Martin Luther King III ignites gratitude movement with La Jolla students

On Feb. 23, more than 1,000 students heard motivational speeches from Martin Luther King III, Say It Now founder Walter Green, and others at a special La Jolla Country Day School event highlighting the importance of expressing gratitude now to those who’ve positively impacted people’s lives.Green, author of the book “This Is The Moment,” launched the Say It Now movement stressing how expressing gratitude to those significant in our lives solidifies relationships and eliminates the prospect of having regrets for not having done so.The gala production included a choir performance. Joining LJCD students at 9490 Genesee Ave. were student guests from Monarch School serving unhoused students, and The Preuss School UC San Diego, which offers a college preparatory curriculum for sixth- to 12th-grade low-income students whose family members have never attended college.Opening remarks at the celebratory event were delivered by Colleen O’Boyle, assistant LJCD Head of School for Academic Affairs, and Jameel McDaniel, along with comments from MC and LJCDS student Ava Mendoza.Fifth-grader Zora North receives a hug from Martin Luther King III after reading Amanda Gorman’s poem ‘Talking Gets Us There’ at the event. COURTESY PHOTOStudent speakers expressing their gratitude to those meaningful in their lives included: Jaden Mangini (LJCDS), Fabian Garcia from The Preuss School, Harper Goff (LJCDS), and Mahlia Washington (LJCDS). Zora North read Amanda Gorman’s poem “Talking Gets Us There.”“I have a finding I want to gift to you,” Green told students about Say It Now and its mission. “What you’re going to hear is a new idea relevant to all ages, but particularly relevant to change leaders who are youth. It’s a message that can change your life and the lives of people who are really important to you. And the more you do it – the happier you are.”Continued Green: “I hope you’re inspired by the message. And even more importantly, you will become an ambassador and spread this message to many others. It’s customary to honor someone and pay tribute to them when they are no longer here. The person being honored never hears the message. And then we are left wishing we’d said it. That makes no sense. Say It Now is a movement to inspire you to express gratitude to people who’ve been important to you while they are alive and well.”Green proceeded to ask the crowd if there was someone who has been important to them and is still alive. Nearly everyone raised their hands. To which Green replied: “Say It Now is for you.”Green introduced MLK III, the oldest son of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, characterizing him as “a thought leader on the world stage, a peacemaker, and a negotiator of some of today’s most critical national and international platforms for social change.”“Spread the word, have you heard, all across the nation, we are going to be a great generation,” said MLK III, three times, in introducing himself to students. “It is an honor to have seen students from this community actually share gratitude for what is going on in their lives. Any of us can do this: just saying it right now.”Pointing out there were “so many people in my life who helped me through very difficult times, losing a father at 10 years old 55 years ago,” King added, “all of us at some point have to go through that (losing loved ones). I’m glad to have had people in my life who helped me navigate through those difficult times.”Addressing ongoing racism, King said, “I, like many African-American children, was exposed to racism. We must build our lives on a strong foundation. And always retain a sense of gratefulness and gratitude, and always be willing to share that gratitude. We as a human species must do better. And that is why we must say it now.”Concluded King: “Sixty years ago my father delivered a speech titled ‘I Have A Dream.’ In 2023, we’re still unfortunately dealing with racism. Dad talked about the triple evils of poverty, racism, and violence, and eradicating them from our nation and our planet. What I know is that it only takes a few good women and men to bring about change. I know that we, as a community, can make our nation and world better. And so, I want to challenge you to be your best selves. You’ve just got to be the best at what you are. That is the challenge. We must become a better nation. And we can become even better by saying it now.”Say It Now recently launched a year-long initiative to empower 1 million expressions of gratitude and is providing free resources at justsayitnow.org to help guide people of all ages through a transformative gratitude journey. The post Martin Luther King III ignites gratitude movement with La Jolla students appeared first on SDNews.com.

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The San Diego Gym Hoping to Nurture MMA’s Next Big Star

