Karate instructor - Johnny Toerien
- Born in Tiervlei (Ravensmead) on 21 Jan 1956.
- After school qualified and worked as a mechanic at a Bottling company.
- Started karate in 1974 with Sensei Eddie Vollenhoven 2nd Dan in the Tiervlei Civic center. When work commitments forced Sensei Eddie to close the dojo, I joined Karate-Do Goodwood under then Sensei Johan Roux, 2nd Dan.
- Political convictions during the Seventies forced me to stop formal karate training.
- I rejoined in 1982 and obtained the following ranks subsequent to that:
- Shodan – 1984
- Nidan – 1986
- Sandan – 1989
- Yondan – 1993
- Godan – 1998
- Rokudan - 2004
In 1985 I moved to Atlantis to assist the late sensei Martin Capito and work on the Self-protection Program. After Sensei Martin Capito passed away I took over the Westcoast dojos. I was appointed Karate-Zen Boland Chief Instructor in 1994. I am currently a member of the Karate-Zen Shihan Kai.
I specialise in weapons and kata and can perform a number of kata from all the major styles, such as Goju-Ryu, Shito-Ryu and Shotokan.
Some of the weapons I specialise in are the bo, tonfa, nunchaku, sai and kama.
I only got the opportunity very late in life to participate in competition. I have won the Karate-Zen National and Boland All Styles Championships many times. At the age of 42 I was placed 6th at the National All Styles Championships in kata competition. I was placed 2nd in kata competition at an International Style Championship in the United States of America.
I am currently qualified as an Africa Zone 6 referee.
I've had the opportunity to train with martial arts experts such as Morio Higaonna, Chinen, Dennis Martin, Soke Hayashi, Hirokazu Kanazawa, Bill Wallace and Billy Blanks. I also owe my fellow South Africans a great deal for helping me to shape my karate career. To name but a few, Kaiso Johan Roux, Senseis Eddie Vollenhoven, Hugh and Dennis St. John Thompson, Bakkies Loubser, Stan Schmidt, Nigel Jackson, Martin Capito, Nellie Kleinsmidt, Hoosain Narker, Thomas Wright and my great friend, Willie Moses (joined with me on my first day at the karate school).