Bro’s a karate champ

There’s a La Salle Christian Brother who at 64, took the gold medal in the senior male event of the Shurite-te kei/Tomari-te kei category at the 1st Okinawa Karate International Tournament in Japan some months back.

It was no easy feat as there were 35 contenders split into two brackets in the competition. Br. Mario Dacanay, FSC, was first in the preliminary rounds, scoring 42.4 points in his group. He went on to survive the rounds of 16 and 8 then swept the semifinals, receiving the most flags with six white and one red. In the final, Br. Mario wore a red sash and performed Gojushiho kata to garner seven red flags in beating Japan’s Yuichi Danjo by a unanimous decision for the gold medal.

“Considering I’m already 64 and retired, this is my guiding principle – if I believe with all my heart, mind, body and spirit, I will achieve what I believe,” he said.

Br. Mario’s journey into the world of karate started in 1969, advancing through the years and achieving a milestone in his recent promotion to Hanshi 9th Dan Red Belt by the Red Belt-Asia and South Pacific director Hanshi 10th Dan Siegi Shiroma in Okinawa.

Born in Iligan City, Br. Mario attended elementary and high school at La Salle Academy in his hometown then earned a commerce degree, major in accounting, at Xavier University, Ateneo de Cagayan. He earned a Master’s degree in management technology at De La Salle Lipa. Both his parents have passed away, his father Paterno and mother Elvira Pastrano. A brother Cesar is a judo practitioner and two sisters, Josephine and Angelita, are registered nurses.

“I’ve been practicing karate-do since 1969, informally,” he said. “In 1970, I started formal training and I’m doing it up to the present. In 2019, I’ll be celebrating my golden anniversary in karate-do as a way of life in character formation within the LaSallian context of teaching minds, touching hearts and transforming lives guided by the spirit of faith, zeal for service and communion for mission. My other advocacies are Living, Serving Well – The Art of Well-Being for faculty and staff, Optimum Mind Set for Maximum Performance for athletes and Martial Arts as a Spiritual Journey.” As a competitor, Br. Mario has won numerous awards in karate, including championships in local and national tournaments.

Br. Mario is currently the special assistant to the president of De La Salle Lipa for varsity and coaches formation and sports development, involved in “the overall animation and formation of athletes and coaches, creating a developmental program for athletes and coaches and improving skills and competencies in the various sports and attaining and exceeding their personal best.” He’s also the chief instructor of De La Salle Shidokan of Lipa, Ozamiz, Dasmariñas and Bacolod. “I visit the schools once a year,” he said. “Likewise, being the head of the technical committee of the Okinawa, Shorin-ryu Karate-Do Shidokan Philippines Corp., I conduct annual seminars/workshops for the affiliated clubs by clusters in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.”

Br. Mario turns 65 on Jan. 19, the day of WBA welterweight champion Sen. Manny Pacquiao’s title defense against Adrien Broner in Las Vegas. Age is just a number for Br. Mario who shares the same thinking as Pacquiao who at 40, remains at the top of his game. He continues to stay active in judo and karate, driven by his mission of using sports as a vehicle to promote character formation, physical fitness and a Christian way of life.