Karate festival set for Harare

Paul Munyuki Sports Reporter
JINDOKAI Karate Zimbabwe are set to host the biggest karate festival with more than a 100 participants expected to take part from all over the world.
Karatekas from the United States, the Cook Islands, Zambia, Norway, Scotland, Japan, Greece, South Africa are expected to take part in the 10-day seminar set for Prince Edward School and Old Hararians Jindokai at the end of August.

The seminar is billed to run from August 28 to September 4 and, at least, four top international karatekas will conduct the training and grading of participants.
Eighth dan instructor Katherine Loukoupoulos, who spent 14 years living and training at Hombu Dojo in Okinawa, Japan, is set to come for the festival.

Also in the delegation are Hanshi Brian Rogers, Hanshi Ron Nix, Hanshi Steven Chan, Shihan Jason Fitzpatrick and Shinah Gord Davis.
Jindokai Zimbabwe chairman, Godwin “Jaws” Murambiwa, said the seminar will focus on different arts at different times for the duration of the event.

“We have a contingent of very senior karatekas coming for 10 days of training and upgrading of local karatekas in August and the arts that will be covered during this seminar are shorin ryu goju and shotokan, aiki jijutsi, goshin jutsu and kobudo weapons.

“We bid last year and for our master and head of Jindokai Chan Sensei to award this to Zimbabwe is an opportunity to showcase his Zimbabwean students whom he rates very highly internationally.

“To cover for some of the expenses, a fee of US$60 will be charged for those wanting to take part, local or international, which includes food. A Greek woman who is 8th dan and a direct student of the late Shian Toma of Seidokan Karate and Kobudo Remnei will be here for the first time.

“For this grading exercise we are expecting about 100 karatekas from USA, Japan, Greece, United Kingodom, Sweden, Norway, Scotland, Hong Kong, Zambia, the Cook Islands just to mention but a few,” said Murambiwa.

Murambiwa, who reopened the Jindokai dojo at Old Hararians about two years ago, has been doing a sterling job at the centre.

“I am pretty humbled and honoured that we are going to host an event of such magnitude because it includes teachers with up to ninth dan black belts and that says a lot about it,” said Murambiwa.

“As Jindokai Zimbabwe I am sure we will never be the same again because we also have national champions from these countries who will interact with our own.
“For our national squad and local karatekas, spending 10 days learning first-hand from international stars can only be beneficial.”