Karate kid wins international medals
Ethan Makwembere has achieved international recognition in karate, earning gold, bronze, and international colours at the JKA Karate Africa Championships.
Ethan Makwembere (10) from Redhill School has proven that age is just a number when it comes to achieving greatness.
Recently representing Gauteng at the prestigious JKA Karate Africa Championships, Ethan brought home a gold medal in kata and a bronze medal in kumite, as well as earning international colours, an impressive feat for a young athlete still in primary school.
Ethan’s passion for karate started at the age of eight, inspired by sensei Dawie Grobbelaar, and driven by a desire to challenge himself beyond his favorite sport, soccer. “Karate is not my best sport, but I wanted to prove I could do it,” he said.
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His commitment is evident, training regularly, sometimes with his brother for extra practice, and pushing himself to improve. “I trained a lot. Trained and trained because my sensei said if you keep on training, you get better. I also trained with my brother for like 10 to 15 minutes, so I could improve my skills faster.”
Despite the nerves that come with high-level competition, Ethan finds strength through faith and prayer. “I was so scared without my mom, but I trusted that the Lord was with me, so I kept praying and practicing.”
Ethan explained the importance of staying true to yourself. “Be yourself. It feels really good to be recognised with international colours, and it motivates me to keep going.”
His confidence grew as he saw his efforts pay off, especially when he secured first place in the kata round and third in the kumite round, where he lost a match but still achieved success overall.
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Ethan said Grobbelaar has been a guiding force, constantly encouraging him to push beyond his limits.
He expressed gratitude toward his family for their unwavering support, especially his mom, who drives him to practices and competitions. “I’m very grateful for my mom, dad, brother, and everyone who supports me.”
Beyond medals and titles, Ethan reflected on what karate has taught him: Discipline, confidence, and the importance of learning from mistakes. “Karate is like an experiment, if your experiment doesn’t work, you learn more, and if it does, you grow.
“Next year, I want to go to Mauritius and compete against other countries. I hope to represent South Africa and one day wear the black belt.”
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