24/07/2026
Over the past few days, I’ve attended the OM GA, PLM GA, Mat Collective GA, and Ortigas GA. I try my best to be present at every General Assembly because these gatherings remind us why we built this community in the first place. If I ever can’t make it, I’d like to leave you with the same message I shared with Mat Collective.
Every stripe and every belt is more than a promotion. It is the collective affirmation of your coaches, your teammates, and the entire community that you have earned it. It begins with a coach believing in you, but it is strengthened by every training partner you’ve shared the mats with and every teammate who has witnessed your journey.
One day, you’ll visit other gyms, train with different people, and meet practitioners from all walks of life. My hope is that when they see your belt or your stripes, they don’t just see rank—they see the values behind them: humility, hard work, respect, and integrity.
Let’s continue building a team where people look after one another. A place with no unnecessary drama, where it’s safe to speak honestly, where we hold each other accountable with respect, and where we show up when someone needs us.
Ten years from now, some of you will be doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs, teachers, parents, or leaders in your own fields. And alongside those achievements, you’ll also be able to say, “I’m a black belt.”
More importantly, you’ll be able to say you earned that black belt in a community where every stripe and every belt represented years of blood, sweat, sacrifice, and the trust of people who genuinely believed you deserved it—both on and off the mats.
Atin ito. Ang tagumpay ng isa ay tagumpay ng lahat.
- TOFFY
