by Julio Lara, San Mateo Daily Journal Staff (2009-07-10)
Every superman, and superwoman, has their kryptonite — Muay Thai champion Jenna Castillo’s weakness isn’t in the ring.
So here’s little word of advice for Marissa Bota, Castillo’s opponent for Fight Night at the Fox Saturday night — grab your car, head down the 101 to Palo Alto and exit at Woodside Road.
After a couple of turns, you’ll be at Sprinkles Bakery. Buy a couple of cupcakes and take them to the fight with you. Once there, offer them to Castillo — she’s weak for those things. Maybe she’ll be moved by the gesture and not completely humiliate you in the ring.
Hey, it’s worth a shot.
Any other way, Bota will be force to go toe to toe with Castillo, a 27-year-old champion out of Millbrae. And no disrespect toward Bota, but women who have stepped into the ring with Castillo haven’t faired very well.
Castillo and her match lead the way for three other female fights Saturday night in Redwood City for Fight Night at the Fox, a night of Muay Thai-style fighting. For Castillo, it’ll be her sixth Muay Thai fight — she’s 4-1 in the other five.
All joking aside, the 5-foot-2 Mills High School product is looking forward to stepping into the ring — it’s her passion. Some may say, including Castillo, that this is what she was born to do.
Growing up, Castillo tried everything. But it wasn’t until she tried karate for the first time at the age of nine that she truly found what’s been her calling ever since.
“My mother said that it was the first time she saw that fire in my eyes,” Castillo said. She adds that from that moment on, her mother has dedicated herself to ensuring that Castillo lives up to her full potential.
Fighting quickly became the only thing Castillo truly cared about and it was affecting her life in a negative way. At Mills, Castillo sported a .5 grade point average and was in danger of not graduating.
“I was too busy day-dreaming about fighting,” Castillo said.
It wasn’t until an encounter with Cung Le, the famed mixed martial artist, that Castillo turned her life around. He forced her to raise her grades and graduate and in return, Le promised to train her. More than nine years have passed since that encounter and Castillo has flourished in the fighting world.
Castillo championships include the 2000 and 2002 USAWKF National Champion, National IKF Sanshou Bantamweight Champion, IKF West Coast Muay Thai Bantamweight Champion and IKF Featherweight Muay Thai Champion. She’s fought all around the world, from Barbados to China. Saturday, Castillo will be fighting for her second world title in the last year.
Despite her success, Castillo stays grounded, knowing that all of it can end at anytime. She goes into the fight as the favorite, but knows better than to take anything for granted.
“I take it one fight at a time,” Castillo said. “I never look at it like I have an advantage. I go into (fights) expecting everything, expecting the expected (and the unexpected). Win or lose, you get to do something you love.”
A large part of her success has to do with her work ethic. Castillo trains feverishly, starting her days at 5:30 a.m. and going all the way until 11:00 p.m. If you want to find Castillo at any point of the day, chances are she’ll be in the gym, either working on her game or teaching a class.
It isn’t just her physical game. Castillo understands that in many ways, the sport of mixed martial arts is a mental thing. Nine years of fighting professionally have helped Castillo develop a keen sense of her craft — she’s terribly intelligent and can beat you with strikes and with her mind.
“I think I have an obligation to do my best in the sport,” Castillo said.
It’s this feeling that has Castillo eager to carry the torch for the younger generation of women fighters. She says she sees herself teaching and training when her fighting days are over.
As far as Saturday’s fight, Castillo isn’t predicting anything.
“I see myself giving it my all in the ring,” she said.
That spells trouble for her opponent who, come Saturday, will have to face the wrath of Castillo. Funny thing is, for the pain Castillo inflicts, she actually is a sweet person; sweet like a pair of cupcakes.
Jenna Costillo is a student of Ganyao “Dr. Knee” Fairtex, training out of Fairtex Muaythai Fitness in San Francisco, CA.
by FTX (2009-07-28)
Fairtex News 