Tinley Manor karate brothers on the way up

The sky is the limit for Tinley Manor’s two martial arts brothers, Xander and Joshua Links.

The Links boys began their career with Shotokan Karate-do International South Africa (SKISA) in 2010 when Joshua was only 3 years old and Xander 6.

They quickly moved through the ranks from beginner to advanced levels.

Joshua has a 1st degree black belt (Shodan) and Xander a 2nd degree black belt (Nidan).

They have represented the province and district in many tournaments and have won medals in every major event since 2013.

They obtained KZN and Protea colours and have travelled internationally several times to represent the country in Australia, Indonesia, Croatia, Spain, Namibia and Botswana.

This year, Xander won gold for kumite at the KZN All Styles tournament, which qualified him as the number 1 ranked karateka in kumite. He represented KZN at the KSA Childrens, Cadets and Juniors National Championship in which 600 karatekas participated.

He finished second in his kumite division, winning a silver medal for KZN.

Joshua was placed among the top 5 in his division.

The duo have also competed in all traditional SKISA tournaments over the years – locally, nationally and internationally. They were both ranked number 1 in their respective divisions.

Their father Nicolas (also a karateka) said the sport had not only helped the boys’ self-defence, but that the discipline has also had a positive ripple effect on their academic work. Xander has passed with honours, earning him the white blazer at Northwood, while Joshua is an A aggregate pupil.

For breaking news follow The North Coast Courier on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Join our Telegram Broadcast Service at: https://t.me/joinchat/yJULuN8NaCs5OGM0

Join our WhatsApp Broadcast Service: Simply add 082 792 9405 (North Coast Courier) as a contact to your phone, and WhatsApp your name and surname to the same number to be added.