This archive report was first published on 22 September 2019.
On a Saturday morning in Kericho town, a group of children from various schools gathered at a top hotel gym for a Kenpo Karate training session. The instructor, Elijah Chege, a second-degree black belt holder, began training the children in 2017.
According to Chege, Kenpo Karate is a modern martial art that teaches self-defense skills, discipline, and body fitness to minors. The training session, which lasts for two hours, is an updated system based on modern-day street fighting that applies logic and practicality.
One of the children, 13-year-old Sarah Muthoni, said she learned karate to defend herself from bad people. Her 8-year-old friend, Kendra Jullia, aspires to be a karate expert and a theology teacher when she grows up.
Chege explained that before enrolling a child for training, he determines whether the child is interested in learning karate or is being pushed by their parents. If the child is enthusiastic, Chege introduces them to the rules of the game and basic attack responses.
The Kenpo Karate entry belt is white, and a beginner requires at least 30 training sessions, which takes at least four months, before qualifying to move to the next belt. Chege also emphasizes the importance of academic performance, saying that a child must perform well in school before graduating to the next level.
The Kericho junior Kenpo Karate team has participated in at least three karate tournaments, where they bagged various awards. In the last Kenpo Karate kid's tournament held in Kajiado County last month, their team emerged second out of 15 teams, with 11 children bagging medals.
