Over 500 karateka are currently competing for top honours at the CTICC as part of the Kimura Shukokai International’s (KSI) 20th Karate World Championship. 

With an estimated affiliation of more than 20 000 karate students around the globe, including juniors, young men and women as well as veterans over the age of 50, KSI is one of the biggest single style organisations around the world.

Initially, Cape Town was set to host the 20th anniversary of the tournament in 2020; however, due to Covid-19, plans were pushed out to 2023.

With the KSI World Championships traditionally taking place every two years, the spotlight is certainly on Team KSI South Africa South (KSI SAS) who are defending world champions and have won the last four consecutive championships since 2012.

‘It is such a pleasure for the City to host the milestone 20th bi-annual edition of the KSI Karate World Championships as we see over 500 competitors fighting for the championship title. We are proud to support this global platform that enables young and veteran athletes to showcase their talent and versatile martial arts abilities.

‘We extend a warm welcome to the local and international karate community visiting Cape Town for the first time and encourage them to explore the iconic attractions that our beautiful city has to offer during their stay here,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security Alderman JP Smith.

The global martial arts event attracts over 500 participants from 20 countries including the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, Canada, Finland, Australia, Botswana, Mozambique, Seychelles, as well as athletes from Cape Town and the rest of South Africa, among others.

Not only was Team KSI SAS able to win over 40 medals in previous championships, the group is also involved with various safety, gender-based violence and development programmes through Martial Arts in order to improve lives and communities in and around the Western Cape.