Northern Marianas Jiu Jitsu Fed holds 1st meeting, lays out goals

The Northern Marianas Jiu Jitsu Federation is the newest sport to join the Northern Marianas Sports Association and held its first board meeting on Saturday, Sept. 19, at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium conference room.

Its board officers include president Clinton Dela Cruz, vice president Angel San Nicolas, secretary Clarinda Ocampo, and treasurer Woong “James” Choi. The board of directors include Raymond Santos, Jemma Manibo, Joseph Ocampo, Jaclyn Quitugua, Joseph Rios, Jason Atrero, Shane Alvarez, Song “Ballen” Zi Qiang, and Daryn Roufus.

Dela Cruz, a black belt with 17 years of experience in the sport said that the ultimate goal is to “help support and develop jiu jitsu here in the CNMI.

Having the federation is important for local practitioners and jiu jitsu gyms, said Dela Cruz. “It’s a disservice to the athletes here because there’s a ton of athletes that are practicing jiu jitsu and they’ve done so for many years, so having representation is really important. I’m glad we’re able to start this and support the gym, the professors, the coaches that are doing the work to train the athletes here, to bring up the youth—so we’re very excited.”

San Nicolas, for his part, said the federation is here to spread awareness of jiu jitsu. “Instead of looking at it as a fighting sport…. having a federation helps break that barrier, that boundary—it’s an actual sport. If Taekwondo, boxing, even judo, can be an Olympic sport, why can’t jiu jitsu.”

The federation also hopes to provide local athletes with opportunities to showcase their skills in larger tournaments, potentially leading to lifelong passions or business opportunities.

When asked about the number of jiu jitsu athletes in the CNMI, Dela Cruz said he doesn’t know exact numbers, but it’s a big one. “Jiu jitsu is the fastest growing martial art in the world. We’re seeing competitions and competitors from all over the world, and the CNMI is no different. We’ve had athletes that have competed for years—decades even and they deserve the recognition that they’ve garnered, and we want to help promote them, promote their students, promote the upcoming practitioners.”

Dela Cruz and San Nicolas then thanked the participants of the first meeting. “Thank you for being here from the beginning and helping us lay the foundation,” he said. To the practitioners, academy owners, and coaches out there, he said, “I just want you to know that we’re here to support you. This is not one academy, this is not CNMI vs. CNMI, this is CNMI vs. everybody. So, we’ll hopefully bring everyone together and help support you in any way we can.”