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Issue No: June 2007
Len Barnes Memorial Tournament 19th May 2007
For the first time since the loss of our “Father of Karate” a tournament was organized to commemorate the anniversary of his death. The tournament was a Junior and colts event ages 6-18 years.
Despite the terrible weather, the worst storm in years, we had a great turnout with 94 competitors from as far a field as Zimbabwe. From the outset I must thank ALL of you who made this tournament such a great success. Without our sponsorships we would not have been able to present the wonderful trophies, thanks to Solomon Brothers Property Holdings, as well as take care of our Zimbabwean delegation, thanks to the mothers off our students with a special thanks to Kathy Robins.
A thank you to Kaicho Hoosain Narker who with his team of officials came to the rescue, after we were badly let down by Shihan Tony Barker from our own organization and so ensured a smooth tournament which ended ON time!
The tournament started on time with the <6 years, which was an eye opener. To see these young kids in action was amazing, they copy their instructors to the tee! 1st place Tafadzwa Mushunje from Zimbabwe, who looked like a miniature Sempai Samson! 2nd place Zunaid Busby from Belhar and 3rd place Xanti Gqwetha Hanover Park.
Girls <8 years was won by Shameese Jaffer from Hanover Park, 2nd place Michelle Charandura from Zimbabwe, 3rd place Jameela Jassiem from Ashihara Karate.
Boys < 8 years <30kg: was a clean sweep by the Zimbabwe team! 1st Tadiwa Gatsi, 2nd Stephen Mulembasoja, 3rd Brett Kondowe. Well done!
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Adam Rawraway battling against thewinner Tadiwa Gatsi, the winner of the boys <8
Boys<8 years>30kg:1st place Justin Wiledebeest from Hanover Park, 2nd Matthew Ortscheit from Cape Town Honbu and 3rd Aaron Kleinsmidt from Belhar.
Boys <10 years: This was a full house for the hosts Kyokushin Karate Cape Town honbu, 1st place Samuel Rosenberg, 2nd Louis Ridon and 3rd Alexander Ortscheit.
Girls<10 years: 1st place Nasiera Abrahams from Ashihara Karate, 2nd Ashleigh-Kim Lodewyk from Ottery and 3rd Khomango Tandiwe from Hanover Park.
Boys <12 <40 kg: 1st place Mukudzei Murimi from Zimbabwe, 2nd Maset Thami from Cape Town Honbu, 3rd Brighton Handisen from Zimbabwe.
Boys <12 > 40kg: This was a full house for Sensei Rachmatolie Salie, with Dean Salie proving that his 1st place at last month South African National Championships was no fluke, coming 1st again, with his rival Shakeel Busby again playing second fiddle, 3rd was Mershad Booley
Girls <12: Again a full house for Sensei Salie, 1st place Ageelah Benjamin, 2nd Cindy Davids and 3rd Samantha Hare. Well done Sensei Salie!
Boys <14 <50 kg: 1st place Jake Klass from Cape Town Honbu,2nd Stanley Sigauke from Zimbabwe and 3rd Wade Daames from Eersterivier.
Boys <14 >50kg: 1st place Blaise Ntwali from Belhar, 2nd Sherman Visser from Ottery (see picture below) 3rd Kudakwashe Dzangare from Zimbabwe.
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Boys, 16 years 0pen 1st place Shingai Murimi from Zimbabwe with 2nd place Ricardo Leukes from Eersterivier.
Boys < 18 open : This was to be a warm up for Kieran Crowe in preparation for the KSA nationals and the Wold Cup in Okinawa in January. Kieran the hot favorite came up against Geoffrey Matava from Zimbabwe in the final and had to pull out all stops to defeat Geoffrey with an ippon in extra time. 1st place Kieran Crowe from Cape Town honbu, 2nd Geoffrey Matava from Zimbabwe and 3rd Almonti Pastor from Ashihara Karate. Both Kieran and Geoffrey showed that they will be a force to be reckoned with at the All Japan Kyokushin World Cup in January 2008.
