Ksa Champs of champs 2011 Rustenburg 4ways Martial Arts Academy, Goju Ryu Karate Club produced some incredible result. Stef Biagioni who is a 6th Dan and 3rd Dan in Kobudo instructor is now one of South Africans all Styles karate dojo with the most Protea and provincial accolades.

This weekend past (21st & 22nd October  2011), Karate South Africa had an all style karate Champs of Champs in Rustenburg were all the 5 provinces were represented to be the ultimate Champion of Champs. The quantities of competitors were reduced but the Quality was Fantastic! 

Earlier; on the 3rd August a Gauteng team had to be selected with reduced the number of entry to only 4 entries per division out of 9 regions represented in Gauteng. The following competitors were selected and received medal in Rustenburg 

Well done to Slade Taylor and Boniswa September for their Gauteng Colours as well. Lastly but not least a special congratulation to Joshua Pilling from Fourways Dojo, been recognized and Awarded the Best Children’s athlete for Karate South Africa 2011 in his respective divisions.

Karate South Africa also recognized Stef Biagioni’ s achievement this Years and awarded him with the Best Veteran Athlete for 2011. But the Biggest surprise was  that Stef Biagioni who is Chairman of Eastern Gauteng was also recognized and awarded the best province 2011.

In summary Fourways Martial Arts academy  brought home 20 medal and three awards out of the whole Country’s semi and full contact karate. Again I cannot stress more than enough on what a Golden Year this has been for the Karate club in Fourways, Bryanston and Sandton Area.

Well Done!!!!!!!!!!!

Regards
Stef Biagioni
Chairman: Eastern Gauteng Karate
Cell: 083 384 3026

As you all are aware four of our athletes; Michael, Victoria, Silvio and Luca, received their Protea Colours to represent South Africa at the 7^th WKF World Junior and Cadet Championship in Malaysia Melaka  on the 13^th to 16^th October 2011.

A team of 30 athlete from all over South Africa attended what was the highest standard of karate that I have ever seen especially the fact that they were ages from 14 years to 17years and could perform at a level of Athletical ability that is on the same levels as seniors.

This was with out of a doubt the Olympic of Karate. To be a medalist at this magnitude is an achievement that has still not yet been done in South African Karate History.

Unfortunately most of our team members did not make the first round except for Victoria who won her first round and lost in the second round to Turkey in Kata.

Silvio won two rounds and lost in the third round by just one flag (three flags for Algiers and two for Silvio) therefore ranking him 16^th in the world.

The Unison Team (Michael, Silvio and Luca) lost in the first round to the  Malaysian team who went right through to the finals of the repro-charge for Bronze.

This Championship was so huge with 87 Countries and just over 1500 competitors that even the President of Malaysia attended the Opening Ceremony. Countries like Egypt, Turkey, Iran, France, Italy and England were top of the medal tally.  South Africa and our Commonwealth Countries such as Australia and New Zealand did not even get one medal, this was the standard of the tournament.

In Summary: Northern African Countries as well as European Countries do Karate as a Professional sport and  it is their number one national sport; with huge amount of money pumped into the athletes.

Lastly they compete at this level at a rate of one International a Month therefore to them the World Championship is just another International event which they are used to it like their back Garden.

If we are lucky we have one International event every two years should we make the team therefore making us Amateurs .