News

NATIONAL ALL STYLES KARATE CHAMPIONS – 2022

The Cobras Shotokan Karate Club National Champions recently returned with a total of 23 Medals from the World Union of Karate-Do Federations (WUKF) South African Championships which took place on the 25^th & 26^th of March at the Southern Sun Board Walk Hotel in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth).

A total of 500 competitors from 13 different federations from all around the country took part in this very prestigious event. Competition was tough, but the high standards of the students from the Cobras Club enabled them to come home with a total of 9 x Gold Medals, 11 x Silver medals and 3 x Bronze Medals.

The Cobras Shotokan Karate club train at Ascot Mews (19 Heidelberg Road, Alberton – Opposite Makro) on Monday & Wednesday evenings 17.30 – 18.30 (Beginner classes) and 18.30-19.30 (Advanced Classes). For more information, please contact Sensei Laurent 082 494 2704 or Sensei Nicholas 082 302 8637. Alternatively visit our website www.albertonkarate.co.za

Photo (Left to Right):

Front: Ivy-Lynn Griffin (1 x Gold and 1 x Silver), Sahara Peel (1 x Bronze), Alexander Aucamp (1 x Silver) and Victoria Aucamp (1 x Silver).

Second Row: Senior Instructor Sensei Nicholas Gaston Bellegarde (4 x Gold), Rameeste Mahlatse (1 x Silver), Zoey Holms (1 x Silver), Bokamoso Makhene (2 x Silver and 1 x Bronze), Alexcia Andrade (1 x Gold), Sensei Vuyelwa Qayiso and Senior Instructor Sensei Laurent Gaston Bellegarde (2 x Gold and 1 x Silver).

Back: Ryan Hovell Erasmus (1 Silver x 1 Bronze), Xavier Boshoff (Certified Judge), Tyron Dos Santos (1 x Silver), Kreshay Ramjith (1 x Silver), Sensei Kaylee Beine and Raveen Dayaram (1 x Gold & Certified Judge).

WUKF NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP – 2022

Top Karate Grades for Alberton Sensei’s – 2021

Photo: (Left to Right) – Sensei Laurent Gaston-Bellegarde, Hanshi Koos Burger and Sensei Nicholas Gaston-Bellegarde.

Senior instructors of the Cobras Shotokan Karate Club in Alberton, father and son, Sensei Laurent and Nicholas Gaston-Bellegarde are proud to announce the recent achievement of them both being graded to their next Black Belt Dan grades. Sensei Laurent was awarded his 7^th Dan Black belt and Sensei Nicholas his 6^th Dan Black Belt by Hanshi Koos Burger, Style Head of the South African Shotokan Karate Academy (SASKA). Hanshi Koos Burger is a world renowned Karate Figure, currently a 9^th Dan Black Belt and also the Vice President of the World Union of Karate Federations (WUKF). He is also a Technical Director of the International Shotokan-ryu Karate Shihan-Kai (ISKS). After their minimum waiting periods since their last Dan Grades, both Sensei Laurent and Nicholas were invited to attend the national Black Belt grading held at the end of March 2021. It was a tough grading where both individuals were put to the test, mentally and physically and where their 33 years of karate training experience, together with 25 years of teaching and coaching karate, helped them pass this tough examination. The Cobras Shotokan Karate Club are very proud of both their Senior Instructors on this achievement, and as they celebrate this year 25 years of Karate in Alberton, they look forward to welcoming all new members, both young and old, to join them and learn from the wealth of knowledge, experience and skills which their Senior Instructors have to offer. For more information on the Cobras Shotokan Karate Club contact Sensei Laurent on 082 494 2704 or Sensei Nicholas on 082 302 8637

Cobras Karate continue to train – Gashuku held in in October 2020

Success at Year End Karate Grading – 2019

Students from the Cobras Shotokan Karate club in Brackenhurst recently attended the Club’s final grading for the year. It was a very tough grading, but all students did exceptionally well to pass to their next belt levels. Senior Instructors, Sensei’s Laurent and Nicholas, plus assistant instructors Sensei’s Andrea, Kaylee and Amy are all very proud of the club’s exceptional standard. The Cobras Shotokan Karate club train on Monday & Wednesday evenings 17.30 – 18.30 at Glenview Primary School in Brackenhurst. (For more information, please contact Sensei Laurent 082 494 2704 or Sensei Nicholas 082 302 8637).

