FEATURE 61
Alvin Aguilar
Alvin Aguilar Alvin Aguilar got into the martial arts when he was just nine years old. Later on, he got involved in contests even before the UFC in the underground scene. “I live and breathe the martial arts,” he says. “I train twice to three times a day. I always make sure that I am focused on my goal, which is to compete at my best every single time. I like MMA because it’s all about the adrenaline, the goal setting and the feeling when you win is just exhilarating.” He remembers his first win; he fought a senior instructor with a big reputation. Aguilar remembers just going into the ring and beating him. For some reason his mind and body just reacted perfectly. The win made tremendous strides for his confidence. Another fight was memorable for Aguilar. “I got this guy flushed on the chin and he just dropped. Ever since, I have been addicted to what Tank Abott (a retired American Mixed Martial Arts fighter) said: “I just wanted to tickle his brain a bit”.”
Aguilar has never lost a fight but the one thing he has learned is that when you lose, you learn about the stuff you have to work on and then go and fix it. His future plans on the MMA include to train others and to promote the Filipinos to be the best they can possibly be no matter what. “What is important is that you shut them [difficulties] all out and focus on what you want. Basically it is how bad you want it.”
Erwin Tagle It was Bruce Lee who influenced Erwin Tagle to get into Martial Arts. “Absorb what is useful. Discard what is not. Add what is uniquely your own. Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do.” These words gave Tagle the motivation for self-defense and the philosophies that inspired him to evolve as a complete fighter. But for Tagle, the beginning was rough. “My first fight was my first loss,” he recalls.
“It was a learning experience. I gained more out of that fight. I have no ground game during that time or I thought I had but it was not enough. After that fight, I focused on wrestling and jujitsu and came back to win all my fights.” This first loss was also the most memorable because it made him understand who he was and what he is made of, how to handle defeat while others would just walk away and give up on themselves. He came back stronger. “I like challenges and for me fighting is the highest form of competition. I believe that how you handle obstacles in sports is how you handle challenges in your everyday life.” As for the difficulties and the positive challenges of being an athlete, he says, “You live a healthy lifestyle. You learn to take care of your body and make it ready for battle. The only difficulty is that the sport demands most of your time so you tend to sacrifice your social life.”