Top honour for master
Grandmaster Henri Eksteen recently received his 10th Degree black belt (Dan), the highest ranking level within a Japanese form of karate, making him the youngest legitimate South African and African ever to receive this accolade.
POLOKWANE – He was awarded his 10th Dan by two legends of martial arts, Grandmaster Stephan Breu of Switzerland, founder of The International Bujutsu Society Kokusai Bujutsu Kessha, and Grandmaster Sefik Gulten of Turkey, founder of Wakazamurai World Martial Arts Association Kokusai Budo Renmei.
Eksteen has also been added to the Wakazamurai World Martial Arts Association Sokeship Alliance as an official board member, recognised by its council committee from Greece, Switzerland, Turkey and the USA.
The very rare and exclusive martial arts title of Professor Soke was also awarded to Eksteen after having reached the milestone of almost 40 years of untiring devotion, dedication and commitment to the ancient arts and service above self to fellow karate practitioners.
Eksteen is one of the very few successful martial artists in South Africa whose own unique self-formed style is officially recognised and has been operating since 2008 on a global platform. Eksteen is in fact a multi Dan holder with an impressive official eigth Dan recognised by a legendary Sport Karate fraternity namely the World Union of Karate Do Organisations (WUKO) situated in Italy. He also holds a first, second, sixth, seventh, eigth and ninth Dan in Freestyle Karate, fourth and fifth Dan in Ogasawara Ha Shorinjiryu Karate Do, third Dan in Shotokan Kase Ha, first Dan in Shukokai and first Dan in World Amateur Kickboxing Organisation (WAKO).
Eksteen received his 10th Dan due to his long list of achievements including his nomination as an inductee into the International Martial Arts Health and Fitness Association in Germany – Freestyle Karate Grandmaster of the year 2011; another nomination as an inductee into the Masters Hall of Fame in the USA in 2012 as well as the International Martial Arts Hall of Fame Times Magazine as Best Founder of his own Martial Arts system in the same year. In 2015, Eksteen was accepted as an official board member for the Masters Martial Arts Association in the USA by its Founder and President Grandmaster, Ted Gambordella.
In that same year, Eksteen was the recipient and first South African ever to receive the International Sports Award of the World International Martial Arts Association and Organisations by its founder and world president, Nigel McClure of Dublin, Ireland.
endy@nmgroup.co.za
