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Issue No 17: July 2009
Special Report 1 South Africa Kyokushin Union Tournament
20 June 2009
“The Len Barnes Memorial Tournament”
Saturday 20 th June we held our best ever Len Barnes Memorial Tournament ever. The competition has been renamed The SA Kyokushin Union Tournament and in future will be known as such.
Our tournaments have grown over the past years and this time we had a 135 competitors. The gratifying part is that we also attract athletes from the “semi-contact” groups e.g. Goju and JKA. The majority of our competitors however
are from the Full Contact component of karate. We received entries from Gauteng, Kwazulu-Natal, Freestate, Swaziland and Zimbabwe. Shihan Stephen Helm from Johannesburg, Sensei Thulane Sibisi from Eastern Gauteng and Sempai Bongani from Durban brought with them some of the top Kyokushin fighters in South Africa, whilst
Sensei Samson Muripo brought with him the top four Zimbabwe athletes with Sempai George Mutambu the favourite in the mens open division., Sempai George was runner up to Sensei Samson in the 2008 Karate South
Africa championship. Swaziland was represented by the young and upcoming Siza Magonga. accompanied by Sensei Amen Mayisela
The standard of the fighting has drastically improved, this due to regular visits from overseas instructors as well as the dedication from our local Shihans and Senseis. The training of our instructors in Japan is showing the desired results which was reflected in our tournament. Gone are the days when Full Contact contests looked more like a street fight instead of a martial art contest. In the mens L/W division, under 70kg, there were a couple of athletes who would have made their mark at the World Championship held in Osaka last month and make South Africa proud;
only financial backing stood in their way.
In line with international trends our junior students all participate under full contact rules, wearing helmets, gloves and shin protectors and doing away with old fashioned “clicker” system. I have found that there are far less injuries
in our full contact contests than in the so called “semi-contact” competitions, where athletes regular sustain serious injuries to their face. It was a revelation to observe the youngsters in Japan contesting without helmets (optional in Japan). Of the 200 children participating in the last World championships there was not a single serious injury, except for dented pride!
Our tournament as usual, started dead on time with the under 8 opening the competition. The final L/w division was contested by Tafadzwa Mushunji , Zimbabwe and Jonathan Kesler, Greenpoint The contest was absorbing with both athletes giving it “stick”, with Tafadzwa being declared the winner, he fought like a miniature Sensei Samson! Third and fourth place were shared by Rymano Veldsman, Sensei Primo Abrahams and Rofhiwa Ramuthaga,
Shihan Stephen Helm Gauteng. The H/W division was won by Tasriq Frey, Sempai Jonathan Smith, 2nd Maxwell Fiellies, Sensei Abrahams with Uthmaan Allie, Sensei Rachmatolie Salie and Ubaid Murtz, Sempai Smith third and fourth.
Final of the Boys under 16 Dylan Stelmeester (Kyokushin Karate) executing his favourite spinning Ushiro Kakato Geri; well blocked by
Joseph Hardenburg (Ashihara Karate) the eventual winner.
Referee: Sensei Samson Muripo (Our World Karate Champion)
The Girls under eight division was won by Mishka Booley, an entry from Sensei Leon Abrahams a Goju exponent! Well done Sensei Leon. 2nd was Casey Syms Greenpoint Honbu with Shaan Rhodes Sensei Primo and Fatima Booley Shihan Helm third and fourth.
Boys under 10: The L/W div was won by Chad White Sempai Smith, 2nd Matthew Abrahams Greenpoint Honbu with Aaron Sherman GP honbu and Leo Marakab Zimbabwe third and fourth.
The H/W division had the most entries (20) and was fiercely contested.Nathaniel Bent Sensei Haroun Trimm after 4 fights won the gold with Aston Little Sempai Smith 2nd. Third and fourth were Carlton Gotma Sensei Salie and Toufeeg Taliep
Sensei Leon, Goju.
Girls under 10 was won by Chloee Gree n from Shihan Dave Bristow with Chanelle Visser Goju second. Third and fourth were Grechen Mc Kay and Yusrah Davids both from Sempai Smith.
