Eksteen celebrates 15 yrs of martial arts

POLOKWANE – This year marked the 15th anniversary of the existence of Eksteen’s Martial Arts Rainbow Nation, which is still running strong.

Owner, Henri Eksteen said he had always had the dream of having his own karate dojo, and in 1999, his dream became a reality.

Bullying by his peers at school led to Eksteen taking up karate after a friend introduced him to the sport. “Through the years, I had trained and completed various karate systems including Shukokai, JKA, Funakoshi, freestyle, WAKO kickboxing and Shorinjiryu.

“I developed my own unique system, which eventually went global and was known as Eksteen bushido Freestyle Karate Do Art.”

Today, Eksteen owns three division within his organisation namely, karate, cage fighting and MMA cross-fit boot camp.

“The last 15 years have been an incredible rollercoaster ride, and I have had to make many sacrifices along the way. But it has all been worth it, when I look at what I have achieved,” he said.

He further said the dojo had produced many champions and the members usually came home with medals. Eksteen became the youngest ninth Dan on the continent when he received his ninth degree black belt from the World International Martial Arts Association and Organisation in 2013.

He said he was aiming for the ultimate achievement of 10th Dan, and would be able to achieve this in seven years time.

His motto is: “it’s my way or the highway” and he believes this motto is the winning ingredient in his success story.

He further said he dedicated the dojo’s 15th anniversary to the memory of his father, Tini. “Rest in peace, Dad, this is for you.”