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Cultural Exchanges
Amsterdam
Belgium 14 - 24 July 2022
Belgium Tour 2022 14-23 July
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This tour was a great success with 28 of our South African members travelling to attend the 35th International karate do Goju Kai European Camp hosted by Belgium and organised by Joachim van Opstal Shihan who made a sterling effort in bringing our African and European Goju Kai family together for training under Saiko Shihan Goshi Yamaguchi (Son of our founder Gogen Yamaguchi Kaiso) , Ingo de Jong Hanshi and Peter Brandon Hanshi.
Saiko shihan was teaching on a big screen via zoom as the management of I.K.G.A. was not prepared to take a chance of Saiko Shihan travelling because of covid.
All members trained incredibly hard and a grading was attended by members grading up to Rokudan 6th Dan.
Friendships formed because of the hard work of Saiko Shihan now 80 years of age and the loyal Continental Directors appointed nearly 40 years ago by Gogen Yamaguchi himself was incredibly special to witness.
Gogen Kaiso would have been enormously proud of the loyalty of his son and the two Directors from Africa and Europe that still work everyday as the only true organisation that functions under Gogen Yamaguchi’s last will and testament.
Ingo de Jong Hanshi and Peter Brandon Hanshi continues working under Gogen Kaiso’s direct bloodline of sons and grandson.
Exchange trip to Switzerland (2021)
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We received an invitation in 2019 from the head of Switzerland Goju Kai, Horst Baumgartel Shihan to visit Switzerland but due to the Covid pandemic, we have been struggling to realise this tour. However, we never gave up on this once in a lifetime experience and had finally been given the green light to travel from 7 to 15 October 2021.
All students from different backgrounds will share this experience and benefit from this humanitarian journey.
Students and parents were exposed to fun-filled tours, meeting new friends within Swiss Goju Kai, participate in open-air karate demonstrations in the local town square and as ambassadors of South Africa, we visited the parliament house in Bern.
This tour was aimed at opening the hearts of our members by them understanding that kindness and tolerance of all people is key to the growth of the human spirit and is vital towards being a person that can contribute positively to the world.
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This tour is an African Warriors Of Light initiative. African Warriors Of Light, Goju Kai’s official NPO assists our less fortunate students to realise their dreams through travel.
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The group consisted of the following officials:
Frank Brandon Shihan
Craig Kansley Shihan
Rob Dekenah Sensei
Sean Ahmed Sensei
Geoff Staz Sensei
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Previous exchange trip to Venice in Italy (2017)
Frank Brandon Shihan getting an award from the government of Venice for his contribution to the upliftment of youth through the art of Goju Kai Karate.
