Edenvale resident Sensei Russell Sim returned to South Africa crowned as the IKGA Masters World Champion.
He won the gold medal at the IKGA World Karate Championships in Mumbai, India.
Sensei Sim, together with 12 members from his karate school, participated in the tournament held from December 18 to 21 last year. Sensei Sim is a Japanese-graded fourth-dan black belt in Goju Kai Karate-do, and spent the last three years preparing for the event.
The tournament was held over four days and the students from the Russell Sim Dojo brought home 16 medals in total; four gold, five silver and seven bronze. Thirty-six countries, including Canada, the USA, Australia, the United Kingdom, Thailand and Japan sent teams to the world championships.
Sensei Sim performed a Suparinpei Kata in the final against Buttermark’s Sisochin and won the final with five flags to zero.
South Africa won the world championships, followed by Iran in second place and India in third place. Sim Sensei will now have to defend his title at the next IKGA World Karate Championships, which will be held in Vancouver, Canada, in 2017.
Sensei Sim is also a member of South Africa’s all-styles karate community, serving as the secretary general of the KSA National Referees Commission.
