Hayward’s Amber Leibrock, On The Road Again

August 7, 2020,

All roads lead to Rome, if that is where you desire to go.

All roads can also lead to everywhere and nowhere if you don’t have a clear plan.

It has been thoroughly exciting reviewing the online matches of the San Francisco Bay area MMA Warrior Amber Leibrock, from Hayward.

Our Bay Area star is a 2 stripe Blue belt and active Jiu Jitsu competitor.

Research indicates that she has traveled a very rough road, personally and professionally, thus given her current 3-4 won lost record, we’re not sure where the MMA road that Amber is traveling is leading to.

We watched her fight it out with a then 5-5 formidable Amanda Bell where she got rocked and knocked out in the first round in a very tough fight.

The result was a little surprising and somewhat poetic given Amber’s comments to mmajunkie.usatoday.com before the fight, “Win, lose or draw, I’m going for that belt,” Leibrock said. “No matter what happens (tonight), that belt is my goal and I’m not going to stop until I get there. I would never look past Amanda, because she deserves all the respect in the world – she’s been doing this for so long. She is a vet. So I’d never look past her. But once we get past this weekend, that belt is where I’m going.”

Look past her?

Amber, please look in front of you and duck.

Unfortunately she didn’t get past the weekend.

We love Amber but we’re not sure it’s wise to talk about achieving a belt before your fight that you must win, to even be considered for it.

Oh well.

Amber is tall, very talented and is an intense fighter to watch.

Ms. Leibrock gained entry into Invicta FC by defeating Paola Ramirez at Tuff-N-Uff: Xtreme Couture vs Syndicate MMA amateur tournament to win a pro contract with the organization.

She got off to a great start.

Amber followed up with her pro debut by viciously knocking out highly touted Marina Shafir.

Ambere’s next opponent was Australia’s Megan Anderson, who she lost to at Invicta FC 15: Cyborg vs. Ibragimova, before bouncing back with a win against Amy Coleman at Invicta FC 19: Maia vs. Modafferi.

With a professional record of 3 wins and 4 losses, Amber had gotten off to a great 3-1 start but has slid a little losing her last three fights.

What does stand out is that Amber has a long reach and is very talented.

Her hometown of Hayward, California is a great place to reinvigorate herself and get back onto a victorious road.

Let’s visit Hayward.

Hayward is a city located in Alameda County in the East Bay sub-region of the San Francisco Bay Area.

With a 2019 population of 159,203, Hayward is the sixth largest city in the Bay Area and the third largest in Alameda County.

The team at hayward-ca.gov invites, “It’s no surprise that we’re shaking things up; Hayward is the epicenter of the dynamic Bay Area: 25 miles southeast of San Francisco, 14 miles south of Oakland, 26 miles north of San Jose and 10 miles west of the valley communities surrounding Pleasanton. Doing business in Silicon Valley? Get there fast via the seven-mile Hayward/San Mateo Bridge.”

Sounds like a great idea.

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The first San Mateo–Hayward Bridge opened in 1929, connecting the city to the San Francisco South Peninsula.

The bridge is a wonder because it is very long and you are traveling over water for a very long time. We know since we’ve traveled it more than once. If you like being surrounded by water while you drive (we don’t), you will love this adventure.

The bridge's western end is in Foster City, a suburb on the eastern edge of San Mateo. The eastern end of the bridge is in Hayward. It is the longest bridge in California and the 25th longest in the world by length. The bridge is owned by the state of California, and is maintained by California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), the state highway agency.

The original bridge, known as the San Francisco Bay toll bridge, opened on March 2, 1929 after approximately a year of construction. It was a privately owned venture and was then the longest bridge in the world.

The bridge was closed in the wake of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake as a precaution, but reopened on October 18, 1989. It underwent an extensive seismic retrofitting from 1997 through 2000 to protect against earthquake damage.

Well, if you are a Bay Area enthusiast, the bridge can propel you on your way to higher learning at California State University, East Bay (Cal State East Bay, CSU East Bay), formerly known as Hayward State University.

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The university's largest and oldest college campus is located in Hayward, with additional campus-sites in the nearby cities of Oakland and Concord.

The university is best known for its College of Business and Economics; a strong Education Department, where a large percentage of California teachers receive their certification; and the thriving Music Department where the California State University, East Bay Jazz Ensemble, directed by Dave Eshelman (retired June 2007), holds annual performances in Yoshi's at Jack London Square in Oakland and frequently tours Europe and parts of South America.

The California State University, East Bay Pioneers are a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level.

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All of this sports excitement has made us feel like being a part of something a little more serene.

The Hayward Japanese Gardens, located near downtown Hayward, are the oldest Japanese gardens in California designed along traditional lines. They are maintained by the Hayward Area Recreation and Park District.

The garden was designed by Kimio Kimura.

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It follows Japanese garden design principles, using California native stone and plants. No stains were used on the wood constructions. Nails and fasteners are recessed, and all wood was notched, and aged, to simulate the appearance of a traditional Japanese garden.

They are so beautiful that weddings are conducted at the gardens. Certainly a sight to see.

So is the competitive skills of Amber Leibrock. She is a sight to watch.

We’ll keep watching. We suggest you do as well.

Amber is from a great place and she is going places.