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Dojo in Bolivia

13 images Created 21 Aug 2023

En una oscura racha de soledad y angustia Cristian Lombardi entró al Dojo del Artes Marciales Mixtas en La Paz, Bolivia, buscando un refugio, un lugar donde pensar cómo seguir adelante con su vida. “Cuando entras a un Dojo, tienes que pasar la puerta a otra dimensión, como una pequeña muerte donde dejas afuera todo lo que cargas....y a la salida tu veras si lo cargas de nuevo o no”
De esa experiencia al límite surgió este ensayo fotográfico que muestra la intimidad de un difícil deporte . “Aquí encontré valores. Me puse a entrenar y olvidé deprimirme”.
Nacido en Francia, Cristian tuvo una niñez complicada y ya mayor se alistó en la Fuerza Aerea y fue destinado al Atolón del Pacifico Sur. Dio vueltas por el mundo y finalmente, ya no recuerda buscando qué, llegó a La Paz. Se quedó en esa ciudad que define “como un hongo de los Andes abandonado a su suerte”.
Gracias a que su presencia en el gimnasio se volvió cotidiana “mis compañeros se concentran en lo suyo y me olvidan de mi cámara, eso es todo lo que les pido. Yo me encargo de evitar patadas y puñetes”
Su enorme talento fotográfico no lo ayuda cuando se calza los guantes. Confiesa que recibe alguna que otra paliza, pero no le importa. Siempre vuelve a entrenar y cuando pisa el tatame se hace un juramento : cortesia, integridad, autocontrol, perseverancia y espíritu indomable
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  • Lombardi-Bolivia-MMA-Championship-14...jpg
  • Alianza-120723-38-Edit-2BN.jpg
  • MMA 'Mixed Martial Arts' training at the Academia Alianza Bolivia, in La Paz
    Lombardi-Bolivia-MMA-090222-0022.jpg
  • Amateur kick boxing Championship inter clubs in La Paz, Bolivia.<br />
Kick boxing is part of MMA, as well as Muay Thai, boxing, full contact, K-1, Grappling, Wrestling,<br />
Judo and Jiujitsu. Practitioners who want to progress further go through tournaments in the<br />
disciplines separately, as well as in MMA tournaments. Thus, they pursue and sometimes find over<br />
time their strengths and weaknesses, their style, they are disciples facing their self-discipline.<br />
In Bolivia, Mixed Martial Arts are still frowned upon, with a bad reputation. Those who practice it<br />
have various labels attached, from criminals to psychopaths. The stereotypes of a society that aims<br />
at liberation by the submission of the individual to the paternalism of the liberal market are<br />
indelible. However, each practitioner finds there a motive usually far from those given to him.<br />
From a social relationship without masks, to some who like to simply fight, to those who want to<br />
deal with their overweight, shy children that their parents want to see unfold and learn to defend<br />
themselves, to those who simply, as in everything "dojo", know that once the gateway is passed,<br />
they can leave the entire universe and its problems outside, forget everything for a few hours. <br />
When they get into the ring, or enter the so-called "cage", the "amateurs", in fights that do not<br />
propose fame or money, end up facing their reflection, someone else "from the family" of those<br />
who, for three rounds of three minutes, if they do not go through the KO, will feel more alive than<br />
ever in an sanitized society, in which "being" is reserved for "homo economicus".<br />
For a professional, a fight can be long, for an amateur, every round can be an eternity. And no<br />
longer "underground" MMA remains in Bolivia, one has access there to something that founded all<br />
martial arts, a certain kind of spirit, such as the "indomitable spirit" of the taekwondo’s daily oath
    Lombardi-Bolivia-MMA-Championship-28...jpg
  • Lombardi-Bolivia-MMA-Championship-14...jpg
  • Lombardi-Bolivia-MMA-Portraits-20072...jpg
  • Lombardi-Bolivia-MMA-Portraits-28032...jpg
  • Lombardi-Bolivia-MMA-Portraits-09082...jpg
  • Lombardi-Bolivia-MMA-Championship-07...jpg
  • MMA Practice in La Paz, Bolivia.
