Sports / Other
Mugabe gets a seventh dan 'karate' black belt and the title 'kyoshi'
05 Mar 2013 at 06:25hrs | Views
THE World Bino Ryu Karate Do Organisation conferred President Mugabe with a seventh dan black belt and the title "kyoshi" in appreciation of being allowed to operate freely in Zimbabwe.
The style, which originates from India, has been operating in the country for several years and its local Branch Chief, Shihan Jairos Manjoro, handed over the black-belt, a certificate and a training kit to President Mugabe during the 21st February Movement celebrations in Bindura on Saturday.
Manjoro was accompanied by the patron of the bino-ryu style in Zimbabwe, Rose Peters, and three other bino-ryu instructors, Augustine Mutumbi, Munyaradzi Manjoro and Tinotenda Magaso.
In his citation, which he sent through Jairos Manjoro, the president and Grandmaster of the World Bino-ryu Karate Do Organisation, Santanu Srinivasan of India, said it was an honour for the style to be operating in Zimbabwe.
"It is a great honour and privilege to award the seventh dan black-belt and the title 'kyoshi' to your Excellency the Head of State of Zimbabwe.
"The seventh Degree Shichidan black-belt is the highest honour to be bestowed to an individual and it becomes fitting on His Excellency, the Head of State and Government and Commander In Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, who will be among other heads of states and governments to be accorded this status after the following was taken into consideration:
"On behalf of the World Bino Ryu Karate Do Organisation, we feel honoured to have been allowed into Zimbabwe and conduct our work freely without (any) hassles. We also enjoyed the peace and tranquillity that persists in Zimbabwe.
"The cordial and bilateral, brotherly and sisterly relationship that exists between the people of India and Zimbabwe through the great visionary (of) President Mugabe that has existed for the past 30 years.
"I would also like to honour and recognise the great courage, resilience, self determination, selflessness, commitment and dedication to his people, the marginalised people of the world and his commitment to the total empowerment, freedom and independence of the people of Zimbabwe shown by His Excellency, the Head of State and Government and Commander In Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, President Mugabe.
"His Excellency's wise leadership of this great nation, a peacemaker, a great visionary and commander per excellence both during the liberation struggle for the total independence of Zimbabwe and after Independence and standing by his principled stand for his people during all this difficult time that the Western and European countries have been assassinating his character and persecuting him for his principled stand on the total empowerment of the people of Zimbabwe.
"The world bino-ryu karate family also recognises His Excellency's policy on education and training where the country has been regarded to be having the highest literacy levels on the continent," S. Srinivasan said. The Indian Grandmaster said they are also grateful for having been allowed to have their headquarters for Africa in Zimbabwe.
"I would like to honour and thank His Excellency for having allowed the country to be the headquarters of the bino-ryu karate style in Africa and allowing Shihan Jairos Manjoro to be the Branch Chief (in Zimbabwe).
"Normally, junior belts are awarded for one's individual talent or expertise in martial arts but belts above sixth dan are awarded for technical expertise coupled with the mastery over the concept by writing this on the subject of martial arts one is connected with.
"An honorary seventh dan can also be called 'kyoshi' which means Professor of Professors. The principles allude to notions of humility, respect, compassion, patience and both an inward and outward calmness and above all an excellent human being, a preacher to the core worthy of being figured in the annals of history.
"The award shall comprise a certificate, the black-belt and training uniform for His Excellency who will be among other heads of states and governments to be conferred with the honorary black-belt," added S. Srinivasan.
The Branch Chief of bino-ryu in Zimbabwe, Jairos Manjoro, said the latest development means a lot to them as a style and the nation at large.
"To us it means a lot, it means karate is growing in Zimbabwe and also internationally.
"Actually when I went to India in 2009, I approached our Grandmaster over the issue and how we operate in Zimbabwe. I told him that we got all the support from the President of Zimbabwe, so we forwarded to him (the Grandmaster) our request to honour President Mugabe with a seventh dan black-belt. It was my idea but we had to do it through the Grandmaster and everything came from India. In fact, the certificate, the black-belt and the uniform came directly from our Grandmaster in India," Jairos Manjoro said.
