Aliveandkicking

Kenya builds East Africa’s biggest kungfu academy as Chinese martial arts gain popularity

Kungfu has been a life-long passion for 21-year-old Kamau Mutunga who recently signed up for martial arts classes after a violent attack left him shaken and distressed.

“I was attacked a while ago by violent thugs; they stole my money, phone, shoes and even the trousers I was wearing. I sustained injures and spent a night in hospital recuperating from my ordeal. I want new skills to be able to defend myself,” he told Chinafrica.

“I also want to be a trainer someday. I admired Bruce Lee as a child,” says Mutunga who is also a third-year law student at the University of Nairobi in Kenya.

Mutunga is one of many Kenyans who are overjoyed by the plan to build East Africa’s largest Kungfu Academy, expected to be alive and kicking and ready for the public by mid-2017. The academy will recruit and train members and also organize local and international kungfu events.

KWA is now in talks with government agencies, such as the Kenyan Defense Forces and several branches of the police to integrate kungfu into their training. “We hope this can improve their defense skills,” said Ngoiri, adding that once the new facility is complete, training can begin.

Majority of the funds to construct the academy came from the Kenyan Government through its Ministry of Sports, Culture and the Arts. Different kungfu associations are also chipping in to help with costs. According to Ngoiri, the academy construction, located in one of Nairobi’s prime areas on a 2-acre piece of land, is estimated to cost a total of $6 million.

Ngoiri says the state-of-the-art facility will include a gym, world-class swimming pool and hi-tech features such as high speed Wifi access. Offices for KWA officials as well as a Chinese restaurant will also be included. The seven-story academy will have the capacity to train 600 new students a year and use imported construction materials from Israel and China.