adminEllina Mhlanga Sports Reporter
THE Kyokushin Union of Zimbabwe will this weekend host more than 50 junior and senior karatekas in a grading ceremony set for Raylton Sports Club.
The grading is pencilled in for Saturday with participants from various dojos expected to be upgraded starting from the white belt to third dan black belt. And in preparation of the gradings the union will hold a three-day seminar starting today at Raylton Sports Club.
The gradings will be conducted by Shihan Bastiaan Lendert Van Stenis who is the chief examiner and will be assisted by KUZ chief instructor Samson Muripo and Shihan Jiyuu Shibata, a fifth dan black belt holder from Japan.
However, Shibata who is expected in the country today will first take the participants through the basics of the sport during a training seminar to prepare them for the grading while Van Stenis from South Africa is expected to arrive tomorrow ahead of the gradings.
Muripo said the seminar would be focusing on kumite and kata as they fine-tune their fighters for Saturday’s event.
“We have gradings on Saturday so the seminar is meant to polish people for the gradings. We are starting from the white belt to black belt third dan.
“For the seminar we are looking at the basics, kumite and kata. Shihan Shibata from Japan, a fifth dan holder is coming to conduct the seminar. So we have created a situation whereby locals get a touch from him, we want them to benefit as much as they can from his coming.
“Shihan Van Stenis will conduct the gradings, he will be the chief examiner but I will also be on the grading panel together with Shihan Shibata,” said Muripo.
Muripo said they will be assessing the fighters on their ability and other skills to see if they are fit for grading.
“We will be looking at their skills, ability and understanding of kata because that’s the purpose of his (Shibata) coming. He knows better than I do.
“We last had our gradings in February 2012. We had about 45 participants and this year we have around 60, so the numbers are increasing. We have fighters drawn from various dojos, some are coming from Bulawayo and Mutare,” said Muripo.
Muripo, however, said the seminar starting today is open to anyone interested besides those that will be graded.
“It’s also open to others who want to come for fun but the main business is for the gradings. It’s also open to fighters from other karate styles,” added Muripo.
Some of the karatekas to be graded are Nicholas Muchatisi, Tinashe Matika, Sly Karidzamimba, Kumbirai Musinami, Austin Chituwa and Austin Mucheni.
Online Reporter