Karatekas test skills against country’s best

The Shotokan Karate South Africa National championships were held in Johannesburg on Saturday May 14. Participants competed for their regional teams – Eastern Gauteng, Gauteng North, Lowveld Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, Western Cape and Boland.

Eastern Gauteng earned the most points with the Mpumalanga Lowveld Region in the second place.

The highlight of the day was when the top fighters from the senior categories competed for the Shotokan Cups. Spectator tension as well as the judges’ focus was turned up a notch in this nail-biting show of fighting skill. Years of experience was needed to create scoring opportunities and every kick or strike was finished off with surgical precision – proving that the traditional Shotokan Cup categories are truly for the best of the best.

The 2016 Shotokan Cup winners were both members of the White Shotokan Karate Dojo. Sensei Carien de Bruin was the female cup winner and Sensei Amar Mansour won the male division. According to the White River dojo head, Sensei Piet Venter, it was a real honour and privilege to have both winners be from the same dojo. “They are excellent leaders and set good examples for the junior members who also gave their everything on the day of the championship.”

The following students of the White River dojo received medals and trophies:

Bronze

• Mone Gates – 2

• Tammy Reed – 2

• Joshua van der Nest – 1

• Cindy Pretorius – 1

• Danilo Pretorius – 1

• Goan du Toit – 1

• Amar Mansour – 1

• Abdur Badat – 2

• Luqmaan Badat – 1

• Phillip Daniel – 2

• Ruan Pienaar – 1

Silver

• Mone Gates – 2

• Tammy Reed – 2

• Dawie Ruthman – 1

• Isabel Gouws – 2

• Abdur Badat – 1

• Luqmaan Badat – 2

• Sean de Klerk – 2

Gold

• Gerrit van der Nest – 2

• Joshua van der Nest – 1

• Uli Ruthven – 1

• Dawie Ruthven – 1

• Amar Mansour – 1

• Carien de Bruin – 2

• Danilo Pretorius – 1

• Jean-Michael Delassus – 2

• Ruan Pienaar – 1

Winning trophee

• Amar Mansour – Shotokan Cup

• Carien de Bruin – Shotokan Cup.