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.

Former member of the Executive Council of KZN Karate,
National Referee for KSA, Chief Referee of FKSA World Champs in Sun City in
2009.

In 2000 Shihan Eric Govender formed the world friendship karate union with
affiliates from India- Sri Lanka – Pakistan – Nepal and Bangladesh.