ZIMBABWE and SWAZILAND:
Congratulations to the Zimbabwe delegation who under Sempai Samson Muripo and Chairman Stephen Charandura made a lasting impression on the Cape Town karate fraternity. Unfortunately the Swaziland delegation under sensei Amen Mayisela arrived to late for the tournament, however we managed to have a fruitful meeting which will result in the formation of a regional All Japan Kyokushin Union, Southern Africa Region. Shihan Bas is scheduled to have a regional meeting with Zimbabwe and Swaziland in August 2007.
LEN BARNES MEMORIAL 2008 In 2008
We will commemorate the 5th anniversary of the death of Shihan Len Barnes with an even bigger memorial tournament to which we will invite international participants. We have provisionally reserved the 14th June 2008 for the event.
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
The last two weeks of June has been set aside for gradings. Private schools close 22nd June whilst government schools close 29th June.
Our childrens classes will commence on MONDAY 16th JULY!
11th August: Ashihara International Tournament in Cape Town. Most of our older children (13 - 18 year) will have an opportunity to test their karate on an international level.
24 -25th August: South Africa Full Contact Nationals organized by Karate South Afri ca in Gauteng. Sensei Marco Meyer, Sempei Kieran Crowe and Lara Goldin will represent Cape Town Honbu at this annual Full Contact highlight
SUNDAY 9th SEPTEMBER is scheduled for our BUSHIDO day. This day is for our children, from 4 years up to participate !PLEASE keep this date free, to enable your child to take part.
NB: 6th OCTOBER 2007 We are going to have a fund raiser in aid of our athletes who are going to represent South Africa at the World Championships in Tokyo in January 2008. PLEASE, we Are going to need every one of our members to participate. Please keep that date free SATURDAY 6th OCTOBER
Saturday 1st December 2007 Brown and Black belt grading at Honbu.
Monday 17th December end of year function
SAFETY IN KARATE
Parents often ask me about potential physical harm that can befall students. Specially in competitions and tournaments and many parents are reluctant to let their children participate in tournaments(our Bushido days being the exception) Let me from the outside say that Kyokushin Karate is possibly the least dangerous of all karate style.
Kyokushin karate is a full contact style of karate, but paradoxically our style of karate has far less injuries than the so called “no contact “ styles. One reason being that we do not allow the children to punch to the face and secondly with over 40 years of teaching experience, I am very aware of the dangers of potential injuries, something which less experienced martial art teachers perhaps lack. This said, I watched a disturbing program on M Net two weeks ago which highlighted the terrible injuries and deaths sustained by scholars in playing rugby. I have no doubt that karate is probably the safest contact sport of ALL the contact sports, rugby, soccer, judo, wrestling, boxing, muay thai etc.
At our last tournament, The Len Barnes Memorial” we had three minor injuries. At senior level our injuries are limited to bruising and occasionally concussion. The reason why injuries are so minor in senior tournaments is that the more experienced an athlete becomes the better his defenses. So yes; Kyokushin Karate is a contact sport, but far safer than any other contact sport. What is scary and what parents sometimes construe as dangerous is the intimidation and aggression shown by contestants, which in itself can be very off putting, specially if you are 8 years old! Not even talking about parents, who entice and edge their children on, something to which I immediately put a stop to, when confronted with this immoral behavior. (happens at rugby and soccer to)
THANK YOU:
Again I cannot thank enough, those of you that helped with the running of the tournament. From selling T shirts, kitchen help, door, entrance, referees, timekeepers, first aid, cleaners, photographers and the Crowe brothers for their sound system, you made it all go smoothly.
OSU
Shihan Bas
TO KNOW, TO WILL, TO DARE, TO BE SILENT: SHIHAN LEN BARNES
Member of the ALL JAPAN KYOKUSHIN UNION
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