Championing karate

It’s an event which comes but once every four years. The announcement came on June 8, 2012 — India is to host the Sixth World Gojukai Karate Championships next year. "Seeing the brilliant organizational skills of Kyoshi Vispy Kapadia and the All India Gojukai Karate Do (IKGA), the Zen Nippon Karate Do Gojukai (Japan) conferred the greatest honor to our nation and the IKGA” in awarding this Championship, states a press release from the IKGA that will organize the event under Kapadia’s leadership. The Championship logo was unveiled at a well-attended press conference at the C. K. Nayudu Hall of the Cricket Club of India by K. Subramaniam, director general of police (DGP), Maharashtra state in the presence of K. L. Prasad, commissioner, state intelligence department, Sadanand Date, special inspector general of police who heads the state commando unit called Force One, and other dignitaries. (Date was injured but survived bullet and grenade attacks at the Cama Hospital near Victoria Terminus during the 26/11 terror strike in 2008.)

"The countdown begins today, with simultaneous announcements worldwide,” Kapadia stated. Iran, South Africa, Japan, Indonesia and Malaysia will be among the strong contenders and there will be participation from other countries like Australia, England, African and Asian nations as well, he declared. "At the last world tournament we had stood fifth. We will better our performance,” he promised. The Fifth Karate-Do Gojukai World Championship had been held at Cape Town in South Africa in 2009. Goshi Yamaguchi, president of the International Karate Do Gojukai Association had stated in a message at that time, as reported by www.gojukai.co.za: "I would like to thank Vispy Kapadia Sensei for his initiation and cooperation. I would like everyone to support him in every way you can to make the next (Sixth) World Championship successful.” As the new stadium of the National Sports Club of India is not yet operational, the Balewadi Sports Complex in Poona, the venue of several international events, is the alternate venue.

(Above): Sixth World Gojukai Karate Championships logo; on stage (from left, front row) Hoshedar Khambatta, Meera Isaacs, K. Subramaniam, Vispy Kapadia, K. L. Prasad and Yudhishthir Khatau

Also present at the press conference were several students of the Cathedral and John Connon School who were presented scrolls of honor for the medals they have won at national and international level. Among them were Vispy and Shiraz Kapadia’s three children, Vahishta, Sanaya and Behram. Every member of the Kapadia family holds a black belt — a rare distinction! Kapadia is credited with introducing karate as part of the curriculum in over 50 schools in Bombay, Poona, Nasik, etc, and has trained 3,700 junior black belts so far, states the press release.
"My association with Kapadia is long-standing — almost 30 years — for as long as he has been training the police in karate. His passion is a boon for the department… He has provided us a good support system,” stated Subramaniam. Kapadia is the official trainer for all wings of the Maharashtra state police and has imparted the training gratis since 1982. After almost 22 years of painstaking efforts to build a permanent police training center, his diligence was rewarded in 2003 when Surya Mahal, the martial arts training center, was inaugurated at Goregaon in Bombay. "I have worked with 14 DGPs… we are always cribbing and complaining; we condemn the police. I believe we should introspect and think about what they are doing for us. Even if one policeman can save his life because of the karate training, it’s worth my 30 years,” Kapadia stated.
The highest ranked (seventh dan), officially recognized karateka in India, Kapadia had hosted the Second Asia Pacific Gojukai Karate-Do Championship at Balewadi in 1996 with over 300 international karatekas and the world federation thereafter appointed him the chief coordinator for the Asia block. Kapadia noted that it is financially difficult for the associations in smaller countries to participate in world tournaments in Europe where they are often held. "In India, we can offer cheaper accommodation, food, etc. We are hoping to have at least 40 countries. We will bring the best of karate to India. We will make the Sixth World Championships a stupendous success,” he told the media.