60 years later, karate doyen Kaizerali faithful to martial arts

It unfolds like a movie.

The 12 ladies and eight men standing inside the well-lit, carpeted hall at Zahra Sign Systems Limited, in Industrial area, Nairobi, break into applause, as a wooden panel breaks into several pieces from 73-year-old Kaizerali Burhani Karimbhai’s single strike with his palm.

The experience leave in awe journalists seated at the back, covering the Saturday morning martial arts training session.

How could a normal human possess such energy?

People breaking wood panels or blocks with their bare hands is synonymous with Japanese and Chinese movies and many have dismissed them as mere acting.

That indeed it is something possible, the scribes are left shaking their heads. But, for Burhani, breaking a wooden panel with a single palm strike is a no-brainer.

“It is not something difficult. What one needs is good training to understand how well to execute it,” says Burhani in a frail voice.

TAKING CHARGE

Every Saturday morning, the 20 employees of Zahra Sign Systems, where Burhani is the chairman, converge inside the medium-sized hall to train in martial arts.

This has been the practice for the last 10 years, with the old man taking charge of the sessions.

He is assisted by one Peter Koigi — a fifth Dan Black Belt holder.

Part of the group that is dressed in strikingly white attires are his son Huzefa, 48, grandsons Hamza, 24, and Murtaza, 18.

All of them are Black Belt holders. The training is free of charge and voluntary to the employees.

The programme has also attracted workers from neighbouring companies. After reporting to work at eight o’clock in the morning, the group breaks at nine for the morning training session, before resuming work at noon.

He has designed a 24-lesson course on basic defence, which spreads over six months. It is meant for those who are pressed with time and do not want to make long term commitment to martial arts.

An ugly incident sometime in 1962 pushed Burhani to follow into his late father’s footsteps in martial arts.

Thus, it set the journey to what is now his second “profession”- nurturing upcoming fighters in martial arts. “I had just completed my O level exams in UK when I got into a fight with an older, taller and stronger boy. I managed to crudely punch him.”

“He then threw me to the ground, but lucky for me, the people around intervened and saved me from being beaten up,” recalls the old man. “The feeling of being suppressed and helpless earned me a few sleepless nights. I said to myself never again shall someone look down upon me because of my tiny frame.”

One year later, but still breathing fire over being oppressed by an older, stronger boy, Burhani joined the Nairobi Judo College. Then, he was 16 years old.

Since then, he lives and breathes martial arts, and so does his entire family. “I find peace in martial arts. As long as I can still kick, I will remain in this,” he says.

Like a baby who has just tasted the mother’s breast milk, Burhani fell in love with the game and in 1964 while studying at Bath Technical College in Britain, he joined a private club to perfect his fighting skills.

It turned to be the perfect place for him, as he attained his black belt in judo, Karate and Akido just three years later.

Akido is a Japanese martial arts that impacts skills on how to redirect attacks away from you in a non-violent way.

With the mission complete and now feeling better skilled to take on any opponent, Burhani returned to Kenya in 1968 to concentrate on their family business of manufacturing signage.

It never took long before an idea sparked his mind.

He thought of a better way to put into use the skills he had acquired, rather than use it to fight enemies.

Then, karate sports in Kenya was on its knees, thus he decided to help grow the game.

In the initiative, Burhani, alongside his late brother Kutbuddin, who was also an experienced karateka, got assistance from the Japanese government.

“I found sport of karate almost non-existent and, therefore, started to organise classes to train fellow Kenyans.

“My brother, the late Kutbuddin joined me and the training got further momentum. We devoted our efforts, time and funds to make Karate popular,” says the 73-year-old.

“We were greatly assisted by the government of Japan which sent a top notch instructor Mr Yashio Tamura as the chief national coach who made great contribution by training hundreds of local karatekas.”

And it never took long before their initiative started paying-off, as a few years later, Kenya sent a strong team for assignments in Cairo, Madagascar and Zambia.

