CHIEF INSTRUCTOR

Founder, President and Chief Instructor
Hanshi Eric Govender, 8th Dan Eric Govender started with Judo and karate in 1969 under the leadership of the Late Robbie Reddy and Late Subbiah Naidoo in Chatsworth, Durban in the Dojo called “Raku”. He went abroad many times to train with karate masters all over the world. Some of the great Masters he trained with was H. Kanazawa Sensei- K. Enoeda Sensei- Tomita Sensei- K. Funakoshi Sensei- Asano Sensei- N Kawasoe Sensei- M. Miura Sensei- T. Asai Sensei- R. Koga Sensei- Kagawa Sensei- A. Trimble Sensei- D. Hazard Sensei and A, Nagai Sensei.
During his career Hanshi Eric Govender achieved the following accolades

• 3 times Kata and Kumite Champion with Shotokan Karate International (SKI)
• A.K.U.N All style Kata Champion three times and two times Kumite Champion in the under 60kg category.
• Placed second in Kata in the International Championship in England in 1992.
• In 2000 Hanshi Eric Govender formed the world friendship karate union with affiliates from India- Sri Lanka – Pakistan – Nepal and Bangladesh.
• In 2002, he was awarded 6th Dan by Master Kenneth Funakoshi,
• In 2003, he was placed in the South African Martial Arts Hall of Fame for his contribution to the sport in the country
• In 2009 Graded to 7th Dan under Kancho Kenneth Funakoshi
• He served as an Executive Council Member of KZN Karate, National Referee for KSA and also the Chief Referee of the FSKA World Championship held in Sun City in 2009.
• In 2018 he graded to 8th Dan under Master Kenneth Funakoshi.
• In 2021 received 8th Dan recognition from the World Union Karate Federation
• In 2023 was appointed by Shihan Kevin Funakoshi as Shihankai Panel Member of the FSKA-World body