Karatekas head for Chegutu
THE usually sleepy town of Chegutu will come alive this coming weekend when a number of local karatekas converge there for the inaugural two-day kyokushinkan seminar.
According to one of the country’s most decorated instructors, Shihan Tendai Marange, the two-day seminar, which will be held at Chegutu’s Brunswick area on Saturday and Sunday, will be conducted by a number of other top trainers in the karate style of kyokushinkan.
“In fact, we want to standardise our style and learn new things during this two-day seminar, which will be open for all the senior karatekas from the brown belt to black belt level and we are looking at 20 to 30 participants.
“This seminar will be held at Brunswick, which is about 5km from Chegutu, along Suri Suri and will be conducted by the country’s top kyokushinkan instructors, who include Paul Danisa, Emmanuel Kadiwa, Mugove Muhambi and myself.
“We have been to South Africa for a similar seminar, but this time we have to decided to hold our own here in Zimbabwe and already participants from Chegutu, Kadoma and Mutare have confirmed their participation,” Marange said.
Marange said the first session or class will be held on Saturday at around 4pm, while Sunday will see the first class sitting from 8am to 12 noon.
“On Sunday, we will also be grading some of the participants from 12:30pm and besides karate, there will be some Bible classes to be conducted by Roby Muromba, Moses Kwirirayi and other pastors. Next year, we are looking at having an international camp which, I think, will boost our tourism industry as we intend to invite quite a big number of participants from the southern African region and beyond,” Marange said.
In fact, Marange has been the driving force behind the development of the karate style of kyokushinkan in Zimbabwe for more than two decades now and has been joined in this crusade by the likes of fellow Shihans Samson Muripo and Mugove Muhambi. Most prominent local karatekas have passed through the hands of these seasoned instructors and they include Tawanda Mufundisi, who is now a Shihan and running his own dojo, Admire Chingozhoro, Tangayi Mhlanga and Phumulani Maphosa.