After years of hard work and dedication, Team Lakay members Edward “The Ferocious” Kelly and Honorio “The Rock” Banario received a promotion in their ground game skills last week.
Both competitors had their Brazilian jiu-jitsu blue belt promotion from Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt John Baylon.
Based in Baguio City, Benguet, Banario and Kelly both travel approximately 260 kilometers to Pasay City, Metro Manila to sharpen their grappling skill set at the Academia John Baylon.
Kelly could not contain his happiness as he considered it as a major achievement.
“Getting a belt promotion is an achievement. I like to think that this is something I’ve earned through hard work on this journey of becoming a well-rounded martial artist,” he stated.
“I feel like a more well-rounded athlete after my belt got upgraded. This adds more confidence, especially when it comes to my ground game.”
Meanwhile, Banario feels blessed to be mentored by Baylon in Brazilian jiu-jitsu as he strives to become a versatile athlete in the sport of mixed martial arts.
“For me, this achievement is proof that I am getting better little by little. There is a long learning process in jiu-jitsu,” the former ONE Featherweight World Champion said.
Once criticized for their lack of grappling skills, Team Lakay has definitely made adjustments in the past few years in terms of their ground game development.
Known for their striking abilities, both Banario and Kelly focused on upgrading their tools on the mat to compensate their striking.
“Jiu-jitsu taught us to grind harder. It is a lot of hard work. Having John Baylon as our coach is a blessing because we all look up to him. He knows his craft really well, and is very patient and detailed when providing instructions,” Kelly explained.
As the competition now gets tighter in their respective weight classes, Banario and Kelly plan to showcase their improved skills in their upcoming bouts on the ONE Championship stage.
“We need to keep on winning to stay in the mix. Everyone is already upgrading their tools. When I get inside the cage, I’m not just looking for knockouts,” Banario declared.
“I want to start winning by submission to show the fans that Team Lakay athletes are not just about striking. I want all of my improvements to show, especially my ground game.”
