‘The Crank’ wins two medals in DC

Frank “The Crank” Camacho won two medals including a gold in the recently concluded Naga Jujitsu Championships in Washington, D.C.

Camacho, who broke out of the local mixed martial arts scene under the Trench Tech Purebred Saipan Gym, represented his home gym, and the Lloyd Irvin MMA Academy in the weekend competition.

He competed in the 180-189 lbs weight class winning the gold in the gi division and adding the bronze in the no gi.

Jujitsu practitioners wear the gi or kimono, as it is traditionally called, during a match. The gi can be used as leverage or a weapon against your opponent in trying to force him to submission by choking.

Camacho is more of a no gi fighter and has been training in the art of Brazilian jujitsu under master Lloyd Ervin the past months. He has been enjoying this special form of unarmed combat.

Camacho used his MMA background and experience into the competition and used it to his advantage in taking out his more experienced opponents one by one to win the middleweight division.

Camacho has been living in Maryland with his sister since 2007 and trains daily at Ervin’s MMA academy.

The Lloyd Ervin Academy is just a couple of hours away from where they live. Camacho drives daily from Ervin’s academy just to train in the sport that he has grown to love.

Camacho, who will be back on Saipan this summer, also works at the academy as the head instructor of the kids’ class in the After School Program. He is expected to share what he learned from Ervin’s academy to his Trench Tech family at their new gym in San Antonio.

Trench Tech Gym co-instructor Cuki Alvarez is inviting interested enthusiasts to join them from Monday to Saturday from 5pm to 8pm and learn the art of grappling and jujitsu with professional instructor Tetsuji Kato from Japan.

Alvarez is also reminding all fight clubs that they will be hosting the 2008 “Art Of War II” All Island Grappling/Submissions Challenge on May10.

Interested competitors can sign up at Boarderline, 670 Rock Steady or at the Trench Tech Gym. Tickets are also available at the following outlets for $5 each.

The entrance fee is $20 and participants will receive an event T-shirt. Medals will also be awarded to the Top 3 winners in each weight division.

For more information, call Alvarez at 483-4MMA or 483-4662.