Shiai Magazine: Welcome Ndem Aex to Shiai Magazine, it is an honour for me to interview a Cameroonian World Karate champion who has fought for Cameroon, France and United States. Please give us a highlight how you started your practices in the martial arts?

Ndem Alex: First of all I want to thank you guys for giving  me the opportunity to  answers some of the question many people wanted to know about me . I have to said that my interest on combat sport started long time ego  when I was a little boy  . At 8 my mom signs me up for boxing lesson with a gentleman name Ekassi who was a boxer coach. it is not until I saw my first Bruce Lee movie that I really fall in love with martial art and when we my family and I move to Douala one of the bigger city in Cameroon and I was fortunate enough to meet a kung fu master name Dang who was also my cousin who taught me many technique of his school. After my family and I came back to Yaoundé the Cameroonian capital I started to attend junior high school it is when my   journey in karate shotokan begin. First by a guy name sensei Toc toc  than when  I move for another  junior high school in Bertoua  in a east  side of  the country that  I meet  the Bonguen family the best martial  art family in the country who had transform my life until today .

Shiai Magazine: As an African from Cameroon, surely you are aware of traditional fighting system within your nation, can you mention some aspects about it?

Ndem Alex: I heard about Cameroonians who create different martial art one of them is YENTEDO. I hope is the right spelling it is always great to be creative but if we want to name   anything with Africa we have to make sure it is the true reflexion of our African culture

Shiai Magazine: Tell us the difference experience you had within your practices of martial arts in various countries you have been to?

Ndem Alex : : I  have to said that I had move to France on the time when France was the best country   in the world  when  it come to karate ,so it was very difficult for me to catch up  even thought  I was  the best  where  I was coming  from I still had so many to work on  and I was fortunate  to have the trust of my coach  sensei  Shouraqui who is one of the best  in  the world . I travel all over the world  competing,  everywhere  I went to  was  different , very  worm  atmosphere , karate is  a  big  family  .

Shiai Magazine: Does the reality of Africa especially in Cameroon favours people to go far in the study of martial arts?

Ndem Alex : I will said yes and no . Yes because knowing  where  you came from can be seen as  a motivation factor  to move forward  and to kept your goal in  mind, I am a perfect example of some one who was bully by the system in Cameroon  . But I knew one thing ,nobody I meant nobody could  be able to stop my dream of being what I wanted  to be . Here we are
No because the system in Africa  and in Cameroon is so mess up  and corrupt   that  in some case  weaker minded can stop their study  even though  you have a new generation of leaders who showing some signs of  moving  things on the right direction  we  still have a long ways to go .

Shiai Magazine: Have you experience racism in the martial arts?

Ndem Alex: Not at all. I was the only black on the USA National   shotokan karate team and I often give seminar on country with white population dominance

Shiai Magazine: What is the advantage of cross training the martial arts, we have seen that you have practices several sports discipline?

Ndem Alex: I used to play rugby in Cameroon and later on in France it is a good experience. Cross training  have been prove to  be beneficial  for athletes  on a way where it break the every day routine for a new  routine that can  create the muscles confusion  follow  up  by  a good active  recovery

Shiai Magazine: As an African and especially a Cameroonian how did you felt when you won your world titles in Karate? Were you proud to achieve something like that?

Ndem Alex : My really  emotional break down  came  when I was inside the plane going to represent  France  for  European  championship  of clubs  in Prague for the first time . My world title was something that I saw coming ,I was proud of myself

Shiai Magazine: Since you live in United States and especially Houston what do you do to promote and improve practices of martial arts in Africa in general and particularly in Cameroon your home nation?

Ndem Alex : Few years ego I bring a karate expert from WKF in Cameroon  sensei Patrick  Richoux to give a seminar   with no  help whatsoever from  Cameroonian  federation, I have  created and sponsor a tournament  name  coupe des champion Alex Ndem  where the best  fighters  can change themselves  every 2 year .  And I always  give seminar  when I go to Cameroon  .

Shiai Magazine: What is the difference between sport karate and real life fighting situation?

Ndem Alex : Simple on real fighting  situation  there  are no roles

Shiai Magazine: At moment you are training Jamal Bey, can you tell us about him?

Ndem Alex : Jamal  is a young   African American  man  that  I meet 6 years ego  in San Antonio Durant the state championship. He was competing  for another  team ,I saw  that  he  has  a  big potential  than few days after , he ask me if  he can join my team and I said yes.  Since than  he has been  improving  everyday,  first he became a Houston league champion and the year after a state champion and the  year after  he was call for the nation team. Now we are preparing  the  US OPEN   that coming  up in APRIL  and the national  in July , I am very proud of  how fast he is progressing

Shiai Magazine: Today many Africans across the world are now trying to promote traditional, hybrid and modern African fighting systems through books, seminars, movies and so forth. Why such desire within Black community to promote our martial arts heritage?

Ndem Alex: There are a new generation of many African martial art artistes in Africa and abroad who believe that the time has came for us African to show to the rest of  the world that we do have a martial  art  within our historical culture .

Shiai Magazine: Are you aware within your home country Cameroon the African martial arts film project Lost Brother”Waka-waka man” and international African military action martial arts movie “Live or die in Africa” (Dirty Risks)?  Do you think that the time has come that the world discover African martial arts film actors

Ndem Alex : :  I  thing  yes  I just hope that  those film going  to be  no the copy of some martial art  movies  abroad  but  the real  expression  of our  martial  art  heritage

Shiai Magazine: as an orphan you had experienced difficulties in life. What advice can you give to African child who wants to succeed in life although life is very hard?

Ndem Alex : First of all  set up  your goals and than work toward those  goals  and I know that nothing  good  come easy.  You have to fight for it, sometime the fight can be  very long and painful Jut  don’t  quite .

Shiai Magazine: What do you think of this African online martial arts magazine? Do you think that it should be supported?

Ndem Alex: Oh, yes I really thing it should be supported I am hoping to see your magazine one day on my magazine store in Texas

Shiai Magazine: Any future projects you will like to talk about?

Ndem Alex: I m planning to open a big fitness and martial art centre in Cameroon on the coming years

Shiai Magazine: Any last word for our international readers and all your fans in Cameroon?

Ndem Alex : I  just hope that  everybody  remain  in good  health  and still pursuing  his dream  how matter what .

Shiai Magazine: I thank thee Brother Ndem Alex to have accepted my interview in Shiai Magazine. With support of all people in Africa and especially Cameroon I wish you all the best of luck in your life and your practices of martial arts. Certainly we shall see each other in Cameroon. God bless you and your entire family.

Ndem Alex: Thank you brother take care of yourself and never stop fighting for the good cause