Kofukan South Africa ends year on high note in Diepkloof

The Kofukan South Africa (KSA) branches recently held their pre-grading seminar at the Diepkloof Community Hall.

Sensei Thabo Molubi of the KSA said their sister branch in Brits visits them twice annually for this alignment session, and it is important to have the karatekas aligned with one karate style.

“It is important to have alignment sessions because we do one style of karate and it’s Japanese traditional-based.

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“No matter how packed our calendar is with tournaments, we always make time to fully focus on our style calendar,” Sensei Molubi said.

He added that the pre-grading is like preliminary exams for the karatekas.

“We bring them together and go through the syllabus.

“We have white belts who will attempt their yellow belt or the yellow stripe, depending on their age.

“This is a crucial stage for karate because it is regarded as an entry-level and is known as the 8th KYU grade.

‘It is important to note that karatekas grade only twice a year, and it also depends on which grade they are pursuing.

“The second stage is yellow belts who will attempt their orange belt or orange stripe. This grade is known as the 7th KYU grade.

“The third stage is the green belt and the fourth stage is the purple belt. Once a karateka reaches the brown belt stage on a third KYU, they are regarded as a senior and will now get the recognition of a sempai.

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“They will also grade once a year until they reach the first KYU level. So, karate is a journey and a lifetime sport.”

The grading is on December 7 and will also cover the prize-giving ceremony for the karatekas.

“I was happy to see all our karatekas hyped up and looking good in our pre-grading seminar. This is normally the busiest time of the year when most of our karatekas are tackling school work and exams, and I am glad they are not neglecting their karate practice as well.

“If they can strike a balance between their school work and karate, surely they will be able to tackle life in general without any hassles.

“I am also grateful to our parents for the support they have shown us and the karatekas throughout the year. We wouldn’t achieve all the glories throughout the year without them.”

Molubi said 2024 was a special year for their team and they have achieved their goal for the year.

“In two weeks we will jet off to Durban for the most prestigious tournament – the Commonwealth Karate Championships – which we look forward to. Parents are still welcome to enrol their kids with our karate school and can contact me on 079 921 3600.”