 kwa wajubon? It's a form of harmony. Well, that's Lizanne Ovino from the National Tong Ilmodo team and of course Tong Ilmodo is a way of unified martial arts which centers upon circular motion as the subject in linear movement as the object. And of course to talk about and understand this particular sport is members from the Nairobi Central Tong Ilmodo Club and I'll begin the introduction that's coach Willis Ogalo the head coach for this particular club and of course an upcoming star in this particular game as well that's Samba Nona who is an under nine player and of course that was Lizanne who did a beautiful demonstration here for us and also she is a three-time Mombasa open winner and of course assistant coach Badi Wallace. Karibuni Sanawai two five four on the touchline. Sana? Now coach you know in the introduction I was talking about how Tong Ilmodo is a martial unified martial arts and you know it takes or rather centers upon circular motion as the subject in linear movement as the object. What does this mean? Okay as you have said Tong Ilmodo is a unified martial arts so is a combination of all the techniques apart from that we also work on the theory part of it so we do match on the theory apart from the practical the punches and kicks so we have the internal part of it that's what we mean the linear so we work much on the internal part of it we do a lot of theory work like myself now I do my training seven five should be the internal part of it I read more, I learn more that's the reading now whereas other arts they really do work on that they are much of the practical part of it Yes Samba how did you how easy was it for you to pick on this particular you know game or unified martial arts Tong Ilmodo how did you pick it? At first my dad introduced me to this martial arts where he told me where I could defend myself even in life where I get in trouble and how do you like it so far? It's going very good for me and it's helping me with my personal life Yes and of course your personal life involves interaction with the rest how has it helped you? It has helped me with my discipline cleanliness and it has also helped me improve while in school Elizan three time champion how has been your journey Tong Ilmodo? It's not easy but dedication, perseverance and so much and if you maybe to look at your journey would you say that you've won the trophies that you wanted you decide to win? I think I needed more than what I have now but due to you have some issues you have some things to take care of so that time what you want to do like your personal life and the sport thing so they collide and that's why I've not reached where I want it to be It means that you have to postpone your goals? At times how hard is it for you to reach a decision to put on hold your dreams and pursue something else? The fact that I'm a parent so that one brings some you have to leave the sport part back to being a parent so by the time you come back again into sports you've been down so you have to take your time to go up again and it takes mental strength as well so much of it Coach you've been trained in your coach Willis Labda kufuki asasa kama kenya has the right coaches to help the game grow? Definitely we are actually headed in that right direction Yes Labda kufuki asasa kufuki asasa kutungil modo kama chi zambawa na takaku kufuundisha au nakuchi Actually I didn't know much I thought mashwat is mashwat until I met my coach That is when he explains to me that in this particular art unified mashwat we combine kicks punches, throws and all that but The journey so far has been exciting. Especially when you have a mentor who has taught world beaters. So definitely want to be training under such a coach. Coach, of course you began in other martial arts. H Wherever we served in the country we had a kido. Before I joined... Initially it was called Odu1Orido. Then they named it Tongilmodo, yes. Is there a advantage to having this background, to have the best things done in Tongilmodo? It has a very big advantage because when you work on, let's say you a Ratenkundo guy you work in the lower part. So You can only kick, you can't punch. When you have shortok and karate you watch mark on patches. Kix you do but little. But unified you have to be perfect in both, and then you add on the ground fight. The judo techniques we take down and also we learn some self-defense. You are equipped in self-defense. So disoming somebody with a gun, with a knife is not a problem to us. So in other arts they are little work on those. But you have to be fully equipped to disarm somebody. Yes. And when you mentioned that it's a sport that helps one to, among others, disarm a gun, I saw your faces up. Anybody who's ever disarmed anyone with a gun? Anybody who has disarmed anyone with a gun in a tricky situation? I've done it myself. Maybe to them they have not done it. But me personally have done it. Yes. So I've done it. In a situation that was... Yes, I was attacked at a gun point. So in self-defense also we call it a psychological war. You don't react immediately. So when you are attacked, first surrender. Just raise up your hands. The guy also turned down his pressure. Then you take off. So don't react immediately. Once somebody points a gun on you. Or anyway point. You don't react immediately. So I've done it. Not even once, not even twice. Severally. Severally. And during the Mombasa Open and I think I saw you there too and we interacted briefly in December. There was a particular session where I think an old lady was demonstrating this particular sport. Nani kona ni kama ni. It's deep from like philosophism. Chesu zina kwa instilled on players. Right? Like it's a way of life. How do you do that back here to the players that have gone through your heart? You know compared with that lady. She's around 75, I think so. 75 years old. And with the Asian people they don't have challenged our students are facing. We have just had a list talking of you have to balance family issue and then sports issue. With the Asians, they started at that early age like three years old. And it's a way of life. Here you can start it in between. You have a family issue. You have to maybe rest for some period. So yes, it's not practical we Africans to do what she did last time. That one is internally. We are trying, but according to the situation here in Africa it's not easy. Yes, but we are trying. At least there is a level you can see when somebody is doing something it's inside, the internal part of it. We just do the physical part, the outer part of it. Yes, but we are trying, but the challenges we are facing in life cannot allow us to do what she did. Yes. Samba, are you ready to take on the challenges? Yes. I mean what do you want to achieve with the sport? In martial arts I want to achieve my fear of sparing and I also want to make it big and I'm able to defend myself even when I'm attacked on the streets. And now you talk about support that you've received. I know you mentioned in the introduction how you introduced to the sport but how has it been, how has their support been crucial and important to you? My mum also supported me during the start and she still supported me. She encourages me to train 3 times a week and she's really supportive in every activity I do or I choose. And let's see you with the medal. Is that your proudest moment? Yes. When was it? It was in 2022 the Mombasa 10th edition International 2022 the 10th