Moruakgomo hits karate’s 7th heaven
Calistus Kolantsho | Saturday August 26, 2023 06:00
Moruakgomo holds the distinction of being the highest-ranked karateka in the country, a feat achieved after years of sweat, determination and hard work. He now holds a 7th Dan black belt. As the chief instructor for KSI Botswana, Moruakgomo recently told Mmegi Sport that achieving the 7th Dan grading is the realisation of a lifelong dream.
"It has been a long journey to arrive where I am. I took my team to the Kimura Shukokai International (KSI) World Championships in Cape Town. The championships are held every two years on a rotational basis per country. This time Southern Africa was given a chance to host in July. It was a big tournament with around 16 countries in attendance.
As chief instructors we are graded during those championships," he explained. Moruakgomo recounted that his last grading was in Germany in 2017 during the World International Gashiku session. He said all the Shihans were present in honour of his journey to achieving the 7th Dan rank after 30 years in karate. He was the first Motswana to establish a karate school in Botswana in 1986, and in 1987, his club represented Botswana in England, marking the country's debut in the Shukokai team.
This achievement has propelled him forward, and he has since nurtured the majority of karatekas in Botswana. Aged 66, Moruakgomo detailed the rigorous preparation leading up to his grading. He highlighted the necessity to intensively train for a month prior, meticulously analyse techniques, and effectively interpret them. "It is not whereby you are assessed by your students. At this stage you have to show what you know, you do kata and advanced kata and you are judged by your performance and technique.
Being a 7th Dan means growth for karate in the country. "When we formed the Botswana Karate Association (BOKA) back in the day, the idea was to bring karate to a level where it can be recognised worldwide and discipline was paramount. Unfortunately, along the way, we lost discipline but I hope we are back on track. Our students have started to compete and bring medals from outside. Karate has always brought medals more than other sporting codes," he affirmed. With years of unrelenting effort, Moruakgomo firmly believes that his position atop the rankings is well-deserved. He established karate clubs in SSKB, EMG, and Francistown after joining the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) in the 1970s. "I joined karate because of the discipline that it carries. I grew up in Mahalapye; I was always involved in a fight one way or the other but I was a sport person.
The other guys used to pick on me so I needed something that could give me confidence not necessarily to fight other people. Karate came my way and as a young singer back then, I could easily relate the technique with the singing. You use your diaphragm when you punch, so it is an art form," he elaborated. Moruakgomo underlined how karate fosters respect and cultivates a virtuous lifestyle. During his youth, he learned karate from a visitor who arrived in Gaborone from South Africa. He reminisced about the dedicated training of up to eight hours a day during those years, which significantly contributed to his progression. "The person who introduced karate to us in 1974 was a Shukokai guy.
It is more natural unlike other styles like Shoto-kan, and the stance is wide. As I progressed in the style, I realised that there are many interesting things within Shukokai. In terms of geographical positioning, KSI Botswana has three dojos in Gaborone, an academy in Mahalapye and another dojo in Selebi-Phikwe. We used to have many dojos before but we are trying to bring them back," he explained. KSI Botswana's BOKA membership encountered termination due to accusations of non-compliance with the Registrar of Society (ROS).
However, the decision was overturned by the executive committee led by Mpho Bakwadi when they assumed office. In response to this reversal, Moruakgomo clarified that the expulsion had repercussions on KSI's operations. "It was an issue of indiscipline. There was no reason for us to be expelled, we did nothing. It was all about a numbers game ahead of BOKA executive committee elections.
They knew that if KSI was there, they were going to lose. Hence the current committee reinstated us. We used to make the mistake of having people in lower grades in BOKA leadership, now we have Bakwadi, who is a 6th Dan. He has to take responsibility and make sure that karate makes a comeback," he expressed. Moruakgomo said 7th Dan is a huge achievement and probably if he pushes on, when he reaches 10th Dan, he will invent his own technique. Meanwhile, Moruakgomo emphasised the equilibrium he maintains between his musical pursuits and karate. He recounted his experiences studying in Japan during a world tour, where he had the opportunity to train.