Chitungwiza Municipality employee Edmund Munyukwi is set to contest in the upcoming Karate Tournament in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, on December 7, where he hopes to upgrade his black belt to fourth dan.
Munyukwi, who will battle 40 men in Kumite to attain the fourth dan, said he was training intensively in preparation for the tournament.
“I am confident that I have what it takes to upgrade to fourth dan, and I have been working on my techniques to be ready for the challenge,” he said.
A black belt is measured in dan, a rank in karate that denotes a practitioner's level of expertise.
Fourth dan, also known as Yondan or Peaceful Mind Four, is a fourth degree acquired after four years with a black belt and is adorned with gold stripes.
The karateka who works under the council’s sewer section, however, said that his road to success was marred by a lot of challenges, such as lack of funding and other necessary resources.
“The biggest hurdle that I am encountering is a lack of sponsorship to cover travel expenses and accommodation," said Munyukwi.
Munyukwi wishes to host a karate tournament in Chitungwiza and train municipal police and anyone interested in joining karate.
“My ultimate goal is to give back to my community, and I hope to one day host a karate tournament right here in Chitungwiza. As of now I train a sizable number of youths at Unit L on Wednesdays," he said.
His journey started in 1998, when he was in grade 5. He then joined kyokushin in 2OO5.
