Alvin Aguilar

Arthur Alvin A. Aguilar is a mixed martial artist, promotor and professor better known as Alvin Aguilar. He was born on April 28, 1974, in Bacolod, Philippines. He is the president and founder of the Universal Reality Combat Championship (URCC), the first and most well-known MMA promotion in the Philippines and the longest-running MMA promotion in Asia. He is also the founder and head coach of DEFTAC Ribeiro Jiu-jitsu, the largest MMA and Brazilian jiu-jitsu team in the country.

His martial arts journey began at the age of 9, experimenting first in arnis, karate and Greco-Roman wrestling. Devoting more than 30 years of his life to the study of MMA forms including Sari-an, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Yaw-Yan and Pekiti, Aguilar has developed his own unique fighting style specializing in grappling, knife and street fighting. He is considered a prominent personality in the Asian MMA community, known as a pioneering symbol of Philippine MMA that started the MMA and BJJ movement in South East Asia during the 1990s. He is also known for being the first home-grown Filipino Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt.^[1]

Biography

Alvin Aguilar is the only son of Arthur and Madeleine Aguilar. He has one sister, Alexandrine Ann Aguilar. Growing up, Alvin was considered by his parents, teachers and peers as a very hyperactive child. He was very athletic so his parents were forced to keep him immersed in various extra-curricular activities just to keep him busy. At the early age of nine he began to show considerable interest in martial arts, an interest that both his parents fully supported. His father would even drive him around as he explored different gyms and systems. He had an early exposure to arnis through his father, and later learned Shotokan karate and Greco-Roman wrestling throughout the late 1980s.

He earned his university degree in Behavioral Science at De La Salle University where he went on to become the leader of his fraternity Tau Gamma Phi. His involvement in fraternity violence rapidly increased and so did his thirst to seek out the most effective forms of combat. He would later join a group called Sari-An, or Sariling Pamamaraan, a martial arts group founded in the 1980s that emphasized street fighting under the tutelage of the system’s originator Robert Cousart. He also started honing his stick- and knife-fighting skills with Sixto Carlos of Carlos Hermanos and with Leo Gaje of Pekiti Tirsia Kali. His pursuit of martial arts excellence is guided by three main principles: authenticity, credibility and combat effectiveness.

Starting his Gracie Jiu-jitsu training in 1993 at the Gracie Academy in Los Angeles, California, he became one of three existing certified international training representatives to the Gracie Association. In 2006, he was promoted to black belt by Brazilian black belt Kazeka Muniz.^[2] In 2009, he became a member of Gracie Humaita under Royler Gracie. He now trains under Saulo Ribeiro of Ribeiro Jiu-jitsu. In May 2010, he was promoted to 1st degree black belt by Royler Gracie.

Court cases

In his youth, Aguilar was known to frequent bars in Manila looking for fights in order to test his combat skills. He was involved in numerous street fights including a case involving fraternity violence because of which he was expelled by De La Salle administrators due to injuries inflicted on a member of a rival fraternity. He filed a lawsuit against the university and the court eventually ruled in his favor.^[3]

He was also involved in a number of other incidents, including one of attempted homicide where Aguilar was shot 3 times in the abdomen via drive-by with an M16 rifle as he exited a bar along Makati Avenue. The hit was allegedly masterminded by a rival group.^[3] He was also a victim in a shooting incident in Olive Bar Makati.^[4]

URCC

Along with partners Irwin Tieng, Franz von Muhlfeld and Jed Dario, Aguilar organized the Universal Reality Combat Championship or URCC. Patterned closely after well-established tournaments in the United States and Japan, these competitions are one-on-one unarmed matches where any combination of martial arts can be used and victory is achieved only by knockout or submission. Their first event in November 23, 2002, was dubbed URCC: Mayhem in Manila. Subsequently the URCC has held over a hundred events, the majority held in Manila and other provinces in the Philippines such as Cebu, Baguio, Bacolod, Davao and others. UFC Fighters Zhang Tie Quan, Will Chope, Dave Galera, and UFC TUF China coach Ao Hai Ling all have entered the URCC ring and are among its roster of past champions. The URCC has developed talents from the grassroots level into world-class fighters, many of whom now have a name in MMA such as Eduard Folayang, Eric Kelly and Kevin Belingon.^[5]

DEFTAC Philippines

In 1996, Aguilar formed DEFTAC Philippines, a mixed martial arts and Brazilian jiu-jitsu team. Under Aguilar's direct guidance, DEFTAC has trained and produced martial arts champions in BJJ, MMA, Muay Thai, wrestling and FMA. These include the first Filipina world BJJ gold medalist Maybelline Masuda, as well as national and international MMA and BJJ champions Andrew Laxa, Justin Ceriola, Marcus Valda, Richard Lasprilla, Allan Co, Fritz Rodriguez, Louie Sanggalang, Ali Khatibi, Red Romero and Chris Hofmann.^[6]

B.A.M.F. Mixed Martial Arts Center

In October 2008, Aguilar opened an MMA school, the B.A.M.F. Mixed Martial Arts Center. His MMA gym, located in Parañaque, Philippines, offers instruction in mixed martial arts, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Muay Thai, wrestling and boxing. Professional fighters such as Royce Gracie, Saulo Ribeiro and Mauricio "Tinguinha" Mariano have all conducted seminars at the center.^[7]

Personal life

Alvin has three children Alvin Liam, Alonso Lucas, and Andreas Lucho with his ex-wife, URCC's former marketing director, Marydelle Bermudez. He's currently running his martial arts school/gym (BAMF MMA Center) with his partner, Maybelline Masuda.

Accomplishments

• Head coach, black belt, DEFTAC Ribeiro Jiu-jitsu Philippines (1996–present)
• Owner and head coach, B.A.M.F. Mixed Martial Arts Center (2008–present
• Head instructor and founder of Defense Tactics Center (DEFTAC).
• Founder and president of the Universal Reality Combat Championship (URCC, 2002–present)
• President, Wrestling Association of the Philippines (2014–present)
• Treasurer, Wrestling Association of the Philippines (2009-2014)
• Instructor, Sari-An Filipino Martial Arts
• Instructor, Pekiti-Tirsia
• Instructor, Carlos Hermanos
• Sports director, Yaw-Yan Kickboxing NCR Youth
• 3-time undefeated fighter, Sari-An annual sparring meet
• Pekiti-Tirsia awardee, Mabangis Fighter Award
• 2003 "Filipino Martial Artist of the Year," Universal Martial Arts Hall of Fame
• 1999 silver medalist, Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Training Association Tournament (Detroit, Michigan).
• Head coach, Team RAW FURY (undefeated in local No Holds Barred fights)
• Head coach, Philippine Jiu-jitsu Team (Produced 5 gold and 2 silver medalists in three years of international competition)
• First Filipino fighter awarded a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu
• First Filipino training representative of Gracie Jiu-jitsu for the Philippines
• First Filipino to participate in and win a Wing Bowl tournament
• "Most Distinguished Guardian" or M.D.G., the highest honor given by the Tau Gamma Phi fraternity, for being a former Grand Triskelion of De La Salle University.

References

External links

• URCC Official website