Show of force and fierce action at championships

KARATEKAS were out in full force at the second United World Karate South Africa (UWKSA) National Championships held at the Fish River Sun Hotel over the past weekend.

More than 270 participants contested the championship in categories ranging from novice to elite.

Fierce action was on show as athletes representing various federations and affiliates including Saska, Sansa, WJKA SA, Shotokan ZA and Shotokan Circle as well as numerous individually affiliated dojos from across the province and country competed for top honours.

“The Championship was extremely successful with UWKSA showing positive growth in membership over the past 12 months,” said UWKSA president Gary Grapentin.

“Based on results achieved at the weekend’s Championship, a team will be selected to represent UWKSA in Italy later this year at the UWK World Championships.”

In the end championship hosts East Cape Shotokan-Ryu, featuring karatekas from Grahamstown and Port Alfred, claimed overall top position, closely followed by WJKA SA and Joza Karate Club from Grahamstown in second and third places respectively.

A number of top individual performances were witnessed.

Mzwandile Matebese of Joza Karate Club, claimed top position in the veteran men’s kumite (fighting) division while Paul Fourie of Helderberg Dojo in Somerset West won the kata (forms) division.

Well-known local karateka Sean O’Connell from Shotokan Circle of Karate, thus finished as runner-up in both those categories, behind Matebese and Fourie.

On the junior front Thanduxolo Royi from Joza Karate Club, was in superb form he won both the junior kata and kumite divisions, while he also went on to win the senior men’s kata category.

Lutho Singata from Rhodes University Shotokan Karate Club was the victor on the senior men’s kumite front.

Some intense action in the Cadet Boys (15-17 years) division in both kata and kumite categories saw an enthralling contest between two karatekas.

Brent Smith from ECSR, Grahamstown and Isa Ayob of WJKA SA, Port Elizabeth battled it out in both finals with Smith edging Ayob in the kata while the positions were narrowly reversed in the kumite.

On the women's front Kayleigh Chamberlain of Western Suburbs Karate Club in Port Elizabeth clinched wins in both the senior womne’s kata and kumite categories.

Tanya de Villiers of PE North Karate Club and Bongi Mbangeli from Joza Karate Club finished second in the kata and kumite categories respectively.

Hannah Kruger from Helderberg Dojo then dominated both the kata and kumite divisions in the Cadet Girls category, while Lisa Schnetler from Luiperds, Gauteng ended as the runner-up in both divisions.

The karatekas will now face an anxious wait to see if they make it into the UWKSA team to compete at the UWK World Champs in Italy later this year.