DSJ learner elbow strikes her way to the 10th Karatenomichi World Federation World Cup
Safiya Barklem joined Dorfman Karate in February 2020, when she was eight years old.
Deutsche Internationale Schule Johannesburg learner Safiya Barklem said her wins at the recent 10th Karatenomichi World Federation (HWF) World Cup 2023 in Japan came as a pleasant surprise.
Safiya joined Dorfman Karate in February 2020, when she was eight years old and has been training ever since.
The Grade 6 learner said her silver and bronze medal win left her feeling on top of the world.
“Although I won medals at the South African junior championship, I never expected to win any medals in Japan, as there were so many countries participating. I was mainly going for the competition experience. I had great support from my senseis and South African team and had an incredible experience.”
She added that on days when she was eliminated in the first round, which made her feel despondent, she took the punches as they came and always did better in the next round because karate taught her to never give up.
Safiya said karate did not clash with her school activities, but homework sometimes added a little bit of pressure. She trained approximately two hours in the evenings, four times a week and when leading up to competitions, seven days a week.
She encourages girls to take up the art because it gives you confidence, determination and self-discipline. ” It is a challenging sport and a very important part of it is that it teaches you how to defend yourself.”
Related Article: King David Victory Park’s karate champion
