Linda Pulido, head instructor of Pulido’s Pro Fitness, took
seven of her Martial Arts students down to Long Beach where she and
her understudies not only competed but handed out some punishment
earlier this month at the Long Beach International Festival and
Competition.
LONG BEACH – Linda Pulido, head instructor of Pulido’s Pro Fitness, took seven of her Martial Arts students down to Long Beach where she and her understudies not only competed but handed out some punishment earlier this month at the Long Beach International Festival and Competition.
Pulido placed first in four disciplines – kick boxing, Muay Thai, single-stick Eskrima and double-stick Eskrima – and was crowned Grand Champion in Muay Thai. Eskrima is a Filipino Martial Art that stresses intense stick fighting.
“There were a lot of really neat divisions,” said Pulido, who has 11 World Championships to her credit. “In some of the divisions there were all guys because they didn’t have any girls to throw at me.”
Pulido’s pupils kicked and punched their way to seven podium appearences, including four first-place honors.
Participating in her first competition since reconstructive knee surgery 11 months ago, 22-year-old Amanda Guevara fought her way through the women’s ages 18-39 full-contact kick boxing division to claim first place out of 10 women.
“It was really a great accomplishment for me,” Guevara said. “I was a little concerned about it because I wasn’t sure if my opponent would go for my leg.”
Guevara said the journey back to full strength was strenuous but said she used the advice of her instructor Pulido to press forward in her rehabilitation.
“She said I could either look at the surgery as a failure or go into it thinking, ‘I can’t wait to compete afterward,'” Guevara said, “I chose the latter.”
Marc O’Hara,18, swept his way through the bracket for a first-place showing in single-stick Eskrima.
Andrew Gomez, 16, jumped up to the men’s ages 18-39 full-contact kick boxing division, where he had little trouble navigating through his fights. Gomez also went undefeated to earn the title.
