Local dojo hits the ground running

It is going to be an exciting year for the newly rebranded Ryu Ken Chi Dojo (RKC Dojo) in Rivonia.

Formally known as the Rivonia Kendo Club, the rebranding not only reflects the three disciplines of martial arts practised at the dojo but also allows the dojo to grow on a geographical basis.

“We now have two venues from which we train at, namely at the Rivonia Sports Club and at the Observatory Sports Hall,” said the dojo’s Warren Ho.

Ho said that the local kendo community’s goal for the year ahead is to not only grow both of its dojos but to expose more people to the world of Japanese martial arts and the benefits that they would gain from regular practice in those arts.

Kendo, the art of the sword, uses bamboo swords in full contact sparring while wearing specialised armour called bogu. It is suitable for children as young as six and adults as old as 77, such is the age of the dojo’s oldest active member.

To help drive its youth development, RKC launched its Domo (Do More) initiative last year which raises funds, seeks donations and ultimately get the ‘kendo kids’ suited up.

“Our equipment is costly, so the going has been slow for now but we are determined to get there this year.”

This year the dojo is also looking to get some of its members into the South African National Kendo Team that is set to compete in German later this year at the 31st European Kendo Championships.

“2022 is going to be an amazing year, and with the Chinese zodiac sign of the tiger coming in on February 1, it will call on all of us to be brave, competitive and confident.

“Perhaps this will be the restart that we have been waiting for the last two years since the pandemic,” Ho concluded.

Interested in kick-starting your martial arts journey? Please visit www.rkcdojo.com or contact Warren Ho on 082 389 9098.

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