Gladiators prep themselves for the cage

Pushing their bodies to the limit, five karateka from Butokukan Shoryin Ryu will be participating in South Africa Sports Combat Association’s (SASCA) Final Challenge.

Set to take place on November 28 in Centurion, the five modern day warriors will each compete in a cage match.

Davy Chuang, Emile Janse van Rensburg, Allistair Dearham, Hein Currie and Ronald Filmalter have all studied karate for several years and are keen to test their skills.

Sensei Frik Willemse explained traditional Okinawan karate was a well rounded form of martial arts, as it dealt with stand-up fighting, take downs and grappling.

“It makes karateka well-suited for Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) tournaments,” he said.

“Not many realise that you need a foundation, such as karate, boxing, wrestling or judo. People think you merely learn how to fight, but it takes years and a lot of effort to build your fighting foundation.”

The five are hoping to win their respective fights, and are eager to gain experience experience beneficial to their future training.