Saipan Mayor RB Camacho, center, and Sensei Danny Banez, right of center, pose for a photo with members of the CNMI Martial Arts Academy of Self-Defense-Kyokushinkai Karate Watanabe Dojo in the conference room of the mayor’s office on Aug. 2, 2024.
ON Friday, Aug. 2, Saipan Mayor RB Camacho and Sensei Danny Banez of CNMI Martial Arts Academy of Self-Defense-Kyokushinkai Karate Watanabe Dojo announced a working partnership between them.
Joining them at the press conference were students of Banez’s dojo.
Camacho said he will advocate for the dojo’s growth and involvement in the community.
“[Among] the issues we have in our community is crime, issues about obesity, issues of technology, and no physical activity for our children,” he said. “That’s why I am promoting and want to cater to sports for the youth in the CNMI.”
Banez said his “number one” goal is to establish martial arts competitions on island so his students can test their skills.
He likewise hopes to join local sports organizations such as the Northern Marianas Sports Association so his students can represent the CNMI in regional and international competitions.
Banez said membership at the dojo is $75 a month, and students meet three times a week. Other expenses include a gi, which can cost around $80, and — if a student is ready for off-island competition — airfare.
Banez and his students have gone to Guam and Japan to compete.
Camacho said it is possible to create a non-profit organization so the dojo can apply for funding.
For the mayor, the benefit of karate is its ability to discipline the youth.
“I used to be a martial artist,” he said. “It’s not just about fighting —it’s discipline. We need to do something for the youth for after school. What programs do we have to cater to these kids? This [dojo] is the kind of organization I need to link up and work with. How can we cater to the children by making them participate in different kinds of sports?”
Banez echoed the mayor’s sentiment. “We as parents know that this kind of program, martial arts, is one way [to teach] them good discipline. Let’s help the kids by pushing them into … martial arts,” he said.
