Itibus on to next BJJ journey

Lo Itibus, center, receives her Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu blue belt from Trench Tech and BJJ master Cuki Alvarez, right, and BJJ black belt Clinton Dela Cruz during a promotion ceremony last Tuesday at the Trench Tech Gym. (Contributed Photo)

After her promotion from white to blue belt, Trench Tech Gym’s Lo Itibus is set for the challenges ahead, as she continues her journey in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Itibus, Pali Rovnan, and Ray Santos got their BJJ promotion last Tuesday at the Trench Tech Gym in Garapan, a recognition that the former did not expect, especially with the limited training time they have because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“My drive to train used to be to get promoted, but after my competition in Japan, my goals changed. The talent out there and the rest of the world, even in just the white belt division, opened my eyes and I forgot about chasing the belt and just wanted to focus on being a better grappler,” said Itibus, who debuted in the Asian International BJJ Federation Jiu-Jitsu Championships in Tokyo last year.

“I was really shocked and actually overwhelmed during my promotion. A blue belt in BJJ is just the beginning of the journey but still a huge honor and responsibility that I look forward to,” she added.

With her new rankings, Itibus welcomes working with fellow BJJ practitioners—both men and women—especially those who visit Trench Tech gym and roll with them on the mat.

Lo Itibus, center, is seen here posing for a photo with her competitors after topping the white belt division of last year’s Art of War 14 Grappling Submission Challenge at the Trench Tech Gym. (Contributed Photo)

“I look forward to doing my best to represent my gym and professor Cuki Alvarez. Promotions are not given lightly, so people who do BJJ have an idea of the skills behind a color,” the Trench Tech member said.

Itibus is also up to the challenge on the current set-up in their training sessions as Trench Tech follows safety measures against the spread of COVID-19. She said that right now, they don’t hold regular BJJ classes and work heavily on sparring.

“I think, one obstacle to moving forward with our training during these times would be the lack of actual BJJ classes. Right now, we are solely rolling, so you learn as you go and pull whatever knowledge or techniques you’ve learned before (the pandemic),” Itibus said.

During Trench Tech’s regular BJJ classes, Itibus and company spent at least an hour working on techniques that they then practiced twice a week. After each class, they also had sparring and applied what they have learned from the earlier drills.

Despite the restrictions, Itibus is thankful to Trench Tech for finding ways for its members to safely return to training.

“I’m really happy that we began to spar regularly again because that really is where you get to sharpen your techniques and actively improve. Trench Tech has been awesome at providing the necessary means to keep us safe and still train. However, I can’t wait for the day Trench Tech BJJ classes start again. We have much to learn and I’m looking forward to drilling and learning with the rest of our team,” she said.