She is just eight-years-old but Luyanda Mbonani is already punching above her age. She has been selected for the JKA national karate team (junior division) that will, hopefully, compete in an international competition in Ireland next year.
Luyanda and her teammate, Trisha Rajkumar, both of the Dundee JKA Karate Club, received their national jackets after competing in the SA Nationals earlier this year.
Both are very excited about their prospects and their Vryheid-based sensei (trainer), Vishen Bhoonpershad, believes Luyanda and Trisha can return to Dundee from the international tournament armed with medals.
“The standard of karate in South Africa is very high: we are probably in the top three behind Japan and possibly Canada,” said Vishen who travels to Dundee every Monday and Wednesday afternoon to teach karate in the St James Hall.
Further glory for the local club is that Jyothi Balasar, a Grade 10 Sarel Cilliers learner, has just earned her black belt first dan after she was graded by sixth dan sensei, Johan le Grange. For Jyothi the coveted black belt is a culmination of six years of hard work. It has meant training on weekends while her friends were out doing what young girls do.
Sometimes she trains with Vishen and other black belts in the area on Saturday and even on Sundays.
“Doing karate has helped my school work,” she said. “Karate helps a person to focus and concentrate and it creates a basic foundation of self-discipline.”
Clearly, these karate-ka are going to kick Dundee sport to glory.
A closer look at the JKA karate students training in Dundee: It is both fun and a learning experiece:
