Eight karate students from a Hout Bay dojo are preparing for world champs to be held later this year in Cape Town.
Some 22 countries are expected to take part in the 20th KSI (Kimura Shukokai International) Karate World Championships, at the Cape Town International Convention Centre in July.
The students competed for selection at national champs held in Wynberg in June last year, according to their sensei John Shaw, from the Samurai Karate Hout Bay Dojo.
The eight Hout Bay students will be part of the 140-member squad representing South Africa at the July championships.
Six of the students met at the dojo last week to run through some of their kata and kumite routines. The students normally train in their age category from four years old and upwards from beginners to those with combat experience.
According to Mr Shaw, kata is a standardised sequence of offensive and defensive techniques simulating virtual fighting while kumite is score-based, time-limited fighting with punches and kicks between two opponents.
Isola Olusegun, 14, lives near Constantia Nek and has been at the dojo for over a year. He said he used to play soccer but found karate to be more satisfying.
Mila Meier, 12, has been doing karate since she was 8 and rarely misses her twice-a-week classes.
“I’m thrilled to have been chosen and am counting down the days until I compete in July and working hard training,” she said after the lesson.
In her spare time, she uses a boxing bag at home and loves practising, especially on her male friends. She said she might be small, but she packs a punch.
Madelyn Camara Buswell, 15, of Wynberg, has been doing karate since she was 5. She said it had taught her confidence and discipline and given her a better understanding of herself.
“I’ve also gained many friendships and have connected better with my older brother as he was the reason I started – he is now a black belt.”
Madelyn was selected to represent South Africa in the World Championships in 2021 but Covid cancelled the event.
She said she had been very anxious about not making the SA team for this year’s championships.
“It didn’t help that I’d just come back from competing in Switzerland at the European Karate Open Championships the week before.”
For Madelyn, karate is not just about competitions, it’s also a “a way of life”.
“It allows people to achieve goals and feel proud of themselves. In my 15 years, I haven’t found anything that makes me feel as proud and happy with myself then when I finish an extremely hard grading and I can congratulate everyone or when I walk off the mat and I know that I have done my best.”
Inez Smith asked for a self-defence lessons at the dojo for her 12th birthday. She said karate provided discipline and self control, and the art of practising precise movements was very rewarding.
Inez said she was thrilled to make the SA squad. “To have it hosted in Cape Town is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I intend to give it my all.”
