Ordinary citizens embrace Karate as a sport and physical fitness regime

Sensei Koichiro Okuma, 6th DAN, Japan Karate Association, JKA, Headquarters demonstrate to Instructors in an extension training at Impala Club during the Japan Karate Association for a Five days East Africa Regional Gasshuku Training Camp at Kasarani on Saturday, August 17th, 2014. Photo/Jonah Onyango

Nairobi; Kenya: Yoshio Tamura was a renown head coach of the Kenyan Karate teams in much of the 1970s up to the 90s.

He came to the country as part of Japan's technical and cultural aid. He remembers how Karate caught on as a sport and how it was taught as a working tool for Kenya Prisons, Police, National Service and Military personnel.

But also, very satisfactorily, that Karate was widely embraced by ordinary Kenyans as a sport, physical fitness regime and self-defence tool.

"Things have changed somewhat. For example in schools, as widely as possible, interested children ought to have enough instructors.

Currently these seem available only in rich schools where parents can pay high fees for instructors... and the instructors are hardly of very good calibre."

Administration squabbles in Karate is a common phenomena.

The original, successful Karate Association of Kenya (KAK) collapsed to be succeeded by various other organisations and currently the controlling body is the Kenya Karate Federation (KKF)

PREPARING A TEAM

The KKF is preparing a team for World Karate Championships to take place in Bremen, Germany between November 5 and 9.

The Japan Karate Association still gives some assistance to the Kenyan federation and recently sent a sixth Dan Sensei Koichiro Okuma to conduct a five-day coaching clinic in Kenya last month.

Participating clubs included coach Hezron Ouma's Mbita Karate Club from Homa Bay who hoped that some of his karatekas will make the Kenya team to Germany.

"Such opportunities come once in a while and we are excited about it," Dondi told FeverPitch after the clinic.

TRAINING HARD

"We are training very hard even as we wait to hear how many of our players will be in the national team," he added.

The Japan Association Karate coaches were assisted by Edward Mshale a South African and retired Col Vincent Anami, a Kenyan.

Order of merit in a recent national inter-counties championship supervised by KKF (24 counties took part):

1. Kisumu County

2. Utalii Club

3. Nairobi County

4. Nakuru County

Some prominent karatekas in recent tournaments:

Nakuru team (Men):

5. Abubakar Otieno

6. Paul Kamau

7. Kevin Mambo

8. Humphrey Lisemba

9. Joseph Kaaga

10. Coach - Daniel Wainaina

Nakuru, kumite and kata team (Women):

1. Rachael Njeri

2. Alice Wachira

3. Natasha Narata

4. Martha Davids

5. Ummkuthum Mohamed.

Other prominent teams (clubs):

-National Social Security Fund.