Montclair brothers eye senior karate black belt

A SENIOR black belt with the Funakoshi style is what the Zulu brothers aim to achieve in karate.

What started off as a way to keep busy during downtime for the Montclair-based siblings has grown into a love of the sport for 14-year-old Amahle and his younger brother, Melokuhle, 11.

“Our parents wanted us to be active when we had free time on the weekend. That’s when they decided for us to join karate in May 2018,” the boys said.

The pair train at the Funakoshi Ryu Karate Woodlands Dojo which has a proud legacy that spans 47 years. Three years in it, it is safe to say that they really enjoy karate as they’ve set a very ambitious goal for themselves.

“Mr Miller or, as we call him, Sensei Dusty he taught us the basic fundamentals of karate such as the blocks, punches, the stances and the first kata,” the boys said. They are both yellow belts graders.

“Our other achievements are the medals that we received in past tournaments in between 2018 to 2020 for Kata and Kumite,” he said.

“Our role model in karate is Sensei Dusty. He is the reason why we can defend ourselves against any one of our peers. He has also taught us some valuable life lessons. Karate motivates us because it improves one’s physical and mental health, builds self-esteem, and strengthens one’s self-confidence.”

“It has also helped us improve our academic performance by raising our level of energy, focus, and concentration. We’ve also learned and master self-defence techniques that’s why we’re more focused on the sport than anything else,” they said.

The brothers said the pandemic had an effect on their training but they were thankful to have had training before the level four lockdown.

“We continued training but everyone had to train with a mask on and had to sanitise before they entered the dojo,” they said.

Amahle is in Grade 8 at New forest High School, while his younger brother, four years his junior is in Grade 6 at Woodlands Primary School.

They describe their mother as the sweetest person and the most kind-hearted woman they have ever seen while they call their father the cornerstone of the family.

“She is creative, helpful and loving in nature. Our dad works hard for our family. He cares and loves all of us and holds himself responsible for our family’s well-being. He is our hero, friend, and mentor.”

“Basketball is our favorite hobby of all time,” they exclaimed. “Basketball is a great way of exercise and a great way to have fun with friends and possibly make some new ones.”

“I love to watch and play the game, it is a very entertaining sport. Our second hobby is online gaming because its also a form of entertainment, it can help children develop their creativity, nurture relationships with friends and improve strategic thinking.”