Eight-year-old Aasha Esi Manns made history when she was awarded black belt in shotokan from the Martial Arts Federation of Great Britain at a ceremony in Accra. She thus becomes the youngest in Africa to receive black belt in shotokan karate. Aasha graduated into the black belt category with her nine year old elder sister, Destiny Adjoa Manns while her six-year-old sister, Imahkus Adjoa Manns was promoted from green to purple belt. Speaking at the graduation ceremony in Accra, the head of the Ghana Chapter of the Martial Arts Federation of Great Britain, Kyoshi Hassan Delaimi, said karate did not only empower people to protect themselves when they are attacked. “Karate also helps in the total well-being of the individual. For children, it makes them disciplined and keeps them mentally alert,” he said. Mr. Delaimi said the Manns sisters “were extremely brilliant and have a bright future.” According to him, parents who enrolled their children in karate schools give them a very good start to life. The father of the girls, who is also the Founder and CEO of the Chiropractic and Wellness Centres, Dr. Marcus Manns, said he was very proud of his daughters. “As someone who is into wellness and healthcare delivery, I place a lot of value on fitness and my girls’ performance today is beyond what I had imagined even before enrolling them,” Dr. Marcus said excitedly. Before the graduation, Aasha her sister and Destiny treated the audience to a spell-binding performance when they took on each other in a fight, expertly attacking and defending, drawing intermittent cheers from the spectators. Credit: Manasseh Azure Awuni/Ghana