Shihan Frank Moodley has recently been recognised and commended by the Shotokan Karate-Do International South Africa federation (SKISA) for his outstanding contribution and promotion of karate in the Ugu district.

SKISA is currently in a healthy position under the leadership of the hardworking and dedicated Hanshi Sonny Pillay.
It has grown immensely from 1995, with membership increasing and new clubs opening on a regular basis.

Frank’s interest in karate was first piqued during the early 1960s.

Towards the end of that decade, he met Tony Lochner, who was a brown belt at the time and he agreed to train Frank.

“The discipline has helped me become a better person. We both opened a karate club in Port Shepstone,” said Frank.

This was the Port Shepstone Shotokan Karate Club which provided training to the community and was affiliated to the Japanese Karate Association.

During this period Frank travelled from Port Shepstone to Durban for advanced training sessions under Sensei Rob Ferreira at his Kodokwai Karate Club.

“This was a physical and challenging time. Tony left and I had to take over the club. Tony had a great influence over my life as a teacher and a friend.”

In 1979 Frank joined the Shotokan Karate International South Africa federation where his karate and the local dojo blossomed.

In 2009 he achieved his fifth Dan black belt.

His role model was the late grandmaster Hirokazu Kanazawa Soke, who died aged 80 in 2019.

“He was a humble and inspiring person. He was more than just a karate instructor. He was a teacher of life.”

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