Alberton Karate Prize Giving – 2019

The Cobras Shotokan Karate club in Brackenhurst, Alberton hosted their 2019 Year end Prize Giving to award medals and trophies to the club’s top achievers for the year. This was the Club’s 24th annual prize giving and Sensei Laurent and Sensei Nicholas, the Senior Instructors of the Club, were very proud to hand over the 15 Floating trophies and numerous other trophies and medals for the individuals who excelled over the year.
(The Cobras Shotokan Karate club train on Monday & Wednesday evenings 17.30 – 18.30 at Glenview Primary School in Brackenhurst. For more information, please contact Sensei Laurent 082 494 2704 or Sensei Nicholas 082 302 8637).

Alberton Karateka off to WUKF World Championships – June 2019

Five members from the Cobras Shotokan Karate Club in Alberton have been selected to compete at the year’s World Union of Karate-do Federations (WUKF) World Championships being held in Slovakia, from 20-23 June 2019. A lot of hard training is already underway and the Club wishes them all of the best for these championships.
The Cobras Shotokan Karate club train at Glenview Primary School in Brackenhurst on Monday and Wednesday evenings 17.30 – 18.30. For more information, please contact Sensei Laurent 082 494 2704 or Sensei Nicholas 082 302 8637. Alternatively visit our website www.albertonkarate.co.za

Photo – From left to right
Back: Joshua Baloyi, Makoena Maona, Sensei Laurent Gaston-Bellegarde, Bokang Sigasa and Juan Crous

Alberton Karate Medal Winners – May 2019

Students from the Cobras Shotokan Karate club in Alberton recently took part at the ISKF Lenasia All Styles Karate tournament, held on Saturday 4 May 2019. 14 students from the club took part and returned home with a total of 27 medals. The Sensei’s are very proud of these outstanding achievements.

Front (Left to Right): Jordan Pothiah (2 x Bronze), Matthew Pothiah (2 x Bronze), Bokamoso Makhene (1 x Gold, 1 x Silver), Tyler Holm(2 x Silver) and Bokang Sigasa (1 x Gold),
Back (Left to right): Sensei Nicholas Gaston-Bellegarde, Zoey Holm (2 x Silver), Hayden Fish (2 x Bronze), Kieran Fish(1 x Gold), Sensei Andrea Tiedt, Ryan Hovell-Erasmus (1 x Silver, 1 x Bronze), Juan Crous (2 x Silver), Darshal Chinia (2 x Gold), Javier Chinia (2 x Gold, 1 x Silver) and Sensei Laurent Gaston-Bellegarde.

Alberton Karate Medal Winners – April 2019

Students from the Cobras Shotokan Karate club in Alberton recently took part at the Goju-Ryu All Styles tournament, held in Pretoria on 13 April 2019. 8 students from the club took part and returned home with a total of 15 medals. The Sensei’s are very proud of the outstanding achievements of these students.

Front (Left to Right): Bokang Sigasa (1 x Gold, 1 x Silver), Bokamoso Makhene (2 x Silver), Makoana Maona (1 x Gold, 1 x Silver) and Alexander Aucamp (1 x Gold, 1 x Silver).
Back (Left to right): Sensei Nicholas Gaston-Bellegarde, Musa Sono (2 x Gold), Ryan Hovell-Erasmus (1 x Silver), Juan Crous (2 x Silver), Joshua Baloyi (1 x Gold, 1 x Silver) and Sensei Laurent Gaston-Bellegarde.

