Alex Escobedo dodges his opponent’s left fist and musters his last ounce of strength to swing at his opponent. Escobedo nails him right in the stomach and watches his competitor crumple to the floor of the boxing ring. “1, 2, 3!” cries the referee while simultaneously hitting the ground, “Alex Escobedo wins!” The crowd erupts in applause and Escobedo’s parents and friends cheer wildly from the sidelines. A cameraman snaps a candid shot of Alex’s triumphant win from his latest tournament. Despite his victory, Alex feels no satisfaction from this win.
Born and raised in San Diego, Alex Escobedo began martial arts at the young age of 5. He continued the sport until age 8 when he started training seriously for MMA (Mixed martial arts). MMA differs from martial arts as it incorporates all forms of martial arts such as wrestling, kickboxing, karate, etc. A former professional MMA fighter discovered his talent in November of 2005. He trained Escobedo to compete in tournaments and Escobedo won frequently. There was no doubt that he was an excellent MMA fighter.
It may seem like Alex Escobedo dedicates all his time to just MMA fighting, but that’s not so. His musical interests include classic rock and he plays piano and guitar. He spends time with his pet dog and enjoys cooking in the kitchen. Alex has a profound interest in literature such as Peixoto’s The Implacable Order of Things and creative writing.
The phrase “No pain, no gain” is something clearly seen in Escobedo’s experiences in MMA fighting. He sustained various injuries such as a broken rib and foot, a sprained knee, dislocated his shoulder and jaw, and even chipped a cheekbone from the raucous sport. However, none of these injuries compared to when his father’s girlfriend of the time stabbed him. He felt as though he had lost touch with the world and his entire life. He stopped going to practices, which led to absences from tournaments and competitions. Finally in 2008, he stopped MMA fighting almost altogether.
What made Alex Escobedo stop pursuing a sport that he was so successful at? Escobedo eventually realized that his heart simply wasn’t into MMA fighting. He may have been talented at it, but fighting wasn’t what he wanted to pursue for the rest of his life. Alex thinks back to all the wounds he obtained by fighting and knows that MMA wasn’t worth it. There felt no physical or emotional gain from fighting, competing, or even winning. Escobedo merely smiled for the camera, but never cared on the inside.
Escobedo maintains fighting in his life in a small way. He teaches a class of young children how to fight MMA style and a women’s self-defense course. Escobedo now finds a greater interest in creative writing and writing in general. Alex plans on majoring in journalism at the University of Columbia, but also some freelance writing on the side. Writing comes to Escobedo naturally and it’s a hobby he definitely enjoys. He recalls filling notebook after notebook with his stories.
Alex Escobedo may no longer spend hours upon hours fighting in the boxing ring, but he’s got something much better than empty victories; writing something he’s truly proud of.
-by Jennifer Sun
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