The Sunday Mail
Online Reporter
Zimbabwe Karate Union (ZKU) vice president Tawanda Mufundisi has described the just-ended Kyokushin karate seminar in Harare as “the prescription they needed” to unify the sport in the country.
Mufundisi believes local karate will benefit immensely from new techniques that were being showcased on the side-lines of the one-day seminar.
The event brought together 11 different branches of Kyokushin, who were showcasing their talents and techniques.
It represented a key milestone in re-establishing a united karate union.
“This is a very good initiative whereby many karate organisations came together in one accord.
“We have done small events in the past, but this seminar is the first of its kind because all of the ZKU organisations were well-represented,” he said.
Such kind of events, he added, will now take place on a regular basis.
“We are trying to break the barrier of politics in karate, whereby you say this guy is from Kyokushin kan or Kyokushin JTF.
“Unity is powerful … we will build a family whereby we become one in sport.”
Veteran karate administrator Tendai Marange – credited with grooming the bulk of the country’s top karatekas – said he was happy to see all his students coming together at the seminar.
“The idea of getting together like this makes me happy because they are sharing ideas.
“We got people from Taekwondo, we got Ninjutsu – there are almost five to sixteen styles who have participated in this – and I think it is a success,” Marange said.
