The Sunday Mail
Tinashe Kusema
Deputy Sports Editor
TO the naked eye, the World Online Kata Championships are probably nothing more than a low-level martial arts tournament which, like one of its champions Vincent Fambira, came onto the international stage a fortnight ago.
But given the fact that the tournament attracted participants from more than 40 countries, including powerhouses like Russia, China, Japan, the United States and neighbours South Africa, maybe the annual tournament could be a bigger deal than originally presumed.
This probably explains why Fambira — a gold and silver medallist in the Kobudo Short and Long Weapons’ 16-and-over category — has a long list of people he wishes to thank for his memorable debut.
These include “the Lord Almighty”, Malta’s Kobudo Federation, and role model and fellow winner Wilfred Mashaya.
“The tournament was my very first, not necessarily international, but at any level or stage, and I remember my heart beating very fast,” said the 26-year-old.
“I was so nervous as I was competing against fighters from established countries like Japan, the United States and China, and I had no experience to draw from.
“My confidence was low, but I put everything in God’s hands and I am so thankful to him that I managed to prevail.
He thankful to the Malta Federation as they made the tournament possible when Covid-19 has dealt a heavy blow to many sporting events around the world.
“However, winning my medals alongside and together with Wilfred Mashaya was the icing on the cake,” he said.
For a better understanding of this momentous achievement and its relevance to Fambira, one would have to start from the beginning.
Born on August 2, 1994, Fambira never thought it possible that one day he would be a Kobudo champion, let alone a martial artist.
He wanted to be an actor.
“As a young kid I was more into athletics, specialising in short distances and high jump.
“I also played a little chess, which is one of my hobbies to this day.
“I did like watching movies and dreamed of venturing into acting one day.
“This is where my fascination with martial arts comes from, as I am serious about becoming an action star and believe that having basic knowledge of weapons will come in handy one day,” he said.
His dream moved closer to reality in 2014 when Fambira joined the Zimbabwe Republic Police.
It is in the police force, where he serves as a constable, that Fambira met world Kobudo champion Mashaya.
The two police officers quickly formed a bond due to their collective love for action movies.
“I first met Sensei Mashaya during the Passout ceremony of 2014, and was in awe of his ability.
“I just had a fascination for martial arts, but it was only after I saw Mashaya perform
and saw that he had a great grasp of the art form.
“He took me under his wings and started training me in martial arts at first and then Kobudo.
“Since then, my love and understanding of martial arts has grown.
“It has taught me discipline, which is a key tenet and Kobudo will become handy in my dreams to venture into acting.
“Both fields also beneficial in my job as a policeman, especially when dealing with people with weapons,” he said.
Fambira has a yellow belt in So-Kyokushin and a green belt in Kobudo.
Scarce resources and difficulties in securing visas have prevented Fambira from competing at international tournaments.
“Locally, I have done a few exhibition shows and have not competed in any tournaments.
“I have tried to compete internationally, with the most recent attempt coming in 2018, but we faced a lot of challenges, namely failure to get funding and secure visas,” he said.
It is for these reasons that Fambira views the World Online Kata Championships as God-sent, as it resulted in his first real tournament.
It came as a distraction from the pandemic.
“Covid-19 has been a real mess, both physically and mentally.
“Training is hard when you have to do it alone and don’t have your coach or a sparring partner.
“There was also the fear and anxiety that it brought mentally, worsened by the fact that we were also coming from the devastation of Cyclone Idai,” he said.
Fambira added that it brought honour that he was not only able to compete in an international tournament for the first time, but win medals in the process.
