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Maybelline Masuda is a Filipino Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. She has earned the Philippines prestige by winning and becoming the first Filipino Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Champion as a white belt in 2009[1] and for winning the Country's 1st ever gold medal at the Asian Beach Games for Ju Jitsu in 2014.[2]
| Born | Maybelline Masuda May 14, 1989 Calamba, Laguna, Philippines |
|---|---|
| Residence | Muntinlupa, Metro Manila |
| Nationality |  Filipino |
| Style | Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Japanese ju-jitsu, Yaw-Yan |
| Team | Deftac Philippines |
| Teacher(s) | Alvin Aguilar |
| Rank | Black Belt |
| University | De La Salle University Manila |
| Website | ninjamissmasuda.wordpress.com |
Early life
editMaybelline Masuda was born in Calamba, Laguna. Her mother, Victoria Constantino is a native of Quezon and her father, Douglas Masuda is a Japanese-American from California who is a retired lawyer and an Elvis Tribute Artist, known as the Elvis of Japan.[3]
Career
editAt age 15, Masuda was introduced to the Filipino martial art of Yaw-Yan and later joined a Yaw-Yan Buhawi Vale Tudo tournament where she won a gold medal. At age 18, during her 3rd year in college at De La Salle University Manila, she was encouraged by a friend to join a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu class held in school and led by URCC MMA Champion Allan Co and DEFTAC Philippines coach Pichon Garcia, due to her prior experience in Yaw-Yan. They eventually invited her to train and join the team Deftac in 2008, where she met Alvin Aguilar, the first home-grown Filipino Brazilian jiu-jitsu 1st degree blackbelt and founder of the URCC.[3] With Hard work and dedication, she further developed her special talent in Jiu Jitsu under his guidance.
As a white belt, Masuda won the lightfeather weight title at the 2009 World Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Championships,[1] becoming the first Filipino to win a title at the tournament.
In 2012, she was promoted to purple belt by her mentor Aguilar which made her the first Filipina Purple belt[citation needed] in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
She is among the two who brought home the first gold medals for the Philippines at the Asian Beach Games during the 2014 edition in Phuket, Thailand. She won a medal in Ju-jitsu in the -50 kg category beating Le Thu Trang Dao of Vietnam in the gold medal match. The other one who bagged the other gold medal following her victory was Annie Ramirez also a jiu-jitsu practitioner.[2]
On September 21, 2016, she was promoted and became the first home-grown Filipina brown belt. On June 30, 2018, she was promoted and became the first homegrown Filipina black belt
External links
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "World Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2009 – Results - IBJJF - International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation". ibjjf.com. Archived from the original on 2017-04-06.
- ^ a b "PHL jiu-jitsu bets strike gold at Asian Beach Games". GMA News. 14 November 2014. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
- ^ a b Henson, Joaquin (10 October 2010). "Masuda determined to regain world title". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 17 November 2014.