More than 150 karatekas are set to take part in the sixth edition of the Japan Karate Association Rwanda (JKA-Rwanda) Technical Seminar and Dan Grading in Kigali, where participants are seeking to improve their skills and graduate to higher Dan levels.
The four-day programme, running from August 13 to 16 at Cercle Sportif, also provides an opportunity for local instructors and judges to undergo assessment and earn internationally recognised certificates.
The seminar was officially opened in the presence of the Ambassador of Japan to Rwanda, Nakajo Kazuya, the Director General of Sports Development at the Ministry of Sports, Gilbert Muvunyi, and the president of the Rwanda Karate Federation, Damien Niyomugabo.
According to JKA-Rwanda Director Guy Rurangayire, the over 150 participants will be guided through the seminar by five Japanese instructors, including Takahiro and Miyoshi, who both hold 7th Dan, Ogusu with 6th Dan, as well as Haraguchi and Dr. Harano, who hold 5th Dan.
"Through this seminar, we gain skills from traditional karate and improve areas where our techniques need to be revised. What makes this session special is that we’re learning from the most experienced instructors,” Rurangayire told Times Sport.
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Fifteen participants will undergo assessment seeking to earn their first Dan, while nine will be looking to move from first Dan to second Dan. Another 12 participants will attempt to graduate from second Dan to third Dan.
Ambassador Kazuya expressed his delight at seeing how the partnership between Rwanda and Japan has contributed to the development of karate in Rwanda.
"It’s been a great journey since the first edition of this seminar. Though we still have a shortage of certified world-level instructors, we can see progress. No one can hesitate to openly say that Rwanda is on the right path towards making a mark in karate,” he said.
For this year’s edition, the more than 150 participants are exclusively from Rwanda, marking the main difference from the previous edition, which attracted karate practitioners from six countries.
The previous edition brought together participants from Japan, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Zambia, Uganda and Kenya. This year, however, the focus is entirely on developing and assessing Rwanda’s local karate practitioners, instructors and judges as the country continues its efforts to build a stronger base of internationally recognised karate personnel.