Courtesy Photo | Spc. Danielle Lagunas-Valles, readiness non-commissioned officer with Headquarters...... read more read more
By: Staff Sgt. Arthur Taradejna and Sgt. Whittney Williams
CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, Iraq — At the sound of the bell, fists were flying, feet were dancing, heads were bobbing and the roar of the crowd proclaimed to all attendees that Fight Night had begun.
Spc. Danielle Lagunas-Valles, a human resources specialist with Headquarters Company, 749th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 4th Sustainment Brigade, 103rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), and a Watsonville, Calif., native, took center stage.
Lagunas-Valles said her strategy included anticipating initial strikes and working to transform into what her and teammates call “The Ultimate Female Fighter.”
“I was in my zone; I didn’t hear the crowd or the trainers,” she said. “It was like tunnel vision. Just my opponent and me.”
Lagunas-Valles controlled the majority of the fight despite a 15-pound weight difference.
“She had a lot of power in her punches,” she said of her opponent. “I didn’t think I was going to be able to take her down. I felt like my punches weren’t doing anything compared to hers.”
Lagunas-Valles said she overcame these difficulties by pressing on with her strategy, and after 11 minutes, she came away with her first amateur rules mixed martial arts victory.
“The key to winning the fight was sticking to the game plan,” said Staff Sgt. Rudolph Juarez Jr., a mechanic with the 749th CSSB, and an Antioch, Calif., native who trained Lagunas-Valles. “I think she did really well.”
Juarez has 11 years of experience in various fight styles.
Lagunas-Valles said the stressful workouts with her trainers leading up to the fight got her mind and body ready.
“We trained every day, alternating days between sparring, conditioning and lifting weights,” she said.
She said she decided to begin combatives training to conquer a fear of fighting.
“It realistically takes six months to prepare for a fight,” said Staff Sgt. Artur L.Teradejna, a signal support systems specialist with the 749th CSSB, and a San Luis Obispo, Calif., native. “We trained with Spc. Lagunas-Valles for one month prior to her big fight and she was very dedicated. With so little time we focused only on the fundamentals.”
| Date Taken: | 02.24.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 03.20.2011 06:59 |
| Story ID: | 67398 |
| Location: | CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, IQ |
| Web Views: | 144 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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