MMA fighter Camacho throws haymaker at school fight videos

by Krystal Paco

Guam - It's a community issue that has everyone talking.

For weeks, local fight videos of students as young as middle school have gone viral on social media sites prompting discussions from not only the Department of Education, elected officials, and parents, but now members of the local mixed martial arts community.

Keep it in the cage - that's the message local boy and mixed martial artist Frank "The Crank" Camacho promotes.

"Being tough is not beating someone down. Not bullying them. Not going online and cyberbullying people," he explained in a video he produced and published to Facebook. "You know what being tough is? Being tough is working hard for what your goals are. Being tough is working hard for your family."

In response to recent viral violent videos starring Guam students, Camacho recorded a video of his own.

The video has since garnered thousands of views, likes, and shares, but it's not enough to deter the unsanctioned fights that give MMA a bad reputation and could likely lead to serious injury or even death.

"People are pointing fingers at mixed martial arts at martial arts, but if you ever watch UFC or a Brazilian jiu-jitsu competition, martial arts, mixed martial arts is an art form," Camacho stated. "It takes discipline. I have to bow before I get on the mat. There's honor involved. I have to have respect for my instructor, respect for the art. I have to put I the hard work. I have to set a goal. I have to be goal oriented," he said.

Aside from the outreaches and mentorship programs that Camacho and other MMA fighters and their gyms offer, Camacho is calling out parents. After all, early intervention starts at home.

"I feel that discipline starts at home. Everything starts at home. And aside from everything start at home, if that parent is not home and the parents don't care about their children and if they don't care that they could spend the rest of their life in jail," he said.

For students, Camacho gives this advice: "Stop what you're doing. You have guys like me, John Tuck, like Baby Joe [Taimanglo] - we're trying our hardest to really work and excel in the sport to represent where we come from and to represent our island. Please stop what you're doing.

"If you're there and you're not doing anything about it, you're just as guilty. If you're filming, if you're encouraging it, or you're just on the side not doing anything, you're just as guilty as the people fighting."

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