Teaching the art of karate

Sensei Tania dos Santos is realising one of her lifelong dreams by opening her own dojo in Edenvale.

“It has been a big goal of mine to expand our Sandra Louw Karate Organisation to the East. However, only now I felt the timing was right and I felt ready and mature enough to carry out this huge responsibility,” she said.

She took the decision after her own competition slowed down.

“I now feel like giving back more than ever and dedicating more of myself to my students and by honouring my shihan, Sandra Louw, by expanding the SLK Organisation that has given me so much both in and out of the dojo.”

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Dos Santos’s local journey started in 2020 when she launched karate lessons at Twinkle Little Stars Nursery School.

“My nephew and niece are at the school and wanted to do karate.”

Dos Santos’s karate journey started at the age of seven.

“I was in Grade Two and I had an issue with balancing. My best friend then and now, whose son I am now teaching at SLK East Karate Academy, was already doing karate at our school in Kensington and I joined.”

And, after 32 years, she is still in the game, going strong and learning every single day.

“It never stops, both training and teaching, and that is what is so amazing and fires me up all the time. I have always been sporty and played a lot of sport, but karate was always something more intense and special to me.

“I understood the value of the martial art very quickly and as a little girl I took it very seriously as somehow I knew this would be part of my life forever and so it has been. There is still so much to come.”

From a young age, she progressed through the ranks quite quickly.

“I even skipped a belt or two. I would train every day at home by myself and often my late grandmother would be my audience.”

At age 11, Dos Santos’s family emigrated to Portugal.

“I was so heartbroken in leaving my karate and best friend behind.”

Through her sensei in South Africa, she tried to sign up to a dojo where they were living in Portugal, but there were none.

“The only thing I could do was train at home alone. I never stopped and never lost my passion for the art.”

Four years later, the family moved back to South Africa and Tania could join a dojo again.

“I had to start at the beginning of the ranks again but luckily my sensei at the time, shihan Norman Robinson, skipped my first two ranks and I was able to progress from there.”

After switching to another dojo to cut down on travelling time, Dos Santos stayed at brown belt until she moved to Louw’s dojo.

“I eventually graded to my first black/Dan in 2005. I will hopefully be achieving my fifth Dan next year.”

Through her new Edenvale Dojo, Dos Santos hopes to give back to the community.

“I want to share my passion and pass on my teachings of the art to as many students as possible and grow our SLK family.

“I also want to teach children the importance of being active and always learning and nourishing our bodies and minds properly,” she said.

For more information contact Dos Santos on 072 236 5988 or at taniads46@gmail.com

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