Filipino-Indonesian martial artist Aziz “The Krauser” Calim need not to look far for inspiration as he plots his comeback in ONE Championship.
The Han Academy/Indogym representative was overwhelmed in his latest bout. He lost in the first round at ONE: DREAMS OF GOLD to Ryuto "Dragon Boy" Sawada in Thailand in August.
Counted out from combat sports since the beginning, “The Krauser” used that to fuel his dreams and landed in the largest martial arts organization in the world at the age of 21.
Calim needs to bounce back after losing two of his last three bouts, and he must dig deep.
“When I started, I heard everything,” the strawweight shared.
“I heard all the negative feedback, saying that I’m not for this sport because I’m skinny.”
Instead of letting it affect him, the Filipino-Indonesian showed his determination and proved people wrong.
Calim started out early in Saudi Arabia with karate, then took his talents to Indonesia, where he became a full-time mixed martial artist. And after he dominated the local circuit, he found himself in The Home Of Martial Arts.
"I acknowledged their concerns and I took all the negative stuff positively. That's one of the first things martial arts taught me, to endure and believe in myself that I can succeed in whatever I want to do,” he shared.
“I don’t have to listen to negative people. All I have to do is allow it to keep pushing me until I reach my goals.”
Now that he is coming off a loss, the strawweight talent has to dig deep and remember where he came from – back when he was counted out before he even began.
That could be the perfect start for his bounce back.
“I believe my journey here has a long way to go. We need to accept the fact that succeeding in this sport means improving your mental strength, aside from your skills and physical tools,” Calim shared.
“There will be tons of obstacles along the way, but it all boils down to discipline and motivation. You won’t stop as long as you love what you’re doing.”Watch ONE: IMMORTAL TRIUMPH on ABS-CBN S+A at 9:30pm PHT.To watch the prelims, go to ONE’s Facebook and Twitter pag