Sensei Marion: A woman that can!
Thirty-nine years after she started karate classes in February 1982, she now holds the top position in the rankings for women karateka in Namibia.Marion Bause (54) recently received her Rokudan (sixth black belt / Dan) during grading in South Africa, making her the second woman in Africa to receive a Rokudan.
Sensei Marion says her journey with karate began at Okinawan Goju-Ryu Karate Namibia (OGKN) thanks to her mother Ingrid who said “I had to go there to get my aggression under control”.
Which it did. Along with life lessons in respect and discipline.
In South Africa, sensei Marion participated in Stellenbosch with 70 other black belts from ten countries including Tasmania, Brazil and Slovakia.
Only two, sensei Marion and Ludo Huybrechts from Belgium, were part of the grading for the Rokudan, with 12 participants for black belts.
She loves teaching others, sensei Marion says, especially teaching children to respect others and also to have discipline and self-control where she teaches karate classes at the TOGKN Shinto Dojo in Windhoek.
“I'm absolutely passionate about it."
Her dream is to get a seventh Dan, something she is working very hard towards.
“I am still young enough to get my Nandan or seventh Dan. At the asshuku (which means to train together), there was an 84-year-old man who showed that you are never too old or young to practice karate and enjoy it.”
Sensei Marion’s dedication to karate and passion for the art has honed generations of young karateka and sparked both skills and a love for Okinawan Goju-Ryu in Namibia, according to sensei Carl van der Merwe, seventh Dan and head coach at OGKN.
“We would like to congratulate sensei Marion on this exceptional achievement and look forward to her continuing to inspire and lead the next generation.”
However, the last word belongs to sensei Marion who says she is proud to be the second-best woman in karate in Africa. “I think this is a good example of how women can also do karate and not only men!” – [email protected]