edition Mombasa International Martial Arts tournament. You remember the fight? Yes. You remember the opponent? Yes. I didn't spar much. I did forms and I did forms. Yes. Lizan, what's coming up for you? You won 3 titles at Mombasa Open. Of course you formed the national team. Where else? Apart from Martial Arts. Just in Tongil modo. You can as well talk about you play Kabadi too. But just in Tongil modo. What lies ahead now? The fact that I'm a parent what I want most is for my kids to follow up this because I can say it's a family thing. My mum was in sports. My brother, then I. So we just want to maintain it but I want them to be higher than where I am. Maybe they played for they went to the top level. The kids? Yes. Your father, your mother they went to the top level? Not really but my brother went. Played for which sport? This martial arts. So your dream is to have your kids follow that particular path? To a higher level. And for you? For me I just want to be for now I'm starting to train to be an instructor. So that's where I want to be to encourage more ladies. I just want to have a ladies club. Is it something close to your heart? Why ladies club? I'm a lady personally. So I know the challenges that we go through on the street. We are telling the men who want to force issues. So we want to I want the ladies to defend from that situation. That situation. Because you are rampant. But I know you also have a club. You train future stars in Kabete. Do you have any projects that you do? I have some private students and like Plesia actually maybe focusing on ladies because I have a little girl. I would want her to grow strong and a lady would be able to defend herself to build up that confidence. How do people unpoint in this particular game and I've watched a couple of matches. I see that above the belt it's no point. What are the technicality basics of earning points and winning this particular game? As we said, we are doing unified martial arts. We are not allowed to blow the best. So blow the best you are not supposed to hit. The only part you are allowed to hit is the thigh. So thigh we count it as one point. You are not supposed to punch on the face. You can punch just level stomach. And then also you have thumb grabs. So you can grab somebody taking down and lock. So if you lock somebody taps that's three points, that's no count. If you score more than eight points kneel, eat against kneel that's also no count. So we combine the technique kicks around the face that's three points. Any punch, any part of the body except to blow the body, blow the belt it's one point. We count our points. Looking at the International Federation Ken is one of the countries where the sport is doing well, it's popular especially in the continent in Africa. How has the international body helped in maybe bringing up more helping countries like those who do well in this particular game? In particular Kenya they have supported us in equipments and also when you have an international tournament like what we had last year we have two weeks camp we have the international grandmasas they come here. So we have that exposure. We give them time we train with them together. We learn techniques apart from the equipment they bring for us. Also we learn the technique within those two weeks and also we have instructor seminars which is usually we do it in Philippines once per year so that's what we get that's what we get from the international office. Yes and as far as Nairobi Central Tongilmode is concerned I know there is a tournament that's ongoing right now in Nairobi and that's the best of the best but as Nairobi Central what's next? After this we have an international tournament so the best of the best is the selection of Nairobi team and most likely the national team. So the tournament we are having today right now is going on in fact I was there so I'm going back there. So we are going to select Nairobi team and most likely will be the national team so we love the inter county tournament in end of April we have a tournament in Philippines so we are expecting the part of the Nairobi team will join from the national team so it's a selection Yes and Samba as you aspire and do everything possible to become a good player in the sport apart from how you are talking about the fear of sparring apart from that, what else do you want to work on? I also want to work on forms my stances and basics also I also need to work on theory which they will be asked and ready while you move to the next level and forms also my punches and the rotation of the shoulders while you come to the blocks kicks and punches Yes and what do you want to achieve maybe wear the national I know you are wearing Kenya already but what's in your dream what's in your imagination? I want to make it big maybe to the biggest international martial arts tournament Yes I also want to get a medal two or three from there and maybe return to Mombasa this year and defend your title last year you missed it, why? I wasn't feeling well before the delay and yes that's where I missed my opportunity but this year everything works you will be going to the table so you have moved up That's the reason for you and I know you so turn out for Kabadi and now Tongil modo is like the main thing so when is that particular club coming up and how many girls do you think you will be training I think in the next five years so you will be having a club meanwhile for Tongil modo you want to become an instructor and maybe pass over the knowledge as well but the efforts that have been made to have more people trained to become coaches from the federation or the authorities I believe so but there are always challenges especially like Riz say there when maybe you are parent and you are needed to train somewhere and maybe you are a student you have to look for that balance but maybe at a regional level when we have such a like the tournament which is going on the senior students are always encouraged to be looking forward to that coaching level so definitely we are moving towards that right direction Yes Coach Labda in the country working with schools and clubs how has it been in efforts to reach more people how has Nairobi Central approached it Yes we have schools like last Saturday we had a grading of roughly 100 kids from one school that's Thomas Bach in Borubu so as they have said two of them we at least uplifting them they can't be students for the rest of their life so we train them to be coaches for the next coaches so when I have a school I go with maybe one of them we train together I give him a chance so that he can train at least that to more students that's how we train them at least to be our next coaches we want to sit down now we want to relax Yes and as we wind up maybe you have a special message to the young ones Even if you don't get something that you wanted to get it will take you even five years to learn what you need to learn because for me it's taking I still not I still not learned what I wanted to learn and all the best thank you so much Badi as well as Coach Willis right and we wish you all the best Ile Modo and remember that best of the best tournament is also ongoing and as the coach has said being a selected team that will be doing duty for the nation in forthcoming international tournaments up next of course on touchline we'll be speaking to Moses Halima that's the former Kibra United footballer don't go too far this is the touchline