Meet the matriarch of Baguio's famed Team Lakay MMA stable
MANILA, Philippines — Team Lakay is one of Philippine mixed martial arts' most prominent stables, having produced more than a couple of world champions in different MMA promotions all over the world.
And more than a number of names have surfaced to be credited for the success of the famed MMA team like head coach Mark Sangiao and his wards like Eduard Folayang, Kevin Belingon and Joshua Pacio to name a few.
But what most don't know about the gym in the mountains is that there more than meets the eye to be able to achieve the amount of success that Team Lakay does.
One of the pillars of the Baguio-based stable who is not often in the limelight is Coach Mark's partner, Mary Jude Pili.
She plays many roles for the team, from media to admin duties, and now, she's become the light of Team Lakay's home.
As we celebrate Women's Month, Philstar.com delves into Pili's part in keeping Team Lakay on the elite level that it is — albeit non-convential.
Getting down to the nitty gritty
For a lot of athletes and coaches, excelling in their sport is usually what they zero in during their every day grind.
So sometimes, it's easy to forget some of the mundane things that need to be done in order to compete in the sport that they love.
In here comes the role of "Manang" or "Ate" for Pili as she takes the burden of the small but important details when it comes to fight preparation.
"Madami siya, pero maliliit," Pili said of her roles on the team.
"Pero kahit sabihin mong mga maliliit na bagay, importante sila. Halimbawa, for my part, I'm pushing papers parang sa admin sa Team Lakay. Halimbawa, may mga laban sila sa Singapore, sa ibang bansa, maraming documents yun diba? From medical hanggang sa ticket and everything. Kailangan ma-check lahat kung tama," she added.
Also on her plate is making sure that the team is put in an environment where they can train properly, from checking the quality of their equipment to keeping the place clean and ideal for mixed martial arts.
"Sa gym, kailangan din ng magmamanage. Yung simpleng linis lang, kasi para comfortable yung athletes natin magtraining. Kailangan [rin] maayos yung mga bags, walang sira," she said.
Playing the role of mediator
But Pili's role is not just limited to the small details behind Team Lakay's constant movement and activities.
This as dealing with internal challenges also comes with the territory of managing a group like Team Lakay.
Leaning on her role as an older sister figure or even a maternal figure for the athletes, Pili tries to help their wards resolve any problems or conflicts.
"Minsan, syempre, magkakaiba yung mga ugali ng tao. Kailangan ayusin yun. Para mamaintain mo yung teamwork and peace sa loob ng gym. Yun yung mga challenges," she said.
The Baguio native also looks to her "woman's instinct" to encourage people to open up to her, especially with issues involving the gym and the people inside.
"Nakikita natin yung mga details, yung mga body language ng mga tao, mga body language ng mga athletes. Nakikita mo bakit parang medyo iba, medyo iba yung vibe at magtatanong ka 'May problema ba?'. Tapos dun lumalabas yung mga maliliit na issue na andun pala na hindi lang napapansin," she said.
She also makes it a point to be ever-supportive of everyone, especially of Sangiao's own son, Jhanlo.
"Pag natatalo sila, pagkatapos ng laban tatawag ako or tatawag si Coach [Mark] tapos medyo negative yung feeling. [Sasabihin ko] Okay lang yun, parang ganun. Meron pa namang ibang laban eh. Or magmemessage ako sa athlete na natalo na please come home safe. Parang ganun. in a simple way, shinoshow ko yung support," she said.
Pili says that the support comes even when she feels very much anxious when she sees the athletes, who have become like family to her, compete and get hurt.
"Minsan kabang-kaba ako, nakakanerbyos nung una. Parang ayaw mo pang manood. Mas lalo na ngayon kasama na si Jhanlo... Pero kailangan mong maging matatag na andun ka. Hihiyaw ka magc-cheer sakanila," she said.
"It's your simple way to show that you're supporting them... Talagang dapat malakas ang loob mo," she added.
'Bright future' for Pinays in MMA
While Pili herself has no legitimate background in MMA, being around Team Lakay for most of her life, she knows her way around.
And as a woman, she relishes seeing female athletes, like Team Lakay's Gina Iniong and Jenely Olsim, also enjoy success in the sport that she's known for so long.
Seeing how the paradigm has changed for women in MMA, Pili believes that there is much to look forward to with women athletes, not just in Team Lakay, but from the Philippines in general.
"Nagiging passionate na yung mga babae sa MMA sports. Yung pinakasimpleng halimbawa, sa gym mismo, anim na yung mga babae," she said of Team Lakay's composition.
"Though kailangan pa ng years na matrain sila, it means na lumalago talaga. Dumadami na yung babae na nagjjoin. Very bright ang future ng Pinay MMA," she said.
The next challenge for Team Lakay and Pili comes later this month with two of their wards, Eduard Folayang and Lito Adiwang, seeing action in ONE X — ONE Championship's 10th anniversary show in Singapore on March 26.
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