SASKA SA Championship Medals for Alberton Karate – March 2019

Students from the Cobras Shotokan Karate club in Brackenhurst recently took part at the South African Shotokan Karate Academy (SASKA) National Championships which took place in Pretoria on 22 & 23 March 2019. This was a very well attended event and not only Shotokan karate clubs took part, but selected clubs from other styles were also invited to attend. The Cobras club reigned superior at this tournament and returned home with a total of 92 medals amongst the 37 students from the club who took part.
The Cobras club won the Strongest Club of the tournament and also walked away with all 4 of the Top Achiever Trophies for the tournament: Best Senior Male (Nicholas Gaston-Bellegarde), Best Senior Female (Andrea Tiedt), Best Junior Male (Reatlegile Moleleki) and Best Junior Female (Amy Howard).

Front (Left to Right): Alexander Aucamp (1 x Silver), Alex Holm (1 x Gold, 1 x Bronze), Bokang Sigasa (2 x Gold, 1 x Silver, 1 x Bronze), Makoena Maona (1 x Gold, 1 x Silver), Bokamoso Makhene (2 x Gold, 1 x Silver, 1 x Bronze), Augusto Kentsop (1 x Gold, 1 x Bronze) and Lesego Diphoko (1 x Gold, 1 x Silver)
Row 2 (Left to Right): Tiana Figueiredo (1 x Gold, 1 x Silver, 1 x Bronze), Liana Gouveia (1 x Gold, 2 x Silver, 1 x Bronze), Hayden Fish (1 x Gold, 2 x Silver, 1 x Bronze), Jaiveer Chinia (2 x Gold), Zoey Holm (1 x Gold), Joshua Baloyi (1 x Gold, 1 x Silver) and Sensei Laurent Gaston-Bellegarde (2 x Gold).
Row 3 (Left to right): Sensei Nicholas Gaston-Bellegarde (3 x Gold), Kieran Fish (1 x Gold, 1 x Silver, 2 x Bronze), Daniel van Wyk (1 x Gold, 1 x Bronze), Kishan Chetty (1 x Bronze), Dario Gouveia (2 x Gold, 1 x Silver), Juan Crous (3 x Gold, 1 x Bronze), and Darshal Chinia (1 x Silver).
Back (Left to Right): Zita Gouveia (3 x Silver), Kaylee Beine (1 x Bronze), Ryan Hovell-Erasmus (1 x Gold, 1 x Silver), Tian Venter (2 x Bronze), Reatlegile Moleleki (3 x Gold, 2 x Silver), and Andrea Tiedt (3 x Gold, 1 x Silver).
Absent: Joshua Sheriff (1 x Silver), Evan Sheriff (1 x Silver, 1 x Bronze), Samukelisiwe Madonsela (2 x Gold, 2 x Silver), Musa Sono (1 x Gold, 1 x Silver), Andries du Toit (1 x Bronze), Waydon Joemath (1 x Gold, 1 x Silver, 1 x Bronze), Marelize Howard (2 x Gold, 2 x Silver) and Amy Howard (3 Gold, 2 x Silver).

World Championship Medals for Alberton Karate – 2018

The World Union of Karate-Do Federations (WUKF) recently held the 7^th World Karate Championships for all ages, in Dundee, Scotland from 14-17 June 2018. The event was a huge success attended by over 2 000 athletes from 42 different countries. Competition was fierce and divisions were huge, but nothing stood in the way of the Team members representing SASKA South Africa, from the Cobras Shotokan Karate Club in Alberton.

Six members from the Cobras Club attended this World Championship and they returned home with 5 medals in total. Medallists were Senior Instructor Sensei Laurent Gaston-Bellegarde (2 x Bronze Medals – Veteran Men’s Individual Kata & Kumite), Sensei Andrea Tiedt (1 x Silver Medal – Senior Ladies Team Kumite and 1 x Bronze Medal – Ladies Individual Kumite) and Zita Gouveia – 1 x Silver Medal – Senior Ladies Team Kumite).

Back:Senior Instructor Sensei Nicholas Gaston-Bellegarde, Sensei Andrea Tiedt, Zita Gouveia, Reatlegile Moleleki, Senior Instructor Sensei Laurent Gaston-Bellegarde
Front: Bokamoso Makhene.

Pretoria North all Style’s Shorin Ryu Shorinkan Competition – 2018