Meggie Ochoa

Margarita "Meggie" P. Ochoa^[1] (born May 6, 1990) is a Filipino jujutsu practitioner. She competes both in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and the standard form of the discipline.

Meggie Ochoa
Ochoa in 2023
Born	Margarita P. Ochoa (1990-05-06) May 6, 1990 (age 35)
Nationality	Filipino
Style	Japanese and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Team	Atos Jiu-jitsu Philippines
Rank	black belt in BJJ under Andre Galvao
Other information
University	Ateneo de Manila University
Medal record Representing  Philippines Women's Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Ju-Jitsu World Championships 2022 Abu Dhabi 48 kg 2018 Malmö 49 kg Women's Ju-jitsu Asian Games 2022 Hangzhou ne-waza 48 kg 2018 Jakarta–Palembang ne-waza 49 kg Asian Ju-Jitsu Championships 2018 Bangkok ne-waza 48 kg Southeast Asian Games 2019 Philippines ne-waza 45 kg 2021 Hanoi ne-waza 48 kg 2023 Phnom Penh ne-waza 52 kg

Education

Ochoa was born on May 6, 1990^[2] to Jobert and Lee P. Ochoa^[3] She studied at Saint Pedro Poveda College for her basic education, graduating from the school in 2008.^[4] For college, she attended the Ateneo de Manila University, where she graduated in 2012 with a bachelor's degree in business management.^[5] She was part of her university's track team.^[6]

Career

Early years

After graduating from college, Ochoa took up mixed martial arts (MMA) but she was deterred by the lack of opponents in her weight class at the time.^[6] She has a small build^[7] and has tried judo before MMA.^[1]

She would take up jujutsu in 2013,^[7] after changing teams where the coach suggest her to try to martial art.^[6] For the next three years she has relied on crowdfunding as she works to obtain a black belt in Brazilian jujutsu (BJJ).^[1]

Brazilian jujutsu

Ochoa is a three-time champion at the World IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship (2014 as a white belt, 2015 and 2016 as a blue belt)^[8]

She would participate at the 2018 Ju-Jitsu World Championships in Sweden, where she would become the first Filipino jujutsu champion by bagging the gold medal in the women's BJJ -49kg.^[9] She was promoted to brown belt for the feat.^[10]

Ochoa would be promoted to BJJ black belt by August 2022.^[11] She added another World Championships gold medal in the 2022 edition held in the United Arab Emirates, this time in the women's -48kg.^[12][13]

Jiu-jitsu

Ochoa would also compete in standard jiu-jitsu. She took part in the 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Turkmenistan, where she won a gold medal in the women's -45kg.^[14]

She has competed in the Asian Games twice. At the 2018 edition in Jakarta, Indonesia she would clinch a bronze in the women's -49 kg event.^[15] At the 2022 edition in Hangzhou, China in October 2023, Ochoa won a gold medal in the -48 kg event.^[16] She endured a flu which she recovered from only a day after the final match, and a hip injury which she incurred in the semifinal.^[17]

At the 2023 Asian Ju-Jitsu Championships in Bangkok, Thailand, Ochoa would win the women's -48 kg title.^[18][19]

Ochoa has also competed in the Southeast Asian Games from 2019 to the 2023 edition across multiple weight class.^[20] She has won two golds (-45kg in 2019^[21] and -48kg in 2021^[22]) and a silver medal (-52kg in 2023).^[20]

Personal life

Ochoa has worked in a non-profit organization before committing to her sporting career in 2014.^[23] She has also been an advocate against child sexual abuse since 2015.^[24][25] She founded Fight to Protect, a non-profit organization which teaches child survivors of abuse martial arts.^[20]