Kenya’s performance kept on improving in every competition and Burhan links it to adequate preparations. “The secret to any success is practice, practice and practice. We intensified our training and also strived to equip the players with the new styles that emerged,” he says.

As a result of their commitment in growing martial arts in Kenya, Burhani was in 1980 elected chairman of the Nairobi Provincial and National Championship, which brought together 25 clubs.

TRIBALISM MAIN CHALLENGE

He held the position for 12 years.

Kutbuddin was not left out, as he became the chairman of Karate Do Association Kenya from 1984 to 1988.

Burhani singles out tribalism in the then karate organisations as the main challenge that threatened to scuttle their course of developing martial arts in Kenya.

He says things have since changed and singles out increase in karate activities during their tenure in office as their greatest achievement. “A month could not pass without an activity. We were dedicated in ensuring that our players were ever busy,” he says.

At Zahra Sign Systems, Burhani first leads the employees in a vigorous exercise, which is aimed at keeping them fit.

He then take them through various fighting techniques.

They include punches, elbow strikes, striking the eye using the first finger, neck strangle and twisting an enemy’s wrists.

NEVER STRIKE THE FIRST BLOW

Others are kicking the groin, feet movements, how to ensure your safety in case of a stampede, grabbing an enemy from behind and how to off balance an aggressor and throw him or her away.

On breaking wood with an elbow or palm, he says one is only able to achieve it after three or four years of obtaining a black belt.

He warns that if not well executed, one can sustain an injury, which can develop to bone cancer in later years.

He has coined the motto “Never Strike the First Blow” to discourage the upcoming fighters from using their skills to suppress people.

This is also a formal pledge taken by all martial art students.

They are encouraged to only apply the skills when in extreme danger. Apart from training his employees, during his free time Burhani trains fighters at Kanaani Primary School and various venues universities. He has also trained fighter at Kenya Prisons Club.

So committed is Burhani in martial arts that he has authored various books about the game.

They include Basic Self Defence, Martial Arts, The Way To Fitness and Defending Yourself.

“Books are very important because they are the place for reference. In martial arts, I thought it will be useful because the students can read to keep on remembering what they learnt in training.

“They also increase ones understanding of various techniques," he says. Huzefa says he was inspired by his father and got into the game at eight years only. Discipline is the main thing he has acquired from martial arts.

“It t has helped into many ways. Apart from being healthy and being able to defend myself, martial arts has impacted discipline into me.

“It is a very important aspect into life that is why I have ensured my children are not left out,” says Huzefa. For Hamza and Murtaza, they say they will ensure the legacy of their grandfather remains for s several years to come.

“It is a good feeling to always have him (Burhani) around training us. He has dedicated his time into martial art, so it is something we want to remain in the family. We will ensure we keep his legacy, “says the two.

Surprisingly, all the three have never taken part in any competitive martial arts sports. This they blamed on tight schedule at work.

Other Burhani’s descendants who are into martial arts are granddaughter Zarha, grandsons Mustafa Hezzi (Egypt) Huzefa (India) and son-in- law Murtaza Raja (United Kingdom).

CONFIDENCE AND DISCIPLINE

Purity Mwaura, one of the trainees, says martial arts has changed her life. “Unlike before, I used to feel very vulnerable walking in the streets of Nairobi at night. That is not the case now, because I know how defend myself.

“My confidence and discipline have also gone up," she says.

Burhani says his long-term goal is to make martial arts in the 21st century relevant by applying it in one’s daily life.

“All physical actions punching and kicking come from the brain. When one is flexible in thinking, one readily accommodates other people’s views thereby avoiding strife.

“To me martial arts in the 21 century means adopting its teachings in daily life, which can make it thrilling and appealing,” he says.

He also indicates that eating healthy is one of the things that has kept him going in the game.

Australia, British and Spain are some of the other countries that have honoured him for his commitment in promoting martial arts.