    Lombardi-Bolivia-MMA-040723-0236.jpg
  • Lombardi-Bolivia-MMA-Championship-14...jpg
  • Amateur kick boxing Championship inter clubs in La Paz, Bolivia.<br />
Kick boxing is part of MMA, as well as Muay Thai, boxing, full contact, K-1, Grappling, Wrestling,<br />
Judo and Jiujitsu. Practitioners who want to progress further go through tournaments in the<br />
disciplines separately, as well as in MMA tournaments. Thus, they pursue and sometimes find over<br />
time their strengths and weaknesses, their style, they are disciples facing their self-discipline.<br />
In Bolivia, Mixed Martial Arts are still frowned upon, with a bad reputation. Those who practice it<br />
have various labels attached, from criminals to psychopaths. The stereotypes of a society that aims<br />
at liberation by the submission of the individual to the paternalism of the liberal market are<br />
indelible. However, each practitioner finds there a motive usually far from those given to him.<br />
From a social relationship without masks, to some who like to simply fight, to those who want to<br />
deal with their overweight, shy children that their parents want to see unfold and learn to defend<br />
themselves, to those who simply, as in everything "dojo", know that once the gateway is passed,<br />
they can leave the entire universe and its problems outside, forget everything for a few hours. <br />
When they get into the ring, or enter the so-called "cage", the "amateurs", in fights that do not<br />
propose fame or money, end up facing their reflection, someone else "from the family" of those<br />
who, for three rounds of three minutes, if they do not go through the KO, will feel more alive than<br />
ever in an sanitized society, in which "being" is reserved for "homo economicus".<br />
For a professional, a fight can be long, for an amateur, every round can be an eternity. And no<br />
longer "underground" MMA remains in Bolivia, one has access there to something that founded all<br />
martial arts, a certain kind of spirit, such as the "indomitable spirit" of the taekwondo’s daily oath
    Lombardi-Bolivia-MMA-Championship-28...jpg
  • Amateur kick boxing Championship inter clubs in La Paz, Bolivia.<br />
Kick boxing is part of MMA, as well as Muay Thai, boxing, full contact, K-1, Grappling, Wrestling,<br />
Judo and Jiujitsu. Practitioners who want to progress further go through tournaments in the<br />
disciplines separately, as well as in MMA tournaments. Thus, they pursue and sometimes find over<br />
time their strengths and weaknesses, their style, they are disciples facing their self-discipline.<br />
In Bolivia, Mixed Martial Arts are still frowned upon, with a bad reputation. Those who practice it<br />
have various labels attached, from criminals to psychopaths. The stereotypes of a society that aims<br />
at liberation by the submission of the individual to the paternalism of the liberal market are<br />
indelible. However, each practitioner finds there a motive usually far from those given to him.<br />
From a social relationship without masks, to some who like to simply fight, to those who want to<br />
deal with their overweight, shy children that their parents want to see unfold and learn to defend<br />
themselves, to those who simply, as in everything "dojo", know that once the gateway is passed,<br />
they can leave the entire universe and its problems outside, forget everything for a few hours. <br />
When they get into the ring, or enter the so-called "cage", the "amateurs", in fights that do not<br />
propose fame or money, end up facing their reflection, someone else "from the family" of those<br />
who, for three rounds of three minutes, if they do not go through the KO, will feel more alive than<br />
ever in an sanitized society, in which "being" is reserved for "homo economicus".<br />
For a professional, a fight can be long, for an amateur, every round can be an eternity. And no<br />
longer "underground" MMA remains in Bolivia, one has access there to something that founded all<br />
martial arts, a certain kind of spirit, such as the "indomitable spirit" of the taekwondo’s daily oath
    Lombardi-Bolivia-MMA-Championship-28...jpg