2023-10-21 21:45:03
Born in Algeria, Mimoun Kaddouri spent part of his childhood with his mother in Oujda, Morocco, where he began his studies. A mine worker in the Oriental region, his father immigrated to France, where the small family then settled permanently. Now aged 59, the karateka joined his father at 13, as part of a family reunion.
In the city of Strasbourg, discover a singularly different environment. Since the time he practiced it since his childhood, karate has occupied his mind. He then finds out about places to practice his favorite pastime, while meeting professionals and specialized trainers in his city of residence. At the same time as following his studies, he joined the SAK Karate Club. His immersion in the sport took up so much of his time that he left school, to focus more on training and competing.
“When I was young, we watched a lot of Bruce Lee films which I was captivated by. I then asked my mother to let me join one of the karate clubs in the city. More than a sport, this discipline taught me the values of respect for oneself and others,” he told our editorial staff. Outside of sport, Mimoun worked in the installation of heating equipment, after obtaining a technician diploma. His professional activity did not, however, take him away from karate, which he did not abandon for anything.
Quadruple French champion then coach
Mimoun Kaddouri thus distinguished himself in numerous tournaments, including that of Bas-Rhin in 1982, Alsace in 1983 and Grand-Est in 1984. Beyond local and regional competitions, he was crowned champion of France in karate in the years 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990 and 1994. In addition, he obtained a coaching license for amateurs.
“In 1998, I was received by the Moroccan embassy in France, to receive congratulations from the late King Hassan II, after the victory of one of the Moroccan karatekas I coached. For me, it was truly a sign of recognition.”
Mimoun Kaddouri
The coach held his position from 1996 to 2022, within the same club in which he played. He tells us that he is currently finding out about the necessary procedures to prepare to “obtain a license and open [son] own club. In the meantime, he is playing at the Racing Club, “a large club which brings together several sports”, within which he supervises the training of “people of all nationalities and who share a love of sport”.
As a father, Mimoun was keen to pass on the basics of karate to his four children, from a very young age. He thus guided them with patience and dedication towards the realization of their dreams in the world of sport, access to the training room having greatly contributed to their physical and mental development.
But over the years, each of them chose a path different from that of their father, with the exception of his daughter who continued to evolve in the same discipline. After winning several championships, she later moved away from the world of sport to focus more on her studies.
Karate, a bridge between Morocco and France
In the coming days, Mimoun Kaddouri plans to travel to Morocco to visit karate clubs, as part of a project to exchange experiences between athletes in France and Morocco, in addition to preparing the organization of competitions . Indeed, he believes that sport is a real intercultural bridge, making it possible to bring people together, beyond all barriers.
From there, Mimoun Kaddouri also plans to open a club in Morocco. “It’s a dream that I would like to realize in the near future,” he confides to us, aspiring for this project to be a means of transmitting his passion and his love of karate to new generations, in his country. ‘origin.
“I want to help young Moroccans realize their dreams in the world of karate, while giving them the opportunity to develop their skills and succeed,” he says with great hope.
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