Brent, 17, makes black belt history
BRENT Smith, 17, of the Eastern Cape Shotokan-Ryu Karate Grahamstown, made history as the youngest winner of the Men’s Open Black Belt Kata at the Secko Karate Championships at the Fish River Sun Hotel.
Isa Ayob, of the Titan Karate Club in Port Elizabeth, took a close second place.
More than 350 karateka contested this year’s championship in the junior, novice and elite categories at the weekend.
Karate styles represented at the competition were ShotokanRyu, Shorin-Ryu and Goju-Ryu.
The tournament is a platform for many Eastern Cape karate stars to show their mettle.
The King Karate Clubs of Grahamstown and Port Alfred shared overall top honours, with the always competitive Joza Karate Club coming third.
Lutho Singata, of the Rhodes University Shotokan Karate Club, clinched a win against strong opposition in the Men’s Open Black Belt Kumite Category.
Yanga Jongile, of Grahamstown’s Joza Karate Club, put up a spirited fight to take the runners-up position.
Kayleigh Chamberlain, of the Western Suburbs Karate Club, successfully defended her Secko Kumite title in the Senior Women’s Black Belt Kumite category for the second year in a row.
Bay girl Tanya de Villiers came second. De Villiers trains at both the PE North Karate Club and the Kase Ha Karate Club and has had a successful karate career in the past two years. The Veteran and Ladies Open Black Belt Kata categories were won by Ilze van der Merwe, of the Helderberg Dojo in Somerset West, with Chamberlain claiming silver.
Van Der Merwe had made the trip to the Secko Karate Championships as part of her preparation for the World Union Karate-do Federation (WUKF) World Championships in Scotland next year.
Secko tournament organiser Gary Grapentin said: “The categories were extremely competitive with the standard in the elite categories exceptionally high.
“The contenders displayed good skill and technique.”
The contenders displayed good skill and technique