Cuki earns purple belt

The CNMI’s Cuki Alvarez, left, poses with fellow BJJ practitioner Alice Mendoza during the promotional ceremony in the Purebred BJJ Academy Guam last weekend. (Contributed Photo)

CNMI mixed martial arts stalwart Cuki Alvarez is halfway through his dream black belt after receiving a purple one last week in Guam.

“I finally received my purple belt, ‘Faixa Roxa’ in Brazilian under professor Stephen Roberto from Purebred BJJ Academy Guam. I have been training in BJJ on and off for eight years,” Alvarez told Saipan Tribune in an interview yesterday.

The purple belt is ranked third in the level of progression in BJJ. The first two are white and blue, brown and black for fourth and fifth, and the ultimate one is red (grand master).

“It takes anywhere from 3 to 5 years to reach this level (purple) depending on how quickly you excel, how you fair in tournaments, and how good you are with rolling with higher belts,” the Trench Tech promoter said.

Alvarez added he trained under Roberto who has a second degree black belt and is with Mike Fowler and Enson Enoue. Enoue, according to Alvarez, is the original founder of Purebred BJJ of Omiya Japan in Tokyo.

The Trench Tech head considered his latest achievement very significant in the promotion of BJJ in the CNMI.

“This is a huge advancement for me in my journey to becoming a black belt. I am literally halfway there and I am focusing and setting my goals to get my black belt in the next five years or sooner,” the father of MMA fighter Shane Alvarez said.

“The next goal is brown belt. Frank ‘The Crank’ Camacho is a brown belt and it took him seven years to get promoted to that level. He is focused and training diligently and working hard in getting his black in the next few years. When that happens, he’ll become the very first Saipanese to receive the rank,” he said.

The black belt will give the practitioner the license to teach and promote others.

“This is good for the CNMI because it will inspire others to join this gentle art and learn BJJ. Once I reach the rank of black belt, both Frank and I will then become official professors and we’ll be able to promote and belt our students,” Alvarez said.

Meanwhile, Alvarez said BJJ is for men, women, and children and Trench Tech offers classes every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at the TT Gym in Garapan.

“It is my desire and goal to build the interest and grow the numbers of BJJ practitioners here in the CNMI. Once we create a good player base, we can then compete in a number of regional and international tournaments around the world,” Alvarez said.

For more information on BJJ classes, contact Alvarez at 783-4MMA (4662) or at Twitter @TrenchwarZ or at facebook.com/cuki.alvarez.