UAE expats learn Jiu Jitsu to deal with bullies, self-esteem issues; now winning gold medals
As a ten-year-old, Dubai resident Blaine Tagudena was bullied regularly by senior students on his bus. His father decided that the best way to tackle the situation would be to teach him Jiu Jitsu at home.
Meanwhile, in Philippines, their close family friend Amay enrolled his daughters Eliecha and Ellise Malilay for the martial arts to help them defend themselves.
When the Malilay family moved to Dubai in 2020 after the Covid pandemic, the families decided to enroll all three children in a local academy called Atrixion MMA to continue learning Jiu Jitsu. 'We just wanted the kids to be safe and build their confidence,' said Amay. 'We never imagined them competing or becoming athletes.'
Today, the trio are world champions and members of the Philippines national Jiu Jitsu team. Eliecha, who is also known by her nickname Yca, received a full athletic scholarship to study either Physiotherapy or Sports Science at one of the top four universities in the Philippines.
'Jiu Jitsu changed our lives as we know it,' said Ellise. 'I was overweight and had massive self-esteem issues. Today, I am the top athlete in my weight division, and it is all thanks to this beautiful sport.' Since beginning Jiu-Jitsu in 2020, 17-year-old Ellise has already won three world titles.
This year alone, she has already scooped up three golds, two silvers and a bronze medal in competitions in Egypt, Philippines, Thailand and Abu Dhabi. Yca, who has won two world titles, has won one gold and three silvers this year.
For Blaine, Jiu Jitsu training gave him the much-needed self-confidence to fight back at school. He said before he joined the academy, his father laid out mats at home and began teaching him using YouTube tutorials. 'At first, I was just copying the moves without really understanding, but over time, I started improving my own techniques,' he said. In 2024, the 18-year-old finished on the podium five times in competitions across India, Philippines, UAE and Greece.
As their Jiu Jitsu training became more time-consuming, all three of them switched to an online schooling system that gave them enough time to focus on being an athlete. 'We were training in the morning, afternoon and evening,' recalled Yca. 'Whatever time we got in between our training, we used to finish schoolwork and catch up on our lessons.'
The trio spend at least 5 hours a day on the mats at the academy, out of which, they train for 3 hours, and teach classes to younger athletes for the remaining time.
Yca and Blaine finished their GCSEs last year while Ellise hopes to graduate early next year. 'It was never easy,' Blaine admitted. 'We used to juggle course work, Jiu Jitsu training, gym workouts and teaching. In the lead up to major competitions like the AJP World Pro competitions that happen in Abu Dhabi every year, we would step up our training to include cardio exercises and running.'
Constant improvement
According to Ellise, the hardest part about being an athlete was the constant challenge to improve herself. 'Every time you get on the mat, you become aware of your strengths and weaknesses,' she said. 'Every opponent and every fight teaches you something new. It is sometimes hard to constantly improve yourself and there are times when I felt stuck in a plateau for a long time.'
Yca added that their wins didn't come easy. 'When I first started off, I was losing every fight I participated in,' she said. 'There were times I cried on the mats because I used to be so frustrated, but I didn't give up. And then one day, I won a fight. I still remember being in disbelief. That one fight turned into a two and then several more. I am truly grateful to my coaches and my parents for inspiring me to keep trying until I succeeded.'
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