Since Edwin Musungu was introduced to Tong-IL Moo Do while at Baba Dogo Primary, he has not looked back.
And 10 years on, his hard work, determination and discipline eventually paid off with a gold medal at the just concluded Cheongju World Martial Arts Mastership Championship in Seoul, South Korea.
Musungu was the only Kenyan gold medalist at the championship that saw 15 countries take part. Kenya had a contingent of 20 members including 17 athletes and finished fourth at the championships behind overall winners Philippines.
But how did Musungu win the rare medal?
The 25-year-old says going the extra mile in his practice sessions has been his secret in the sparring U-67kgs category. He says he does a daily 10km morning run and uses the evenings to sharpen his sparring skills at his Best Kickers Martial Arts Club or at the ABC Gym in Westlands, where he is employed as a gym instructor.
“I do a lot of work out every day. First, I clear all instructions and assignments from my coach, then do extra practices or perfect the skills. This is always at night before I retire to bed,” said Musungu, upon arrival yesterday.
Musungu also credits his victory in South Korea to his long-serving coach Hillary Wahanda, who introduced him to the sport in 2006 when he was only 15.
“Hilary is very inspiring. He knows every strategy and tactics of the game. Through discipline and great desire to know more, I have learnt a lot from him,” he says.
Musungu adds that Hillary’s presence as the general coach in South Korea was a great morale booster for him as it made him to feel at home and gave him confidence to fight harder for the gold
On his way to victory, Musungu floored opponents from Thailand, Korea and India, before winning the final on points against a Filipino opponent.
