After two decades of professional martial arts, coaching, and challenges, the 47-year-old “homegrown” Filipino fighter reflects on one of the most coveted achievements in martial arts he recently received.

“It’s mixed emotions. I’m so grateful… the reward is fulfilling.”

For Dave “The Scarecrow” Galera, 47, earning his new black belt is more than just a rank; it is a physical symbol of his 20-year journey to becoming who he is today. Just a week ago, Galera was awarded his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt by Professor Edison Kagohara, the Founder of Overlimit Jiu-Jitsu Academy. This is a milestone he describes as “one of the hardest belts to earn in martial arts.” In a Facebook Post from Gridlock MMA/Jiu Jitsu, Galera was “grateful beyond words for this life-changing opportunity” and for welcoming him into the family.

For the veteran fighter and coach, this achievement marks the culmination of his career that began in 2006. Galera’s jiu-jitsu journey began in Reno, Nevada, at the established Charles Gracie Jiu-Jitsu academy. “That’s where I started my jiu-jitsu journey basically,” Galera recalls. “I got my blue belt… the year of 2006.”

He moved back to the Philippines afterwards and dedicated himself to mixed martial arts (MMA), in which he trained under the legendary Team Lakay for 12 years. This new focus marks a hiatus for his Jiu-Jitsu progression and a detour that would make history. Galera built his professional career, which led him to join the Universal Reality Combat Championship (URCC) Interim Bantamweight Championship, in which he fought under Team Lakay Championship.

In 2014, he became the first “homegrown” Filipino fighter to compete in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), making his debut at the preliminary card of UFC Fight Night 34, where he faced Singaporean MMA fighter Royston Wee.

“Everything, basically,” Galera says when asked about the hardest part of his athletic career. “The training-wise was day in, day out… especially if you’re, uh, competing in mixed martial arts… there’s no slacking off. You have to work from morning, in the evening, and you do this day in, day out… That’s really, uh, brutal sa katawan rin.”

After his retirement, he opened up his own gym called “The Gridlock Fitness Center,” which was located in New Lucban. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, after six years of operation, he decided to close down his gym. “When everything shut down, I decided to close down my gym,” he says.

That closure, however, led him to a new opportunity where the newly opened Sniper Gym offered him a position to teach, allowing him to share his first passion with enthusiasts. “I started pursuing my jiu-jitsu career from here onwards with Overlimit Jiu-jitsu,” he says.

Now standing as a coach, Galera navigates the “hard process” of understanding the different goals of his students. “I need to understand you,” he explains. “Do you want it to be just fitness? You want to be a competitor?… I’m adjusting to your schedule as well. Pero, sooner or later naman, I can read, I can read you. Uh, because I handled so many students before and nababasa ko naman,” he noted.

When asked about what he felt when one of his students won in a competition in Cebu, he said he felt really happy with his progress. “Really happy sa progress niya, ‘yung growth niya sa jiu-jitsu… his jiu-jitsu skills are developed.” He also said that he still goes to the basics when he needs to. “With jiu-jitsu, it’s a sport that you grow and grow and grow… Even I have my black belt, I still go back to my basic… I’m still learning from my students. I’m still learning from my mentors.”

Even earning his black belt, Galera remains humble as he continues to practice what he preaches. He added that he competed a month ago at the local Primal Grappling Tournament held in La Trinidad. After 20 years of waiting, he said he had a feeling of upgrading his belt but wasn’t really rushing. “If they do hand it to me, I’ll be really grateful. But if not, I can always wait and upgrade myself as well, just keep on learning.” He said.

Galera also shared his future plans for the time being, saying, “Hopefully, I could start competing again next year, uh, internationally… make this gym a lot stronger, and make more students, and keep everybody happy.”

Galera continues to teach jiu-jitsu at Sniper Gym, notably owned by high-profile fighters Frank Loman and Stephen “The Sniper” Loman. The gym is located at Plaza Natalia, Baguio City (Landmark: In front of Cosmopolitan, near KFC), which is open from Mondays to Saturdays. Rates for walk-ins would be P200 or a monthly fee of P1,500. Interested individuals can visit the gym or find their page online for more details.