JKA karateka excel at JKA second Africa Cup Championships
"Well done to these karateka on their fine achievements, and congratulations to SA JKA for hosting yet another successful international tournament."
Local karateka have brought pride to Newcastle and to their country.
The second annual JKA (Japan Karate Association) Africa Cup Championships were held at the Ellis Park Indoor Arena in New Doornfontein, Johannesburg on September 1, and entrants represented South Africa, Botswana, Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar and Mauritius.
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Northern KwaZulu-Natal JKA aimed to impress at this competition.
Sensei for NKZN JKA, Johan Swart said the weeks leading up to the championships were packed with extensive and informative training sessions, led by the most senior instructor of JKA, Sensei Masaaki Ueki, who is also a ninth dan and Japanese master of Shotokan karate.
Ueki Sensei placed great emphasis on very strong basics and stances.
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He was assisted by Sensei Okuma Koichiro, sixth dan and head of the Foreign Affairs Division of the Japan Karate Association, in ensuring local karateka possessed the bodily fitness necessary for peak performance.
“It was not only a privilege, but also an honour, to train with the best, who also assisted with the technical seminar, judge seminar, dan exam and qualification exam prior to the championships,” Sensei Swart concluded.
The following karateka excelled in their respective divisions:
Marko Swart – bronze for kata.
Jaydene Naidoo – bronze for kata and bronze for kumite.
Suné Els – bronze for kumite.
Shaugne van der Watt – silver for kata.
Karl Schutte – bronze for kumite.
Cassidy Steenkamp – bronze for kumite.
Monique Potgieter – bronze for kumite.
Mthunzi Mbatha – silver for kumite.
Astrid Gaballero – silver for kata and gold for kumite.
Trisha Rajkumar – silver for team kumite.
“Well done to these karateka on their fine achievements, and congratulations to SA JKA for hosting yet another successful international tournament.”
For more information on JKA karate, contact Sensei Swart on 083 658 7157.
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