Nickole Salem golden in jiu jitsu tilt

Nickole Salem shows offs her two gold medals and a bronze after competing in the New Breed Jiu Jitsu Tournament last Saturday in Greenville, South Carolina. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

Nickole Salem made her home islands proud after winning two gold medals and a bronze in the New Breed Jiu Jitsu Tournament held last Saturday in Greenville, South Carolina.

The 5-year-old daughter of Niko Salem, a U.S. Marine from San Antonio, and Maria Victoria, from Garapan, topped the 4-5 years, 41-50 lbs Gi (uniform) and the 4-5 years, 41-50 No-Gi (no uniform) competitions and took third place in the higher level 6-7 years, 45-55 lbs No-Gi (no uniform) division.

The student at Lambs Elementary School in North Charleston was simply overjoyed after doing well in the tournament.

“I wanted to win because I wanted to make my family and friends proud and I love jiu jitsu and fighting,” she said.

Her mother cried tears of joy after Nickole’s dominant performance on the mat.

“We didn’t know what to expect. I was afraid that she might get hurt, cry, or have stage fright. It’s her first tournament and I was overwhelmed with emotion when she won. She deserves it.”

Her father attributes Nickole’s two golds and one bronze haul in the tournament to her daughter’s dedication to the martial arts and her discipline and focus.

“I’m proud like any father would be when their kids win. We worked drills everyday at home including after her jiu jitsu classes at Black Label Gym. The biggest thing was working on her fight attitude and never giving up. I am very proud that Nickole has come this far especially competing at a higher age bracket and weight on top of her original bracket.”
He added that Nikole’s instructor, Malachy Friedman, is very invested in her and was the one that added Nickole into a higher bracket to gain additional exposure in competing.

“He mentioned that she had great potential and it showed during the competition. I didn’t know what to expect before she fought in the heavier bracket and when she placed third with the bigger kids, it came as a surprise. I was overwhelmed with joy just like her mother,” he said.

Nickole has been practicing jiu jitsu since she was 3 years old. She started with Gracie Barra Gym in Hawaii then enrolled at Black Label Gym when the family moved to Charleston, South Carolina.

Asked why he allowed her daughter to get into jiu jitsu, Nikko said he and his wife wanted her to learn how to defend herself.

“It was rough trying to keep her engaged at the age of 3, but she eventually persevered and developed a love for it. We see her staying with the sport for a very long time.”

Nickole said she wants to be the best she could be in the sport one day and Nikko assured he’ll be there every step of the way.

“I plan to support this by having her compete as much as she is able too, so she gains experience and the competition speed. The future is inevitable and we wish she develops the interest to compete at higher levels. Ultimately, I want her to have a skill that she will keep for the rest of her life even after I’m gone. Jiu jitsu teaches more than just defending yourself, it develops discipline and patience.”

Other than jiu jitsu, Nickole like most islanders loves the water and enjoys swimming a lot. Additionally, she also enjoys reading books and taking a ride on her bike to the playground by their house.

The Salem family last visited Saipan in Christmas of 2017, which also happened to be the first time Nickole met her paternal grandfather, Ricardo Salem.

“We celebrated her first birthday at Pacific Islands Club while we were there,” said Nikko, who is a proud 2012 graduate of Saipan Southern High School. His wife is an alumnae of Marianas High School