Krugersrus sensei brings home the medal from All Japan Championship
The Krugersrus resident, who has the rank of Shihan-Dai described the competition and training camp as hectic with them training for up to six hours a day.
Catherine Venter competed among the world’s best at the All Japan Championship late last month and came back with a bronze medal. This is a Tenshinkan karate championship.
For Venter, achieving third place was a big accomplishment as she was fighting in a style she’s not used to.
“We were fighting according to WKF rules which state after you attack, you have to bring your arm all the way down to your side instead of holding it up in the block position.
“I’m not used to that and while we were fighting, we kept on getting points docked for that.
“It was a learning curve for me and I’m going to start training that way,” says Venter.
The Krugersrus resident, who has the rank of Shihan-Dai, described the competition and training camp as hectic with them training for up to six hours a day.
Also read: Springs karatekas excel at SA Championship
“I loved it, even though at the end of the day you were completely finished.
“This is my passion and I’ve been doing this since the age of 25,” says Venter.
The 50-year-old Venter does the sport full-time and teaches in the afternoon and trains in the evening. She says she is not stopping anytime soon.
“You can go all the way up to 10th Dan and eventually Masters.
“For now, I’ve got my 5th Dan and I eventually want to get my 6th Dan, but there is a mandatory period of time you have to wait before grading to the next Dan,” says Venter.
When not competing, Venter, who is passionate about sharing her knowledge, also teaches a women’s anti-rape class where she empowers women with self-defence skills.
“It’s not dependent on size and any woman can do it,” says Venter.
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