Combat sports are as popular as they have ever been, especially the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). The recent UFC 284 in Australia was a sell-out event, with 14,124 fans in attendance at the RAC Arena in Perth, and those fans helped the event make $4,086,688 at the gate, the most money ever from a UFC event “Down Under.”Making it to the top of the UFC is by no means easy. Indeed, it is the polar opposite of easy. Only a handful of athletes achieve superstar status in the sport, but those that do reap financial rewards in abundance, in addition to kudos from their fellow professionals and adoration from their fans. The Arena martial arts gym at 3350 Sports Arena Blvd. in San Diego is hopeful its expert trainers will soon uncover the UFC’s next gem; after all, some of the promotion’s biggest names have trained and sparred under its roof. The Arena Was Founded in 1949Aloysius C. Holtmann, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and Danzan-Ryu Jujitsu black belt, founded the gym in 1949. It has since become one of the world’s most renowned and respected martial arts academies. Some of the UFC’s biggest names have trained at The Arena, including the legendary Cris Cyborg, Xande Ribeiro, Joe Duarte, and Pat Speight.The gym has a talented bunch of up-and-coming talent among its ranks. Enrique “Hulk Hands” Marte fights out of Point Loma and currently has a 1-2 record since turning professional, although his amateur record of 7-4 was more impressive.The amazingly named Here “The Islander” Dudes hails from French Polynesia but fights out of Chula Vista, California. Dudes’ 4-4 amateur record was nothing to shout about, but he has taken to professional MMA like a duck to water and is seen as a future star. Dudes currently has a 10-1 record, his sole defeat coming against Devon Brock in his ninth fight; he won his next two contests after that loss.Jesse “JT Money” Taylor is the most experienced MMA athlete affiliated with The Arena MMA. The 40-year-old has stepped into battle 49 times, winning 33 and losing 16. Taylor, a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, has used the skills learned from Baret Yoshida to force submissions from his opponents in 18 of his 33 victories. This shows how incredible Yoshida’s training is. Legendary Yoshida Heads the Jiu-Jitsu ProgramYoshidaBaret Yoshida is the legendary Jiu-Jitsu fighter that heads up The Arena’s Jiu-Jitsu program. The 4th Degree Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu earned the nickname “The Finisher” thanks to the relentless style that he showed when he burst onto the scene in 1999. Born in Hawaii 47 years ago, Yoshida trained in Jiu-Jitsu from an early age, training with Relson Gracie’s academy, one of the oldest and most established academies in Hawaii.Yoshida made a name for himself at the 2001 ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship in Abu Dhabi. He reached the final but lost, earning a silver medal in the process. Yoshida won silver in the 2003 edition in Sao Paulo and bronze at the 2007 ADDC World Championship in New Jersey. In 2022, the ADDC inducted Yoshida into its Hall of Fame as part of the inaugural class.“The Finisher” ended his professional MMA career with a 6-6-1 record, having last fought in May 2010. The Arena Has Plenty of Boxing TalentIt is not only MMA that The Arena specializes in because it has some talented boxers on its roster. UFC Hall of Fame fighter Chris Leben and four-time USA Olympic Boxing Coach Basheer Abdullah provide top-tier instruction for anyone wanting to learn the nuances of boxing. That pair has trained 21-year-old Adan Palma, a San Diego resident, who is currently 5-0 in his professional career, with four of those victories coming by way of knockout. Palma has a bright future ahead of him.Will The Arena produce a UFC athlete that goes onto superstardom? It is a matter of if not when this will happen.The post The San Diego Gym Hoping to Nurture MMA’s Next Big Star appeared first on SDNews.com.

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Knights girls water polo: A precision machine with finely-tuned parts

To break into the “inner sanctum” of the Bishop’s girls water polo team is a feat in itself. But once you’re in, people are real, and you begin to appreciate the magnitude of a 13-year run with 12 CIF titles.Listen to senior Chiara Marmanillo, the Bishop’s top-flight goalkeeper: “I learned from the best goalies before me. I’m focused on one play at a time, and trying to bring energy for everyone.” Marmanillo, in the Knights’ first-round SoCal Regional 10-9 overtime win on Feb. 21, was magnificent, deftly blocking skip shots as well as attempts up in the zone.So crucial on defense, fellow senior Lisbon Zeigler helps Marmanillo with near-net protection. “Making plays on defense is based on instinct and how much you want it,” Lisbon says. “Playing for my teammates, combined with the countless hours looking at small details on film, allows our team to be successful.”Whatever “it” is, it is being passed down, among select athletes, who are willing to submit their wills to the greater good — a winning program. Coach Doug Peabody, the architect of the program, with his close ally and assistant coach, Ian Davidson, a 2005 graduate, says, “This year we basically have eight field players (in the rotation), and they play like starters, not just role players.”Senior Lisbon Zeigler (black cap No. 7) defends against Emerson Hensley of Laguna Beach in the Knights’ 10-9 overtime win on Feb. 21 in the SoCal Regionals. PHOTO BY ED PIPERPeabody attests, Aileen Shin and Lucille Proul have had multiple-goal games as Bishop’s has gone 21-9 against Southern California’s elite. “Lucille (a senior) is a pass-first player who is a great on-ball defender.“Aileen (a freshman) came in as a very strong offensive player, and she has adapted well to learning new defenses.”There is life outside water polo. Kate Weatherup, another Class of 2023 member in the senior-heavy rotation, says she wants to remember “CIF day together, hype-up sessions before games, and watching other (Bishop’s) teams’ games, like basketball and soccer” from her high school experience.Julia Bonaguidi, a prolific scorer who had one goal posted up against Laguna Beach in the Regionals where she just turned and slammed the ball over her defender from close range, lets you into her mental process: “I always try to envision the specific things that our opponent does. Bringing those specific things to the front of my mind gets me in game mode and gives me a little more confidence going into the game.”Her coach says Bonaguidi is currently training with the senior women’s national team and traveling with them. “She has been incredibly solid her whole career,” Peabody says. “She is a student of the game that is always working on improving herself as a player and a teammate.”Says Peabody, “I believe the high level of intensity that people see from the outside is due to a group of athletes that are very goal-oriented and very driven to find success in the classroom and in the pool.”The post Knights girls water polo: A precision machine with finely-tuned parts appeared first on SDNews.com.

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