Sensei shares his karate journey
The sensei's dojo has already a lot of karatekas that have won in major tournaments.
Sensei Raveen Dayaram, a Boksburg resident who started karate at the age of five in 1990, said his sensei Dickey Gopal motivated him to be a sensei and open a dojo.
“Immediately after I obtained my black belt when I was 18, my sensei at the time congratulated me on earning the belt. He said this was just the beginning and I have to give back to the karate fraternity because it has nurtured and moulded me from a young age.
“He said I must be a sensei that teaches other karatekas. He then gave me a junior class to teach. I moved from Chatsworth to Gauteng, and when I arrived here I stopped participating in karate.
“My friend Ravi Reddy from Chatsworth shared the same sentiments as my former sensei and also told me I need to open my dojo. I had my doubts and no longer wanted to do karate,” he explained.
Sensei Raveen’s mindset was changed when his wife echoed the sentiments of his friend and sensei after seeing him teach their young son karate. His wife encouraged him to open a karate school because he has a black belt.
“On August 4, the grace of God covered me because I opened my first dojo, majoring in Shotokan karate as this is the karate style I learned and use now. The dojo materialised after I applied to join the South African Shotokan Karate Academy (SASKA).
“Sensei Wessel van der Merwe of SASKA, said I needed to prepare myself for an interview that will determine my acceptance into the karate academy. He recommended I should watch karate videos that focus on Shotokan.
“The interview was facilitated by sensei hanshi Koos Burger. He accepted my proposal of opening my dojo under SASKA.
“My grandfather played a vital role in my journey of being a karateka because he took me to karate classes in Chatsworth when I was very young.
“My father wouldn’t let me give up on karate. I’m taking this opportunity to thank all the people that encouraged me to pursue my journey and those who didn’t give up on me.
“People need to know that karate plays a crucial role in shaping a person. It instils discipline and teaches you to refrain from violence,” concluded sensei Raveen.
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