Karate Coach, Sensei Moses Odugbo have explained why he ventured into “Catch Them Young” – a program aimed at training children on the martial art and its code.

The founder of Oduzz Martial Arts Academy, while speaking with Newslounge Media, said he started by introducing Karate to both St Saviour’s Schools Ebute-metta and Ikoyi in 1990, and since then I have been teaching Karate in many other schools all over Lagos State.

How Catch Them Young Project started

Sensei Moses Odugbo, a 5th Dan (degree) Black Belt holder in Karate, whose club house have produced several champions from different schools via Inter-school Karate competitions said that the “Catch Them Young” project was inspired by Covid-19 and fired towards self-defense due to increased rape and kidnapping in the society.

Odugbo said, “So every once in a while I trained with my daughter in the compound where I reside, which attracted children in the neighborhood. I also noticed that the children were roaming the streets aimlessly, and that was the same period when the security situation in Lagos was rapidly deteriorating. Children were being kidnapped, abused and raped especially in Ikorodu area where I am situated.

“So I decided to do something that would impact the children and also give back to the community by teaching core values and self defense classes.

“There have been plenty of challenges so far especially financially, which affect the parents indirectly affecting the children as well. As a result of that some of them had to withdraw from the programme.

Support Needed

Recently, the Oduzz Martial Arts Academy got some Karate Kits from Ms Bukky Latunji, Mr Moses Odugbo appreciates her effort but says it can be better.

He said, “The gift has indeed been very helpful. We were able to provide the necessary uniforms for some of the children.

“I still feel more can be done with proper partnership and sponsorship, because majority of the children are yet to get their uniforms, and there are still many more training equipment that we need, to make meaningful impact.

Sponsorship for Karate in Nigeria, most especially Lagos state is difficult. Sensei Adamu Yahaya Glen, once complained of the same sponsorship issue months back, while Sensei Saunaka Soyoye nearly ‘died’ hunting for it. The ones that have would rather keep it within their caucus and host their own event.

“The government needs to invest in grassroot sports because in the ongoing Olympics there is no representation in Karate due to inability to meet up with criteria and lack of funds, Odugbo added.

If Karate is still growing amongst the millennial population, he said;

“Yes, the sport is growing rapidly; recently we just finished the National Sports Festival in Edo State, we also just concluded the National Karate Open Championships hosted by Nasarawa State. The Nigerian University Karate Open Championships is coming up this August at University of Ilorin. Ilorin will also be hosting this year’s National Youth Games in October, and last but not the least Karate is featuring in the ongoing Olympics in far away Japan.

“If given the necessary funding and support karate will be able to break more grounds. It will grow in Nigeria as it is in other parts of Africa and the world at large.” He concluded.