[sixcol_five_last]
By Kolby Chang

Simpson (orange) delivers a knee to opponent Paulina Granados in her Legacy Championships 23 victory. (photo courtesy of Mike Calimbas)
Mixed martial arts is simply that; a mixture of several arts. In an MMA competition, practitioners blend various forms of martial arts such as Brazilian jiu-jitsu, wrestling and kickboxing to defeat an opponent. In that regard, former Guam resident Tessa Simpson is a true student of the game. She not only trains in different martial arts to prepare for competition, she also takes that same approach when setting professional and personal goals in her life.
“Each endeavor has its own challenges that are unique in their own right, but to me I see all big endeavors as an equal challenge that I use skills learned from all areas of my life to accomplish,” Simpson said via email from Austin, Tx.
Last December, along with her fiancé and co-owner Randy Vera, Simpson undertook what can be easily viewed as the biggest endeavor of her life and opened the Austin Kickboxing Academy. Utilizing the same mindset a mixed martial artist would employ when preparing for a fight, Simpson drew from her education and experience to open the doors to the 6000 square foot business.
“I use my photography, marketing, business, graphic design and computer science knowledge and skill along with my knowledge from training Muay Thai, BJJ and MMA all for one purpose,” the 2009 graduate of the University of Texas at Austin said.
Along with carrying the titles of assistant kickboxing instructor and kids MMA instructor of the academy, Simpson is also active in the BJJ competition circuit. In addition to BJJ, she recently made an impressive return to MMA competition after a four year hiatus. The 2004 Harvest Christian Academy graduate improved her professional record to 3-1 by earning a unanimous decision win over the previously undefeated Paulina Granados at Legacy Fighting Championships 23 held on Sept.13 in San Antonio.
“I executed the game plan I wanted and came out with the win,” Simpson said. “I did try to finish the fight multiple times, but keeping good position was important to me than going for the submission.”
Before this BJJ brown belt started training nearly a decade ago, Simpson was a seemingly boundless ball of energy that played just about every sport and was no stranger to competition. Simpson loved basketball, soccer, volleyball and outrigger paddling as well as other activities like drag racing. BJJ, however, is something Simpson cannot envision her life without and she encourages the younger generation to get involved.
“The experience you get on the mats will translate to the rest of your life in many ways that don’t seem obvious. Even if you have no intentions of fighting one day, train for fun, train for your health and you’ll start to see positive results,” Simpson said.
For as active and ambitious as Simpson is, she still tries to remain easy going just like the island lifestyle she grew up with. Simpson said even though she misses her family, the food and the way of life, living away from home puts things in perspective and gives her a sense of appreciation.
“I am proud to be from Guam and of course have a sticker on my truck,” she said.
Simpson thanks her family and friends from Guam for their support. She also thanks her sponsors Da Firma Kimono Company, FighterTech Supplments, her team at Austin Kickboxing Academy and her team at Gracie Humaita Austin. She is also very appreciative of the support he has received from Vera.
“Together we seem to accomplish great things and I am very grateful to have the relationship we have as best friends, business partners and training partners,” stated Simpson.
PHOTO GALLERY BROUGHT TO YOU BY:
[fbshare url=”http://www.gspnlive.com/mmaboxing/mma-lifestyle-tessa-simpson/” type=”button”] [fblike url=”http://www.gspnlive.com/mmaboxing/mma-lifestyle-tessa-simpson/” style=”standard” showfaces=”false” width=”450″ verb=”like” font=”arial”]
[/sixcol_five_last][useful_banner_manager_banner_rotation banners=53, 38 interval=8 width=120 height=600 orderby=rand]


GPS Sports Calendar
February 2023
- SU
- MO
- TU
- WE
- TH
- FR
- SA
Events for January
1st
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
2nd
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
ISA TRACK & FIELD MEET
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
Events for February
3rd
ISA TRACK & FIELD MEET
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
TRITONS BASEBALL INVITATIONAL PLAYOFFS
Events for February
4th
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL
Events for February
6th
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
7th
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
8th
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
9th
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
ISA TRACK & FIELD MEET
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
Events for February
10th
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
ISA TRACK & FIELD MEET
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
TRITONS BASEBALL INVITATIONAL FINALS
Events for February
12th
MONSTER ENERGY MOTOCROSS ROUND 2
Events for February
13th
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
14th
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
15th
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
Events for February
16th
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
ISA TRACK & FIELD MEET
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
Events for February
17th
ISA TRACK & FIELD MEET
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
Events for February
18th
BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2K/5K
World Athletics Cross Country Championships
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
Events for February
20th
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
21st
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
22nd
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
23rd
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
Events for February
24th
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL QUARTERFINALS
Events for February
24th
Events for February
25th
Events for February
27th
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL SEMIFINALS
ISA GIRLS SOCCER SEMIFINALS
Events for February
28th
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL FINALS
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE SEMIFINALS
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL SEMIFINALS

Basketball
BULLDOGS WIN BATTLE OF 4-0 TEAMS

Baseball
MUNA LEADS DODGERS TO TOURNEY FINALS

MMA/Boxing
JONES TO FACE FORMER UFC CHAMPION

Baseball
GECKOS SWING BIG IN SEASON OPENER

Baseball
FRIARS EDGE ROYALS IN PITCHER’S DUEL

Basketball
FRIARS TAKE DOWN PANTHERS 74-68

Running/Track
GECKOS, SHARKS BUILDING TRACK CONFIDENCE
