A father and son from Goodwood will be competing in the International Kung Fu Federation (IKF) World Cup in Yalova, Turkey, next month.
“Kung fu literally translates as energy, using your energy to achieve something positive and constructive,“ says Muhammad Junaid Chafeker. “It is Chinese martial arts, all martial arts in Asia originated from kung fu.”
Mr Chafeker, a five-times Legends of Kung Fu World Martial Arts champion, will be competing in the masters and grand masters divisions.
His son, Muhammad Saifullah Chafeker, is the only youth athlete representing South Africa at the IKF World Cup. He will be competing in three divisions: full contact Chinese kickboxing, forms, and weapons demonstration.
The 15-year-old, who attends UCT’s online high school, was born without a left hand, but that hasn’t stopped him from training with able-bodied athletes and competing against able-bodied athletes in South Africa and China, says his father.
“I have always thought that kung fu is cool. I started in 2015, which was seven years ago,” says Muhammad Saifullah.
His father adds: “In 2015, he accompanied me across the Western Cape when I started teaching youth from disadvantaged communities, trying to execute change through martial-arts training. This is how he very quickly got involved in training.“
After training for a year and a half, Muhammad Saifullah got the opportunity to compete against athletes from the province when his father hosted the first Western Cape schools kung fu tournament.
Mr Chafeker says that one of the challenges he faced while training in kung fu was learning how to be disciplined. Some of his big highlights were being able to compete in 2018 and 2019 in China.
He says he is in awe of his son’s tenacity and resilience. “He has not allowed being born differently-abled to hold him back. The fact that he continues to challenge himself so that he can deliver his best is an indication to me that God has really blessed him. He has been born a champion, and he continues to teach me major lessons so I am very proud of him.”
Mr Chafeker’s MJ Li Foundation will be hosting a kung fu tournament and an evening of comedy and entertainment at the Filia School hall in Goodwood, on Saturday August 27. For tickets, call 076 989 6979. Proceeds from both events will help to cover Muhammad Saifullah’s hotel accommodation, competition fees and registration fee in Turkey.
Mr Chafeker says they are very grateful to Cultural Affairs and Sport MEC Anroux Marais whose department has offered to cover the cost of their flights.