The KJK Trio of Harm Venter, and Gerhard and Louw Schultz showed off their talent when they participated in the Senior African Kata Championships. The competition was held in Madagascar from 14 to 16 April where the judokas had to compete with the elites for a chance at silverware. The trio were the only South Africans in the competition, adding extra pressure.
Harm was happy with the effort he put forth in the competition and praised the country for its hospitality.
Front: Louw and Gerhard Schultz. Photo: Sonwabile Antonie
“The locals were friendly and we loved it. The competition was on a high level for kata but we have bigger aspirations – excelling in the Gauteng Championships and South African National champs. So this competition provided us with the space to improve before then.”
Gerhard who won three bronze medals was astounded by how much bigger and better his competitors were, but he quickly shrugged it off.
“There is room for us to grow and challenging better opponents proved that. We work, train and prepare hard for every competition and those are the keys to success. Trusting yourself is important, but for every competition one must set goals for what you want to achieve.”
Front: Louw and Gerhard Schultz. Photo: Sonwabile Antonie
Louw had loads of fun on the island and had a chance to see a lima before the intensity of the competition took over. This was his first judo competition at this level and he is happy that all the hard work he has put in paid off.
“Before the matches began we had a chance to scout the different halls we’d be competing in, which gave me the reassurance that things will be alright. Since Sensei Katja hosts plenty of in-house competitions, this helped us not to feel intimidated. Judo is a lifestyle for us and we will continue training,” he said.
Sensei Katja of KJK Judoka had a beaming smile as she praised her judokas for improving on what she has taught them and flying the country’s flag high.
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