Capacity and physical training programme for karate students
More than 50 karate students from Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and Limpopo attended the African Full Contact Karate Organisation (AFCKO) winter holiday programme on June 29 to July 6.
The annual event was supported by Gauteng Sports and Recreation as well as Ekurhuleni Sports and Recreation and National Lottery Commission. It took place at Kharimbi Camp Site in Heidelberg (Dojo).
Clubs that attended the event were Abram-Hlophe Dojo, Thokoza Dojo, Mpontsheng Dojo, Nirvana Dojo and Thabang Dojo.
Other clubs from as far afield as Limpopo and KZN attended.
Shihan Thulane Sibisi who is the AFCKO president from Katlehong Dojo said the main objective of the camp was to give karate students an opportunity to learn life and leadership skills.
“The programme was divided into capacity building and physical training. We had Spelling Bee Competition which was won by Abram-Hlophe Dojo under the leadership of sensei Mkhobiseni Manyathi and Bongani Mkwanazi,” said Sibisi.
He added:“With the high rate of youth using drugs in our community, women and child abuse are becoming one of the social issues that affect our communities. We took full two days to workshop karate students about the after-effect of using drugs and how to handle themselves during adolescent stage.”
He said this was a special year for the organisation as they celebrated their world champion.
“One of our students by the name of Sensei Mbali Msomi who attended the fifth Internation Kyokushinkai Karate Federation (IKKF) World Championship in Baku Azerbaijan in the Middle East won the tournament in the women open division. She got first place. It was a dream come true for all of us in full contact karate to have a world champion coming from our country,” AFCKO president said.
He said he would like to see young men and women abstain from using drugs such as nyaope. “We must all advocate for a drug-free society,” said Sibisi.
