Thuto keen to see martial arts unite
Calistus Kolantsho | Saturday June 10, 2023 06:00
Thuto has already made the first steps after setting up the Botswana All Budo Styles Association (BABUSA). Thuto was at the forefront of the formation of Hayashi Ha and Kufukan and is a former Botswana Karate Association (BOKA) vice president. “BOKA panics when I talk about this, thinking we want to swallow them. BABUSA is not my personal property. The Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC) has requested us to talk to BOKA,” he said. Thuto said looking for sponsorship for BABUSA is a challenge because some organisations have a policy that they cannot sponsor martial arts as it is considered a violent sport. “You find that most companies operating here are from outside and as a country, we must challenge such policies. It is our athletes who suffer at the end of the day. However, I do not blame such companies, it is how things stand at the moment,” he said.
Thuto said other companies always ask if BABUSA is recognised by the BNSC. Thuto said they want to affiliate with the BNSC for sport development and not for money. He said after affiliation, they will continue working hard. “Someone like Thapelo Mabeo does miracles in kung fu but he cannot represent his country. This is my fight that I want to see every child being part of martial arts,” he added. Thuto said BABUSA is not given the national flag when they travel outside the country as is the norm for other sport codes representing the nation. “When we go outside the country, we cannot be assisted by embassies in case anything happens to us. We are taking a risk by taking these children on trips,” he said. Thuto said the association is faced with financial challenges and they are even struggling to host BABUSA national championships this year, which have been postponed to next year. “We should host one national championship annually but it is difficult. We must be having kasho (training halls) in the southern and northern parts of the country. We should be sending a team to India. I should be travelling to Brazil and I should be hosting my chief instructor from France in September,” Thuto said.
BABUSA went through a hurdle when two affiliates, Oikado and Asai, pulled out and Thuto said it was a painful moment. “We were on this journey together and expected to arrive together at our destination. But to be honest with you, it is not a bad thing because it was only two affiliates. I have nothing against them,” he said. Thuto explained Oikado was formed in Botswana and does not have an international affiliation. He said Oikado founder, Hanshi Patrick Makgabenyana started it without any roots like Kofukan, which is Shito-Ryu. Thuto said they wanted Oikado to be under BABUSA so that they can also be recognised. “Oikado used to teach karate in schools but all students left to join other styles because they wanted an opportunity to represent their country. Oikado was not in BABUSA as a federation that was going to contribute much. We thought, in the long run, Oikado would get international affiliation,” he said.
Thuto said he was not aware that Oikado chief instructor, Kyoshi Moses Kgosibodiba wanted to be BABUSA president. “In 2017, when we held the first BABUSA elections at his dojo in Tlokweng, he came in as secretary-general and I was the president. I was also retained in my position after we registered the association. I only learnt afterwards that he was unhappy. I continued handholding him trying to show him where I want BABUSA to go,” he said. Thuto said Kgosibodiba was suspended from BABUSA after he resigned. He said the resignation affected the entire Oikado. Regarding Asai, Thuto said it had not paid BABUSA membership fees for two years. He said Asai chief instructor Martin Chapusa was the referees' commission chairperson. “When we requested the membership fee from Asai, they resigned. As we speak, Asai is not on the ground, it is only Chapusa." "When we formed BABUSA, we roped Chapusa in because we knew his history from BOKA. We are not hurt by the fallout, we can only be hurt by people who want to contribute to the growth of our association,” he said.
The remaining BABUSA affiliates are Tenshinkan Karate Federation, Botswana Tang Soo Do Sabnium, Botswana Kyokushin Karate Organisation, Goshin-Kan Jun Goju-Kai Botswana, Botswana National Wushu Federation, International Shito-Ryu Kenshikan Karate Do Botswana, International Kenbu Kai Karate Kobudo Federation, International Kung Fu and the Healing Centre. Thuto said he joined karate in the mid-1970s driven by a quest for revenge. “Karate has changed my life. I was abused when I was young; physically and emotionally by someone I thought was my father. When growing up, he told me that he was not my father. When I took karate at first, I was going to revenge on him. But karate turned that around, I became disciplined,” he said. Thuto said some children are going through a similar ordeal but find it difficult to express themselves. Thuto said karate has put him into platforms he never thought were possible. “I meet children from different backgrounds. I even buy karate suits for some of them because they are talented. I want to give opportunities so that they can be the best. That is what drives me,” Thuto said.