Kids

Kiel, Dre, and Kaleb Sotto Have Podium Finishes in Manila Open for Jiujitsu

by Kevyn Gohu
April 3, 2023

Oyo Sotto and Kristine Hermosa-Sotto are proud parents and cheerleaders to three Jiujitsu fighters.

While Kiel has a few medals of his own, it’s a first for both Dre and Kaleb to show their achievements in jiujitsu like their brother. Celebrity parents Oyo Sotto and Kristine Hermosa-Sotto posted photos and reels yesterday with Kiel taking home the gold and Dre and Kaleb winning silver for their divisions. It looks like the Hermosa-Sotto family will soon have a whole Jiujitsu team in the house.

Oyo Sotto: “Doesn’t matter if you lose a fight, what matters is you didn’t give up!”

Especially when enrolling our kids into a contact sport, it’s scary for parents to see their kids rough-house others for competition. We don’t know how competitive other parents are, which is why some children are more pressured to try something dangerous to win and thus, make their parents happy. But Oyo Sotto does it right by constantly reminding them, “It doesn’t matter if you lose a fight, what matters is you didn’t give up! I love you all!😘”

The heart of a champion weakens when winning becomes the reason why we do a sport. And when the older Sotto siblings — Kiel, Dre, and Kaleb — win their tournament, Kristine and Oyo praise not the metal placard that comes with the victory but the effort invested to win it.

Congratulations to Kiel, Dre, and Kaleb!

Martial arts are not just about throttling and beating up people. It’s a way to make children more mindful of their bodies. It teaches them how to control their breathing, how strong they actually are, and, the difference between restraint and actual malicious intent. Although Vic and Isaac are still too young, the three older siblings are already earning their Jiujitsu stripes. That’s something for Kristine and Oyo Sotto to be proud of.