The teacher challenges the students.
In a major shakeup in the Santa Barbara City Council elections, martial arts teacher and dojo master Tony Becerra has announced his candidacy to challenge incumbent 3rd District incumbent Oscar Gutierrez.
Becerra, who taught Gutierrez a karate kata decades ago, said he is not impressed with the current mayor's lack of action at the City Council.
“Sometimes you shift gears and what you do and you lose sight of what your main goal was,” Becerra said. “I feel like I'm focused on the community, especially the West Side. I grew up riding my bike all around town and going up and down State Street.”
Becerra, 57, has taught karate and martial arts to generations of families at his West Side dojo and, before that, his State Street dojo.
NFL player Alex Mack, former UFC champion Chuck Liddell and countless Santa Barbara and South Coast residents have all received instruction from Becerra at his Koei-kan Karate Academy in Santa Barbara.
He grew up on the Westside, born in a house on Figueroa Street, and graduated from McKinley Elementary School, La Cumbre Middle School and Santa Barbara High School.
Becerra is firmly rooted in the community, serving as President of the Ben Page Youth Center, and is also an active coach and martial artist, holding a 6th degree black belt.
His students regularly bring home trophies from weekend tournaments.
Becerra started his business 28 years ago. He said he lived in rental housing and was evicted from his home with his wife, Kimberly, during the COVID-19 pandemic. He moved to Buellton and is now back on the West Side to run for office in the community where he grew up.
Becerra has been teaching wrestling for 21 years.
“Everything I do is for the kids,” he said. “The kids walk by and they say, ‘Coach!’ They believe in me and they always tell me what a big impact I’ve had in their lives.”
Like his opponent, Becerra spent his youth as a downtown bouncer, making him well equipped to physically defuse tense situations.
But does he have the authority to unseat a sitting member of parliament?
Becerra said he's still putting together his team. Though he's a registered Republican, he said he's working on the issues in a nonpartisan manner. (Gutierrez is a Democrat and a member of the Santa Barbara County Democratic Central Committee.)
He said there are conservatives, liberals and moderates in his district and he intends to represent them all.
He previously endorsed Cathy Murillo for mayor and Oscar Gutierrez, who is running for city council for the first time.
“When I represent the Westside, I represent the community and what they want, and I represent what I want,” Becerra said.
Among his priorities are increasing lighting on the West Side and helping businesses along San Andres Boulevard and other areas of the West Side.
He said he's still studying the issue of rent control and is considering whether to support or oppose it, but in his interview with Noozhawk, he came across as sympathetic to renters.
“Am I in favor of affordable housing in Santa Barbara? Of course I am,” he said.
He said if elected, he wants to encourage opportunities for people to own a home.
“I liked the idea of that instead of building a ton of apartments,” Becerra said.
He said one of his adult students just bought a home in Lompoc but runs a business on the East Side.
Santa Barbara residents can't afford the huge rent increases every year, he said.
“I know I'm on a tight budget, so I try to make sure every dollar counts,” he said. “Raising my rent every year is crazy.”
Becerra is hosting a signature-gathering party on Thursday and will have a taco truck on hand.
“Whether we win or lose, there will be some positive change,” Becerra said. “I want to be on the winning side, but I also want to see the West Side move forward.”
Gutierrez won a special election in 2018 and was re-elected unopposed in 2020.
In the Eastside 1st District, incumbent Alejandra Gutierrez will be challenged by Wendy Santamaria, who is endorsed by the Santa Barbara County Democratic Party.
Jet Black Martz, who announced he would run for the seat last year, suspended his campaign on Monday.
District 2 City Councilman Mike Jordan is running for re-election and is currently unopposed.
