Martial arts champ shares his passion

MARTIAL arts enthusiast and sensei, Shaun Miln, can’t wait to get back to what he loves most; chopping boards and sharing his strategic moves with his students, whom he has taken under his wing.

Currently a fourth Dan black belt holder, he was first introduced to martial arts at the age of six by a friend and fell in love with the sport from day one. Shaun first obtained his KZN colours in 1997 at the age of 29, setting the tone for a wealth of awards and accomplishments. Proving that age is nothing more than just a number, he competed at provincials yet again last year, at 50-years-old, and obtained his KZN colours for a second time.

His passion has not only seen him compete at provincial level several times as well as an international tournament in 2016, but also head up the FKI Bluff SA as an instructor, where he trains both young and old.

“I opened the dojo eight years ago. I must admit it is very challenging to run it on the Bluff, but it has been worth it. To see students grow and become confident is very rewarding. Martial arts is my passion so whether I have five or 50 students I will always give them my best. If I can make a difference in one person’s life, I consider myself successful,” he said.

For Shaun, martial arts can serve as an educational system that is of paramount importance for everybody, especially for the youth. The sport benefits children and young adults at every aspect of their lives, physical, mental, spiritual and emotional, while developing discipline and respect.

As like any other sporting code, Shaun’s dojo and students have suffered a blow due to lockdown. “The lockdown has had a severe impact on all my students. One can only teach to a certain extent via video on WhatsApp. Many of the students are underprivileged so Skype training is not possible. The fact that they have not had exposure to tournaments this year is also not a good thing as competing against others is vital to their growth. I stay in touch with them as much as possible, but I must admit that it has been hard to keep people motivated via phone or WhatsApp. However, one does not give up on something you love so much easily. So, I will keep on trying to keep the students motivated. As soon as the dojo can reopen we will be gearing up for our November grading and practicing hard to make up for lost time,” said Shaun.

The FKI Bluff SA dojo is headed by chief instructor Birgitt Smit and is based at Assegai Shellhole on the Bluff. Anyone interested in trying out martial arts post lockdown can call Shaun Miln on 079-270-1100.

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