Bluff martial arts trio to contest full contact nationals
Three members of Funakoshi Karate International Bluff South Africa have successfully qualified for the national leg of the Full Contact Martial Arts (FCMA).
THE lifelong dream of Funakoshi Karate International Bluff South Africa (FKI Bluff SA) martial arts enthusiast and trainer, Shaun Miln (50) is coming to fruition after he qualified for the national leg of the Full Contact Martial Arts (FCMA) recently, along with two of his students Abigail Sueltz and Mary Brouckaert.
Shaun, who today holds a fourth dan black belt, took a strong liking to the art of karate and martial arts at the tender age of six. This quickly became a passion that would see him not only go on to compete at provincial level several times, but also head up the FKI Bluff SA as an instructor, where he trains both young and old.
“Words fail to describe how I feel about having finally made it this far. Since as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to represent South Africa through martial arts but it just didn’t happen. At some point, I even wanted to give up, but I’m glad I didn’t allow that inner voice to deter me from my passion and dream because it has finally happened – even if it did take some time and age has caught up with me. I’m going in with the determination to win.”
One of his students, Abigail Sueltz, who is also his step-daughter, was influenced by Shaun’s love of martial arts and has already earned her first-degree black belt at the age of 13. The grade 9 Grosvenor Girls High School pupil said martial arts has become more than just her hobby. She enjoys training with her dad and learning new strategic moves to improve her performance in preparation for gradings.
Twenty-five-year-old Mary, who has been training for two years, said qualifying for nationals came as a surprise as it was not something she was expecting. However, she is very excited about the challenge and opportunity. “I have very high hopes for nationals and am going to give it my all to increase my chances of walking away with gold,” she added.
Mary credits FKI Bluff SA for its support on her journey and aims to make her martial arts family proud.
Should any of these contenders be successful at the FCMA nationals, which takes place on 5 and 6 April at Kempton Park in Johannesburg, they will not only receive SA colours but also have the opportunity to represent their country in England for an upcoming international tournament.
The FKI Bluff SA dojo is headed by chief instructor Birgitt Smit and is based at Assegai Shellhole. Anyone who wants to sink their teeth into the Japanese-inspired sport should call Shaun Miln on 079-270-1100 or Carl Webster on 084-738-4245.
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