International Federation of Funakoshi Shotokan South Africa

Founder, President and Chief Instructor
Shihan Eric Govender, 7th Dan

Eric Govender started with Judo and karate in 1970 under the leadership of the Late Robbie Reddy and Late Subbiah Naidoo in Chatsworth, Durban in the Dojo called “Raku”. He went abroad many times to train with karate masters all over the world. Some of the great Masters he trained with was H. Kanazawa Sensei- K. Enoeda Sensei- Tomita Sensei- K. Funakoshi Sensei- Asano Sensei- N Kawasoe Sensei- M. Miura Sensei- T. Asai Sensei- R. Koga Sensei- Kagawa Sensei- A. Trimble Sensei- D. Hazard Sensei and A, Nagai Sensei.

During his competition career he was three times Kata and Kumite Champion with Shotokan Karate International (SKI) and A.K.U.N All Style Kata Champion three times and two times Kumite champion in the under 60kg category. He was placed second in Kata in the International Championship in England in 1992. In 2002, he was awarded 6th Dan by Master K. Funakoshi. In 2003, he was placed in the South African Martial Arts Hall of Fame for his contribution to the sport in the country.