Shihan receives doctoral certificate in Kwa-Thema
Edward Mtshali honoured as a karate sensation.
Kwa-Thema – Seasoned shihan Edward Mtshali was conferred an honorary doctorate in sports by the International Council of Clergy (USA) on Saturday.
Mtshali started karate in 1963 when he was 17 and has never looked back. Over five decades, he received various accolades internationally for his outstanding work in karate.
The award is for his outstanding contribution to the development of African sports on the international standard by being the first black South African in 1975 to be appointed as a karate coach for an English team.
In 1977, he was also the first black person in South Africa part of the SA JKA to tour Western Europe for training and competition to be awarded Springbok colours by the National Amateur Karate Association (NAKA) with the Western Germany team and for the second as well as the third time with the American team from 1978 to 1979.
He was recognised as an outstanding competitor in karate at two championships, one in New Jersey and one in New York.
The International Council of Clergy (USA) honoured him for being one of the South African black instructors selected to visit Holland for the World Karate Championships and being a coach of the California Region in America in 1984.
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He is the first South African black karate coach who took the national karate team, both men and women, to great heights in all African championships held in Sun City and New Zealand from 1996 to 1998, among others.
During the event, Mtshali was hailed as the best in the country.
“I still cannot believe that I have reached this level where I am wearing a gown and being recognised for my hard work. I am still going to continue doing my job because there’s still a lot of work to be done,” he said.
Mtshali added that the journey has not always been easy, especially during the Apartheid regime.
“Back in the day, karate was not a very well-known sport, especially in the black community. We were in the dark about most things, especially grading, ranks and judging.
“Eventually, we found someone more informed about the sport. We had to ‘smuggle’ him into our neighbourhood because of the law back then. His name was Brian Phillips,” he said.
