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BJJ classes at Trench Tech resume
In this file photo, Clinton Dela Cruz, back, choke-holds Vince Masga during a BJJ training session at the Trench Tech Gym in Garapan. (Contributed Photo)
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu classes at the Trench Tech Gym are back, as the temporary restrictions on social gatherings, including sports-related activities, have been lifted last Sunday.
Black belt and BJJ professor Cuki Alvarez said classes are held every Tuesday and Thursday from 6:30pm to 8pm and are open for adults just for now.
“I show the class techniques and we drill with partners or we can drill with a dummy or a punching bag or can even do it solo,” said Alvarez, who hopes to rebuild the membership of the BJJ classes at the Trench Tech Gym while adhering to safety measures set by authorities.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Alvarez’s BJJ classes drew more than 50 participants with 30 kids enrolled in the program and 25 adults. Then when restrictions were imposed starting in March to minimize the spread of the virus, Trench Tech was forced to temporarily cease its operations and remained closed until July.
Last month, when the CNMI reached Community Vulnerability Level Blue, Trench Tech resumed its operations, but it lasted for only about three weeks and the number of people attending its regular BJJ classes was cut down into half.
The islands are back to Community Vulnerability Level Blue, a step away from the safest level, which is Green, and with limits on business hours and in-person interactions now lifted, Trench Tech is ready to welcome back BJJ practitioners and help them stay in shape and improve their skills.
Trench Tech, besides following the government’s safety guidelines, will also be implementing its own set of protocols for the health and welfare of the people training at the gym.
Since it started offering BJJ classes a few years ago, the number of practitioners of the mixed martial arts on island has grown and many of them received promotions. The recent ones were Lo Itibus, Ray Santos, and Pali Rovnan, who got their blue belts in July.