Boys Under 12: The L/W final was a tough win for Sasha Abramowitz Greenpoint Honbu, who beat the Zimbabawe favourite Roy Mbere. Third and fourth were Laundre
Maxeme Ashihara karate and Jeann-Luc Chiapparelli Greenpoint Honbu
The H/W again had a lot of competitors. First Zingisa Mabilwana Sensei Ebrahim Njili beating Itu Mokata Shinan Helm with Alexandre Ortscheit Greenpoint Honbu
and Jody Webb Sempai Smith third and fourth.
The Girls L/W was won by Zimkhito Joeli with Michaela Symons GP Honbu runner up. The H/W was a triumph for Shihan Stephen from Gauteng with Suku Gumede getting
gold with Carin McKay Sempai Smith silver. In third and forth place were Nina Moletsana Gauteng and Sherry-Lee Rhode Sensei Primo
Boys under 14 L/W was again a triumph for Gauteng with Lucas Befu Shihan Stephen beating Maset Thami Greenpoint Honbu in the final with John Jordaan Greenpoint Honbu and Gontzi Sambane Shihan Stephen third and fourth. The H/W was a repeat of the L/W’s with Shihan Stephen’s Niren Subramoney gaining gold, Strachan Giovanni Sensei Salie silver with third and fourth Ntsikelo Ncelethi Sensei Haroun and Daniel Harvey Shihan Stephen
There was no stopping Shihan Helms students in the Girls Division. It was a one/ two for the Gautengers Justine Wright triumphing over her sister Kashaan Wright with
Cindy Davids Sensei Salie third with Caylin Chapman Sensei Primo fourth
The boys under 16 open saw some spectacular fights with favourite Adam Klass being knocked out by Dylan Stelmeester with a magnificent Ushiro Kakate Geri, who
however lost in the final against Joseph Hardenburg Ashihara karate. Third and fourth were Ziyad Green Sensei Haroun and Adam Klass Greenpoint Honbu The Girls open div was a clean sweep by Shihan Stephen taking the first three places. Gold Athiyah Rodrigues, silver Samantha Jessiman and bronze Nikita Ramjilm
Boys under 18 was a disappointment for the favourite Justin Petersen Greenpoint Honbu, who lost his opening bout against the Gauteng champion Xolile Vena, Sensei
Thulane Sibisi, who went on to become the eventual gold medal winner. Silver went to Justice Mosala, Sensei Thulane with third and fourth Sasveer Chauhan Shihan
Stephen and Tshediso Mmye Sensei Thulane.
The girls open div again saw Sensei Thulane’s ladies succeed. First place Mbali Msomi, 2nd Nthabiseng Moloi both Sensei Thulane 3rd and 4th place were Murendeni Ramuthago Shihan Stephen and Chavonne Matthys Sensei Salie
Male Under 70 KG:
The adult competion was the best we have witnessed for many years. 24 athletes competed in this division and the standard was exceptional high. Bongani Zungu ,a student of Shihan Stephen Helm showed remarkable technic in fighting his way past the Gauteng and Zimbabwe champions. He beat the KSA champ Thokozane Ngcobo , Sensei Thulane,in a pulsating final. Abdul Dlamini , Ashihara, was third with Robson
Mucheni, Zimbabwe fourth.
Mens Open:
Gabulani Sibiya the Gauteng champion from Sensei Thulane was to strong for Jonathan Smith whilst George Mutamba , Zimbabwe, disappointed with a third
place. Sempai George is the current runner up in the National KSA tournament. Fourth placed was Siza Magonga Sensei Thulane. Female Open :was won by Thandeka Mbona Kwa-Zulu Natal beating Mary Setladi Gauteng
All round the tournament was a huge success watched by a large crowd who enjoyed some magnificent contests. No doubt we will need a larger venue next year.
Thank you to all our sponsors, fighters, officials and assistants, without you there is no tournament
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At a lunch function at our Dojo, Sensei Charmaine presented Shihan Bas with his 7th
Dan and certificate in front of his students. Shihan Bas was awarded his Nanadan
(7th Dan) in Japan last month
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COMING EVENTS TO DIARIZE!
5 September KSA National Trials Cape Town
13 September Bushido (Childerens) Day
(At Honbu)
23 September end of third school term
5 October start of last school term
(CHILD GRADINGS!!)
October Ashihara International
5 December Brown and Black belt Seminar
6 December Senior Grading
(Brown and Black belt)
See our World Cup Report
TO KNOW, TO WILL, TO DARE, TO BE SILENT: SHIHAN LEN BARNES
Member of the ALL JAPAN KYOKUSHIN UNION
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