Local karate kid wins gold for Ekurhuleni
Parkhill Gardens' resident brings home gold in karate championships.
Channelling aggression and finding a way to deal with one persistent bully at school turned Cameron David from a meek victim into a Goju Ryu world champion.
David, a nine-year-old from Parkhill Gardens, started his karate career at the age of six after a karate academy gave a presentation at his school around the same time as he was being bullied.
“I took up karate because I was being bullied at school, but soon after, becoming a karate champion became my dream and I started working harder to achieve it,” said David.
Three years later, through Goju Karate Academy, the young man took home gold in individual kata at the Goju Ryu World Championships held in Romania in September 2017.
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“The arena in Romania was big and there were a lot of spectators and I felt a bit under pressure, but the level of fighting was not as competitive as what I am used to here at home,” said David.
In February he represented Ekurhuleni at the GKF Provincial Children’s Karate Championship held in Turffontein where he took home gold for team kata (where a group does one fight style) and silver for individual kata.
David’s winning streak continued at the Karate South Africa National Championships, which took place from March 23 to 25 in Durban. He represented Gauteng and won two national titles for team kata and individual kata for boys aged between 10 and 11.
To ensure that he reaches his goal of one day being a part of the national team at the World Karate Championships, David has extended his training routine to six sessions a week, where he gets personal, general, elite and champions training.
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Between training and travelling the world showcasing his talent, David still maintains his school career as an A-student.
“I’ve had to find a balance between school and karate.
“I get a lot of support from my parents, who travel to the events with me, which I’m grateful for, and I’m grateful for the training and support the senseis at Goju Karate Academy have given me,” he said.
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