MORE international meets are in store for Charlie Ratcliff and her brother Travis, two young Filipino-Australian mixed martial arts (MMA) and jiu-jitsu athletes.
The two will be competing in another international meet this year, following their successful stints in the recent third Asian Youth Games and the Batang Pinoy national championships.
“This is a great experience for them, getting experience in different sports,” said their mother and coach Maria Aisa, in an interview with the Manila Standard.
The 16-year-old Charlie, who won medals in two events she participated in over the last month, is set to join club meets in Lebanon by December.
Opportunities to join these events came to Charlie after she first won a gold medal in the girls’ 45kg modern MMA category at the 3rd Asian Youth Games in Manama, Bahrain last October.
On the other hand Travis bagged a silver medal in the boys’ 60-kg traditional MMA event.
Days later, Charlie was in General Santos City and even though she had jet lag, she competed in the Batang Pinoy National Championships, where she earned another gold medal in the juvenile girls’ Gi 16-17 -48kg jiu-jitsu division and a bronze in the No Gi category.
The experiences she had since she started taking interest in jiu-jitsu at the age of six kicked in when she fought in Bahrain and General Santos City.
“It was a great experience. At the Batang Pinoy, the hard part was the jet lag. In Bahrain, I was more prepared for it,” said Charlie.
Maria Asia, who has been fighting at local MMA meets held in Australia, said her kids have began switching between MMA fighting and jiu-jitsu only last year.
“Last year lang nag start sa MMA sila at maganda naman ang experience,” added Maria Aisa.
Charlie, whose family is from Calatrava, Negros Occidental, beat Thailand’s Nakanantaphon Khaihong in the girls’ 45kg modern MMA final for her biggest win this year.
In Bahrain, she quickly took down Khaihong and forced the Thai to tap out with 1:57 minutes remaining in the opening round.
