Brandon Kelly successfully defended his Junior South African Millennium Championship title in a thrilling eight-round bout for the under card. He went the distance to become a double junior champion.
Kelly, a first degree blue belt student of the Ring Contact Fighting Arts (RCFA) Bhubezi Fight Club in Welkom, represented the Free State at the RCFA National Tournament – Jungle War XII – on 9 November at the Emerald Casino.
“He was technically sound in the ring, and well-composed throughout the fight. Our training programme was a bit extreme as we prepared to defend his title, and Brandon’s discipline and commitment made it all worth it in the end,” says Sensei Joe Gladstone Ralejoe.
Brandon “The Dragon” Kelly also competed in three other modes and won three more medals in addition to his trophy. He won gold medals for the First Series and Close Combat Fighting modes, and bronze for Weapons (baton).
During the championship, Siyabonga “Ippo Makunouchi” Gina also displayed great skill in the ring and won two medals for Semi-Contact High Kick (gold) and Semi Contact Sport Boxing (gold).
Gofaone “Cataleya” Sebati continued to show growth in his performance as he earned five medals in First Series (gold), Weapon (baton, gold), Semi-Contact Sport Boxing (silver), Semi-Contact High Kick (two silver).
“The instruction was simple: go to the tournament. We knew the stage was bound to be big, so we all just needed to be cool, calm, and collected. We did a lot of mental work, including meditation and breathing exercises to help us achieve our goal. Physically, our conditioning was supreme,” says Ralejoe, the team’s coach.
“Brandon’s transition to a stand-up fighter has been flawless and commendable since joining the club last year. Traditionally a ground fighter, he naturally adapted to our training methodology and philosophy.
“He has managed to achieve a lot for himself in a very short space, and he embodies our club values to the core discipline and respect, both in and out the dojo. He has a very bright future in the sport,” says Ralejoe.
Ralejoe represented the Free State and RCFA Bhubezi Fight Club Warriors as a judge and referee at the Jungle War XII national tournament.
The tournament had over 280 students competing from nine different provinces. A few other countries were represented as well, including Namibia, Zimbabwe, Cameroon, Réunion Island, and Madagascar.
The trio are all first degree blue belts students and will be graded on Saturday, 7 December, to close off the year.
Ralejoe, a second degree black belt, received his Martial Arts South Africa (Masa) approved Free State colours from the Free State Sport Confederation (FSSC) as the club’s head coach and trainer.
The five students of the club who were awarded their provincial colours are Gofaone, Siyabonga, Brandon, Mohale Notha and Steven Nkgadima.
Ralejoe will be attending the RCFA’s 2024 black belt grading where he will be tested for his third degree black belt at the end of November.
Both Brandon and Siyabonga are learners of the Welkom Technical High School (THS), and Gofaone is a learner at Welkom-Gimnasium.
For information about the club, send email to bhubezifightclub@gmail.com, or a WhatsApp message to Shona du Plooy on 062-925-9915.