He also said meeting President Mugabe in person was a dream come true and an honour for him.
"It was a wonderful thing meeting with the President and shaking hands with him. It was a great honour and a privilege . . . It's everyone's dream to meet him and I was overwhelmed," said Jairos Manjoro.
The style, which originates from India, has been operating in the country for several years and its local Branch Chief, Shihan Jairos Manjoro, handed over the black-belt, a certificate and a training kit to President Mugabe during the 21st February Movement celebrations in Bindura on Saturday.
Manjoro was accompanied by the patron of the bino-ryu style in Zimbabwe, Rose Peters, and three other bino-ryu instructors, Augustine Mutumbi, Munyaradzi Manjoro and Tinotenda Magaso.
In his citation, which he sent through Jairos Manjoro, the president and Grandmaster of the World Bino-ryu Karate Do Organisation, Santanu Srinivasan of India, said it was an honour for the style to be operating in Zimbabwe.
"It is a great honour and privilege to award the seventh dan black-belt and the title 'kyoshi' to your Excellency the Head of State of Zimbabwe.
"The seventh Degree Shichidan black-belt is the highest honour to be bestowed to an individual and it becomes fitting on His Excellency, the Head of State and Government and Commander In Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, who will be among other heads of states and governments to be accorded this status after the following was taken into consideration:
"On behalf of the World Bino Ryu Karate Do Organisation, we feel honoured to have been allowed into Zimbabwe and conduct our work freely without (any) hassles. We also enjoyed the peace and tranquillity that persists in Zimbabwe.
"The cordial and bilateral, brotherly and sisterly relationship that exists between the people of India and Zimbabwe through the great visionary (of) President Mugabe that has existed for the past 30 years.
"I would also like to honour and recognise the great courage, resilience, self determination, selflessness, commitment and dedication to his people, the marginalised people of the world and his commitment to the total empowerment, freedom and independence of the people of Zimbabwe shown by His Excellency, the Head of State and Government and Commander In Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, President Mugabe.
"His Excellency's wise leadership of this great nation, a peacemaker, a great visionary and commander per excellence both during the liberation struggle for the total independence of Zimbabwe and after Independence and standing by his principled stand for his people during all this difficult time that the Western and European countries have been assassinating his character and persecuting him for his principled stand on the total empowerment of the people of Zimbabwe.
"I would like to honour and thank His Excellency for having allowed the country to be the headquarters of the bino-ryu karate style in Africa and allowing Shihan Jairos Manjoro to be the Branch Chief (in Zimbabwe).
"Normally, junior belts are awarded for one's individual talent or expertise in martial arts but belts above sixth dan are awarded for technical expertise coupled with the mastery over the concept by writing this on the subject of martial arts one is connected with.
"An honorary seventh dan can also be called 'kyoshi' which means Professor of Professors. The principles allude to notions of humility, respect, compassion, patience and both an inward and outward calmness and above all an excellent human being, a preacher to the core worthy of being figured in the annals of history.
"The award shall comprise a certificate, the black-belt and training uniform for His Excellency who will be among other heads of states and governments to be conferred with the honorary black-belt," added S. Srinivasan.
The Branch Chief of bino-ryu in Zimbabwe, Jairos Manjoro, said the latest development means a lot to them as a style and the nation at large.
"To us it means a lot, it means karate is growing in Zimbabwe and also internationally.
"Actually when I went to India in 2009, I approached our Grandmaster over the issue and how we operate in Zimbabwe. I told him that we got all the support from the President of Zimbabwe, so we forwarded to him (the Grandmaster) our request to honour President Mugabe with a seventh dan black-belt. It was my idea but we had to do it through the Grandmaster and everything came from India. In fact, the certificate, the black-belt and the uniform came directly from our Grandmaster in India," Jairos Manjoro said.
He also said meeting President Mugabe in person was a dream come true and an honour for him.
"It was a wonderful thing meeting with the President and shaking hands with him. It was a great honour and a privilege . . . It's everyone's dream to meet him and I was overwhelmed," said Jairos Manjoro.
Source - theherald
