A gentle breeze tugs at the long, wind-swept branches of the Douglas-fir above, silhouetted softly by the glow of dusk on the horizon. Below, I can hear the subtle crashing of waves, caressing the shore as if they, too, are grieving my loss. I stand atop the grass-strewn cliffs, alone-other than the headstones that surround me-and unwilling to lower my eyes upon the aching reality that lie at my feet. So much had changed in the last two days. I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t talk. All that I could think of was what had happened. I closed my eyes, desperately searching for an answer from within and seeking solace amongst my memories. He can’t be gone…

The lights dimmed. An air of silence blanketed the arena as a wave of excitement pulsed through the crowd. I could feel my adrenaline beginning to surge as the boom of the announcer’s voice suddenly shattered the serenity. The crowd erupted in a deafening roar. Overhead, towering some forty feet above where I knew the ring must be, the giant screen sprang into action. Alex’s face appeared, illuminating the arena. His emerald eyes pierced the darkness-an explosive tenacity masked by the tranquility of his gaze.

In the blue corner… From Santa Barbara, California… With a record of twenty-six and two, and twelve knockouts… Standing 5′11” and weighing one hundred and fifty-six pounds… ALEX GURI!!!

The memory of his name echoes in my mind for what seems like an eternity. A sudden gust of wind snaps me back to reality, the biting cold lashing out at my unprotected face. I clutch my jacket tighter and bury my hands into the pockets of my jeans as I position myself in between the trunk of the Douglas-fir and the direction of the wind, shielding myself from the worst of the cold. I slump down onto the dampened grass, drawing my legs in close and sitting with my back up against the base of the tree. Again, I allow myself to lapse back into my memories…

Growing up on the outskirts of Santa Barbara-only a few miles from Goleta-I first met Alex when I was just thirteen. He told me that as a child he had always been interested in the martial arts like Judo and TaeKwon-Do, but that it wasn’t until he discovered Muay Thai that he knew he had found his true calling. At twenty-three, he finally realized his true potential while training in Arizona at one of the best Muay Thai schools in the nation. Two years later, he returned home to Santa Barbara to start up his own martial arts facility just two blocks from Estero Park-not far from the university. He was living the dream that so many of his students wished to grasp.