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Coming To Her Defense

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By B.C. MANION

The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 1, 2008

LUTZ - Molly Fulmer got the nickname "Iron Guts" by doing 400 sit-ups nonstop - when she was just 5 years old.

It happened during a friendly endurance competition at her kickboxing school, recalls her dad, Bob Fulmer.

The 12-year-old girl's intensity hasn't dimmed.

Now, she is ranked nationally in two categories as the top female fighter among girls 17 and younger by the North American Grappling Association.

Her short-term goal is to maintain her No. 1 status through 2008.

By 2012 or 2016, she wants to compete at the Olympics - and when she's older, she wants to teach martial arts at her own school.

Liam Brien, an instructor at the Del Diaz Mambi Judo Training Center in Town 'N Country, said Molly has the potential to accomplish her goals.

She's physically gifted and has a great attitude, Brien said. She listens to coaches, is eager to learn and has fantastic support from her parents, added Brien, who also manages the office at the Mambi training center, 6626 Hanley Road.

She is friendly, but she is also competitive, Brien said. She has tested her skills at numerous tournaments and consistently performs well.

"One of the nice things about Molly is that she actually competes in boys' divisions, and she actually beats boys," Brien noted.

The matches are physically challenging, but the experiences help Molly to build her skills and become more versatile, her dad said.

She takes jujitsu classes under Cristina Rodriguez at Gracie Tampa's North Tampa location, 13719 N. Nebraska Ave., Suite 105.

During a recent class, Molly was enthused, whether she was running through routine warm-ups or learning a new technique.

When prompted by her instructor to assume a leadership role, Molly doesn't miss a beat.
Fulmer said he never imagined his daughter would develop such a passion for martial arts.

"I knew from the day that she was born that I wanted to get her into it, even if only from a self-defense standpoint," he said.

His goal was to help her attain the skills and confidence to protect herself, he said.

He also knew, from personal experience, the wealth of other benefits that martial arts has to offer.

"There's just so many positive things that come along with that," he said. "A good work ethic. Self-esteem. Confidence. Exercise."

Over time, he expected Molly's interest to wane.

"Because she started in so young, I really thought, 'a year from now she'll be tired of it and will want to do something new,'" Fulmer said. Instead, her interest intensified.

Now, it's not unusual for the two to jet off to a tournament - or take a road trip to Miami - for Molly to compete.

She has brought home a raft of trophies, belts, swords and ribbons. Her awards take up two shelves in an upstairs study in the family's Avila home.
Fulmer is impressed by his daughter's commitment.

She goes to three jujitsu classes and two judo classes each week and does some cardio conditioning, resistance training and weight lifting.

When she is prepping for a tournament, she does even more.

The hard work has paid off, Fulmer said.

This year she has won a dozen events sponsored by the North American Grappling Association. She also has competed in numerous other tournaments not sponsored by the organization.

She considers mastering martial arts to be her purpose in life. It goes beyond perfecting techniques to control body movements, she said.

"You learn things like respect, integrity, perseverance - good things you should know for life," Molly said.

"I don't think I ever knew martial arts as just a self-defense, or a hobby," she said. "I thought of it as the thing that keeps you going, a thing you're going to be in forever."

Reporter B.C. Manion can be reached at (813) 865-1507 or bmanion@tampatrib.com.

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