronze medals, Urijah “Wolfie” Sablan won in the featherweight class of the White Belt Kindergarten division; Reiden Travilla in the light-featherweight class of the Gray White Belt Pre-Teen division; James Garcia in the middleweight class of the Adult White Belt division; Jesus Attao in the medium heavyweight class of the Adult Blue Belt division; and Bryan Deleon Guerrero in the featherweight class of the Adult Black Belt division. The 10th competitor was Joaquin Salas who competed in the middleweight class of the Adult White Belt division.

Deleon Guerrero, instructor at the academy in Chalan Kanoa, praised both his young and adult wards alike for their performance.

He said the children, who he calls the “spark” of the team, did great. “Ultimately my goal was to give them more exposure to the competition scene and challenge high level competitors. Three of the four of them had previous off island competition experience, which showed in their matches. I wanted to use this competition as a chance for them to execute what we’ve 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…”

As for the adult competitors, who he calls the “driving force” of their competition team, did great as well. “Each competitor handled their matches with great composure and skill. Each of them won multiple matches and got their hand raised, which speaks volumes of the hard work they’ve been putting in the training room. Two competitors, James and Troy, entered a competition for the 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 gold and bronze.”

He added, “Everyone displayed a good level of technical skill and executed moves we have been working on in the academy. My goal as a coach is to equip them with technique 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.”

Even with their expansive medal haul, Deleon Guerrero said it’s not just all 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.”

As for his matches, he competed for the first time in the black belt Adult Featherweight division. He said of that competition, “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. 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 then gave thanks to their sponsors and supporters. “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 wouldn’t have been possible without you!”

The Marianas Open was the grand finale in the 2024 Marianas Pro Series. It began with the Copa De Marianas Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Gi/No-Gi Tournament last February; then the Marianas Pro Japan last March; the Marianas Pro Philippines last April; and the Marianas Pro Korea last June.

This last tournament in Guam featured over 750 martial artists from around the world and had the largest turnout in history.