Instructors attend successful gashuku
The Full-Contact Karate Tournament which will be held in Soweto on April 27 aims to produce good female fighters who will represent Limpopo.
POLOKWANE – Two senior instructors of the Oyama School of Karate, sempai Thomas Sekhele and sempai Peter Malatji attended a gashuku held in KwaZulu-Natal, hosted by Kyokushin-Kan KZN under the leadership of Shihan Happy Prince Gumede on February 17.
The gashuku was focused on the basic techniques of karate such as punches, kicks, blocks and katas.
The three-hour training began with warm-ups by Shihan Mbatha (fifth dan black belt) followed by Shihan Dube (sixth dan black belt) and continued with the execution of punches, blocks and kicks.
Gumede, a seventh dan black belt holder, proceeded to facilitate the kata and fitness training.
The gashuku was aimed at assisting instructors with the upcoming kyu grading that is going to be held in Seshego on April 20 at the Ngoako Ramatlhodi Sport Complex.
Sekhale’s grading will only be at the end of 2025.
With the upcoming karate tournaments and gradings, the instructors are well at work to achieve good results for their students. The aim is to produce good female fighters who will represent Limpopo in the Full-Contact Karate Tournament which will be held in Soweto on April 27.
Sempai Retang Madia, Ohkhoi Kapari Mashiane, Rosisang Moloto, Puseletso Marotola and Tetelo Molaba are a team of five who are looking forward to the competition and to showcase their skills.
Sekhale would like to encourage female students to participate in karate for fitness and self-defense purposes. The club will be hosting the only female shihan in South Africa, shihan Masedisa Mojaki in July in Seshego, to motivate the karate students.
She recently graded her fifth dan black belt in Japan and is an instructor and a fighter who competed in local and international tournaments.
As part of the drive to recruit female students, other female instructors including sensei Sasa Sithole and sensei Dineo Dlulane are also expected to visit Limpopo soon.
The KZN gashuku was a huge success and Sekhale said he was happy that Limpopo is not in any way behind with the skills and syllabus compared to their counterparts in other provinces.
