Maybelline Masuda

Maybelline Masuda is a Filipino Republican and 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]

BornMaybelline Masuda
(1989-05-14) May 14, 1989
Calamba, Laguna, Philippines
ResidenceMuntinlupa, Metro Manila
Nationality Filipino
StyleBrazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Japanese ju-jitsu, Yaw-Yan
TeamDeftac Philippines
Teacher(s)Alvin Aguilar
RankBlack Belt
UniversityDe La Salle University Manila
Websiteninjamissmasuda.wordpress.com

Early life

Maybelline 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

At 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 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

References
  1. https://ibjjf.com/results/world-jiu-jitsu-championship-2009-results/
  2. "PHL jiu-jitsu bets strike gold at Asian Beach Games". GMA News. 14 November 2014. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
  3. Henson, Joaquin (10 October 2010). "Masuda determined to regain world title". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
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