Internationale Schule (DSJ) Johannesburg Karate achiever adds bronze to his 17 medals
After collecting gold and silver medals at the provincial championships, DSJ karate athlete wins bronze at the World Cup.
The Deutsche Internationale Schule (DSJ) Johannesburg in Parktown congratulated one of their learners who excelled in an international karate competition.
Fifteen-year-old Tayten Hendry recently returned from the International Japan Karate-Do Association South Africa (IJKA SA) Kato World Cup in North Macedonia with a bronze medal. This was Tayten’s first World Cup experience and he competed in the U14/15 kata boys, brown and black belts.
Tayten explained that kata was a discipline of karate which included a sequence of moves against an imaginary opponent.
“It was an incredible experience,” he said of the World Cup. “When I first started karate, I never thought I was ever going to compete on an international stage. When I was selected for the team, I felt so much joy, and I felt super proud of myself.
“The seminars were taught by some of the best karatekas in IJKA. On [July 10], it was competition day, where I won the bronze medal.”
Earlier this year, Tayten competed in the IJKA SA Provincial Championships where he won gold for kata and silver for kumite, qualifying him for the World Cup. He described kumite as freestyle fighting.
Looking back, Tayten said he first started karate as an extra-mural activity when he was in Grade R and never looked back. “My main inspiration for karate was my step-father who has been doing karate since a young age. He is now a third dan black belt.”
With 17 medals won in the past four years, Tayten credited two ‘incredible’ senseis for training him and enabling him to go to the world cup.
“I was trained by Sensei Lars Niehaus who teaches at Kazoku Karate Academy, and Sensei Bernard Buys who teaches at IJKA South Africa.”
Related articles:
