Wrestling is known as a tough sport. It is also increasing in popularity as evidenced by the 70 countries that have competed in the sport at the 2016 Olympic Games.
At Fudoshin Fitness Club, a small community-based club located in the village of Yigo, Guam youth athletes train for wrestling year round. They incorporate cardiovascular and weight lifting in their training programs. Coach Tony Aquino says one of his main goals is to give Guam youth the opportunity to train for higher levels of wrestling competition, a good nutrition is needed when doing physical activities, improve your results by reading these nutrisystem reviews 2020.
“Our overall mission here at Fudoshin Fitness is to promote amateur wrestling for Guam Youth, so that they can be disciplined at one sport and prepare themselves for higher levels of competition,” Aquino said.
Most high schools on Guam offer wrestling programs to their students, but just like any other sport it lasts for one quarter. “I feel like we are always catching up with other places around the world,” Aquino said. In the US and other places around the world, wrestling programs and other sports provide year round training for their athletes.
“Guam has many quarter athletes. You play football one quarter and then switch disciplines within a few months. At Fudoshin Fitness Club we give them a place where wrestlers can train year round and focus on that specific discipline and become proficient at it,” Aquino said.
Fudoshin Fitness Club member, Kaela Aquino, 17, has been wrestling since she was five years old.
She is team captain of the Simon Sanchez High School wrestling team, all-island wrestler and Oceania wrestling gold medalist. She believes that wrestling has helped her in all aspects of her life.
“Once you wrestle, everything else is easy. I apply that in academics and in life. Wrestling teaches you to work hard and never give up. That is also a value my dad, Coach Tony Aquino teaches at Fudoshin Fitness Club” Kaela Aquino said.
Fudoshin Fitness Club has drawn in some of Guam’s most accomplished youth athletes, who are all island and Oceania region champions. Assistant coach Ethan Aguigui, who was an all-island wrestling champion and an Oceania gold medalist, believes this is a reason why Fudoshin Fitness Club is a great place for young athletes to train.
“At Fudoshin Fitness Club we have people who have been wrestling for most of their lives. We understand proper ways to train and methods to get our wrestlers to the next level,” Aguigui said.
Fudoshin Fitness Club also welcomes people who just want to get a workout in and learn the sport of wrestling.
“Besides promoting wrestling, another goal we have at Fudoshin Fitness is to bring people from around the island to train and be fit together. Wrestling helps with self-confidence and instills pride in what you do. I hope more people come out and join our family,” Aguigui said.
People from all over the community train at Fudoshin Fitness Club. Their youngest trainee is four years old. They also have people from the military community who train there.
Senior Airmen Nate Irelan trains at Fudoshin Fitness when he is off duty.
“I recently moved to Guam and I’m just glad I found this place. I haven’t wrestled in awhile so it’s awesome to get some training in as well as help these young kids become better wrestlers,” Irelan said.
Fudoshin is a word that comes from Japanese martial arts. The meaning of the word is, “immoveable heart” or inner strength. Fudoshin Fitness club trains their wrestlers to have the strength to never quit in wrestling and in all aspects of life.
Kaela Aquino and Ethan Aguigui are currently training for the next Olympic Games. Coach Tony Aquino’s goal is to train for higher levels of competition and more opportunities.
“Guam’s youth has was it takes to compete and wrestle with the best. The kids here are just as strong, talented, and disciplined as they are anywhere else in the world. Here at Fudoshin Fitness we give Guam’s youth a platform to excel and to see their true inner strength.”
