ZIMBABWEAN martial arts master, Shihan Wilfred Mashaya also known as the ‘Zim Ninja’ has won five gold medals at the IMAC English Open Tournament at the York Leisure Centre on Sunday.
Shihan Mashaya competed in five different categories and won them all, impressing the crowd and fellow competitors.
He showed off his incredible skills using traditional Japanese and Okinawan weapons like the sword, nunchaku, tonfa, sai, and kama. His wins came in categories such as Traditional Weapons, Freestyle Weapons, Creative Weapons, and Musical & Advanced Weapons.
Mashaya, who holds a sixth-degree black belt, has a strong background in martial arts including Kyokushin Karate, Bujinkan Ninjutsu, and Kobudo (weapon-based self-defence).
The event brought together fighters from several countries including England, Wales, Scotland, India, Nepal, Romania, Poland, and Zimbabwe. For Mashaya, this victory is an important step as he gets ready for the World Championships in Wales this coming October.
Because of his outstanding performance, the tournament organisers gave him the “Athlete of the Tournament” award.
Mashaya runs the Zim Ninja Academy in Harare, where he teaches martial arts to people of all ages, including children as young as four. He’s hoping to take a team of at least 15 athletes, both boys and girls, to the World Championships, but he’ll need help with sponsorships to make that happen.
During his time in England, he received strong support from Zimbabweans living in the UK. Supporters waved flags and sang for him, and William Mahlunge (aka Muparendi Wigo) even came from Wales to greet him at Heathrow and cheer him on. The Mhundwa family, based in England, also gave him encouragement that he says helped him win.
Master Mashaya is well-known internationally. He was named Zimbabwe Sports Person of the Year in 2018 and was the first Zimbabwean to win the Regional Sportsman of the Year award. He also became Africa’s first Kobudo World Champion. Over the years, he has competed and won medals in many countries like Russia, Spain, Italy, Wales, Bangladesh, Montenegro, and Poland.
