Douglasdale’s Sebastian Holscher is up for World Kendo Championships

Sebastian Holscher is eagerly awaiting the chance to represent South Africa at the World Kendo Championships in the Korea Republic in September.

It will be the first world championships for this Douglasdale resident who trains at the Ken Yu Kai Dojo in Bryanston.

Simply put, kendo utilises the samurai fighting style but with a bamboo sword called a shinai, and protective armour.

Points can only be scored during a fight when one kendoka strikes another with a killing blow, that is to the head, neck, wrist or stomach.

South African team members living in Gauteng have been meeting between once and three times per week for about two hours at a time to go over techniques and to spar with each other ahead of the world champs.

“I will compete in the men’s team category and will fight in two best of three round fights,” he said, adding that he hopes to win every round for his team.

According to Holscher, his forte is defending well as he reads his opponents and then sets them up for failure.

The South African team coach and delegation leader, Michael Grice, said the team had been training together since October last year.

“We have been pushing our fitness because kendo uses lots of energy,” he said.

“As you can see, we run and scream while fighting, and have to control our breathing. We have also worked on attacking and counterattacking techniques, and having a complete mindset.”

He explained that their preparation ranged from being aware of the size of an international kendo court to preparing mentally for the large crowds and the way international referees might oversee games.

Grice added that his goal for the team was to make it through to the group stage (the groupings of the 52 countries has not been revealed yet) and into the knockout stages.

“South Africa does not quite match up to some of the biggest European teams but we are better than we are given credit for. We are also working on our self-belief and self-confidence.”

Also read: VIDEO: Become a modern samurai at the Shi Hoko Kendo Dojo in Olivedale

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