Karyn Smith is one of the few women in South Africa to obtain a 6th Dan and now she’s a karate black belt holder who embodies the true spirit of martial arts.
Smith joined karate at the age of 29 after watching her son participate in karate classes as part of occupational therapy.
“It was too far to drop him and come back to collect him and just sitting there for an hour waiting for him was a waste of my time, so I figured I might as well start with him which I did,” said Smith.
Smith’s love for karate started at a young age as she was fascinated by karate, mesmerized by the discipline, focus, and strength it required.
However, life had other plans for her, and she couldn’t pursue her dream. Years went by, and she found herself, and at 29, she began her karate journey.
Despite being considered a late starter, she proved that age is just a number.
Although she started relatively late, she competed at a high level in the open divisions which allows anyone over 18 years but under Veteran age divisions.
According to Smith, most of her opponents were anywhere from 10-20 years younger than her.
However, she managed to be placed number two in the Open Ladies Kumite (fighting) at the SAJKA Nationals championships at the age of 43 and again at 44 when she then had to have knee surgery.
“I decided then that it was time to retire from the Open division tone back a bit and enter only in the veterans’ division.
It was difficult to move over to Veteran and face the fact that I was getting older, but everything has its time and I had a good career in the “young” division.
Now I have learned that getting older doesn’t take things away from me, it just changes them,” said Smith.
Smith now focuses on excelling in the Veteran divisions and will be competing at the JKA World Championships in Japan in October.
She once competed at the JKA World Champs in 2000, 2004, and 2006 in the young division and now has the honour of participating as a veteran at the World Championships.
Last year, she won gold and bronze medals during the Indo-Pacific Cup in Mauritius in the veteran division.
Smith’s karate journey hasn’t been easy as she faced numerous challenges, one of them being a woman in a male-dominated martial art. She had 14 knee operations alone, including two knee replacements that were done at the same time.
Karyn’s journey of being tested continued as she had many other injuries and surgeries that threatened her karate career, many due to chronic and severe arthritis since she was in her early forties and from injuries sustained as a young girl.
Karyn said: “I have had bones removed, pins and plates put in, casts and splints, but I’m still going.
Everyone said my karate would be over after the knee replacements but I competed only four months later.”
According to Smith, her Orthopedic surgeon, Dr Ho was one of the people who encouraged Karyn to listen to her body as to what she can and cannot do.
She stated how his advice has served her well because when going for high grades, age, and injuries are not taken into consideration.
Through all this, she persevered, driven by her passion for karate and its values. Karate became an integral part of her life, teaching her valuable lessons that extended beyond the dojo.
Smith has won numerous awards, including SAJKA National colours and Protea colours, and has competed in several world championship tournaments.
One of the best highlights in her karate journey is attaining her 6th dan which is a rare achievement for women in the JKA association.
This accomplishment solidified her position as a respected and accomplished karateka.
Smith is also a senior instructor at Alberton JKA Karate and in Bassonia JKA, dojo head of Alberton JKA, and conducts women’s self-defence courses for private and corporate.
She continues to compete and inspire others, proving that age is not a barrier to achieving greatness.
She credits her instructor and husband, Bruce, for his unwavering support and guidance.
“I would never have been able to achieve all this without him. He has helped me achieve this as I would never have even aspired to.
We have travelled internationally many times just for me to compete and he has always been the first one supporting, coaching me, and paying the hefty bills.
I can definitively say I would not be where I am without my husband’s unending support.
At 81 he still teaches several times a week in the dojo and out trains virtually every other person in the dojo and that is a testament to what karate can do for you and a true inspiration.”
In a world where women are often underrepresented in martial arts, Smith stands tall as a shining example of what can be achieved through hard work, determination, and passion.
Karate has taught her valuable life lessons, including respect, discipline, and the importance of never giving up.
As Smith looks to the future, she is excited to continue her karate journey.
