Eye on the NAGA

Published May 6, 2014
By Airman 1st Class Lauren Pitts
Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs

MINOT, N.D.-- -- It has been said that the American dream has always been about the underdog and striving to achieve your goals no matter what. Rooting for the "little guy" is an inspiration to work and train hard enough to overcome all odds. Minot Air Force Base is home to a few of its own underdogs - a handful of Airmen who commit themselves as much off duty as on.

What began as a small gym for amateur wrestlers and Jiu Jitsu fighters in downtown Minot, N.D., made its way onto the map of the martial arts world through the training of the dedicated members and what they describe as a traditional mindset of Jiu Jitsu.

"Our instructor believes in Jiu Jitsu," said Senior Airman Joseph Rhoades, an electrician for Minot AFB's 5th Civil Engineer Squadron, who explained that the mentality of the whole team is respect for the sport. "He teaches us the background and the history of it, so we're not just in there to kill each other."

As the group continued to train, Senior Airman Darin Nieuwsma, a Fargo, N.D., native, and a response force leader with the 791st Missile Security Forces Squadron, told his team about a grappling tournament in Fargo at a facility he used to train at.

"Once I told the guys about it, that's when we got really focused," said Nieuwsma. "We were training hard because we had a goal."

Stepping onto the competition scene, the members of Minot's Brazilian Jiu Jitsu team seemed like an easy target. What their competition didn't know, was that their training focused on technique and execution over size and strength giving them an edge, said Senior Airman Andrew Magathan, 791st MSFS response force leader.

After forcing his first opponent to submit in a matter of seconds, Magathan and his team watched as shock blanketed the faces of their opponents in the arena.

"We were going up against high established schools with a lot of experience, but we did the best collectively," said Magathan. "We definitely put Minot on the map at that tournament."

With every member of their team bringing home at least bronze, the Minot Brazilian Jiu Jitsu team returned home with confidence, and an even bigger goal in mind.

The North American Grappling Association, the host of a competition held all around the country, is the next big test for Minot's underdogs. Heading to Minneapolis, Minn., next month, the team has no clue what they're in for but will continue to train none the less.

"That's what makes this team a threat," said Magathan. "It's our level of dedication - we're always helping each other get to the top."

Training seven days a week, members of the team have come to see each other as brothers, said Rhoades. Building themselves up individually, they in turn build each other up collectively.

"There's a saying in our gym, 'how can you make a friend without choking him out first,'" Rhoades explained. "It sounds strange, but it's true. We share a different kind of bond, and we do what we do for each other."

With their mind set on the upcoming NAGA, the team is more focused than ever, Rhoades said.

"Whether we are learning a new move or one we just haven't done in a while, we cover it over and over again, drilling, making it perfect and committing it to muscle memory," he explained. "In our gym, drillers make killers."