I discovered my passion for karate at 15, when I started training Goju-Kai Karate with my mother. She was adamant that I learn self-defence before leaving for university.
I instantly fell in love with the art.
I later met my husband through karate, and we now share an intense passion for every aspect of the art and lifestyle. Over the years, that passion also led me into fitness. What started as something I did in my free time eventually evolved into creating and teaching a martial-arts-inspired Fight-Fit HIIT class.
In an ideal world, I would be practising karate, teaching Fight-Fit and presenting self-defence training full-time. I’m still working towards that dream.
An opportunity I never expected
In 2025, I received the news that I had been recommended to attempt my 6th Dan grading.
When I started karate in high school, my 5th Dan grading in Japan in 2018 had felt like the ultimate dream achieved. I never imagined that I would one day be preparing for another level.
The grading was set for the end of June 2026 at an All Africa Master’s Seminar in Cape Town. It would also be the last opportunity for our style’s international head, Goshi Yamaguchi Saiko Shihan, now 84, to travel from Japan and visit each continent.
This was the ultimate opportunity.
More than just another grading
As an Occupational Therapist, I have a keen professional interest in exercise rehabilitation. I’ve always enjoyed learning about supplementary exercise and how it can best support different occupations and sporting pursuits.
Over the years, I worked with various personal trainers when preparing for karate gradings, with mixed results.
But this was different.
In Goju-Kai Karate, 6th Dan, or Rokudan, is an elite senior rank. It represents decades of practice, technical development and commitment to the art. For me, it was the culmination of a karate journey that had started in 1990.
The grading itself is also a very different kind of physical challenge. It is not a single examination where you arrive fresh, perform your techniques and go home. It involves sustained training over several days, with multiple and often unpredictable sessions, before the actual grading at the end.
You have to perform when tired, recover between sessions and continue producing technically correct karate when your body is telling you that it has had enough.
I wasn’t preparing simply to become fitter. I was preparing my body to perform at a very high level while fatigued, recover quickly and still have enough strength, stamina, focus and control when the grading finally arrived.
It was one of the biggest physical and mental challenges I had ever taken on.
At 50, I needed a reset
The years leading up to this point had been challenging.
At 50, I was discovering the joys of menopause, and my body was no longer responding to exercise and healthy eating as it used to. I had also recently lost my mother to cancer.
I needed a complete reset, a new challenge and a fresh approach.
My biggest fear was hitting one of two extremes: being too unfit to cope, or overdoing it and burning out. I had previously suffered hamstring tears and was struggling with a lingering tennis elbow.
On top of that, I was a mother of two teenagers running a demanding private practice, while already spending much of my free time teaching. I simply didn’t know where I would find the time for additional training.
I knew I needed to regain control of my preparation, but I needed to do it intelligently.
Finding MCC
Fortunately, around this time my family visited Bobby, a childhood friend of my husband’s.
We spoke about my goals and, more importantly, my fears. Bobby told me about My Conditioning Coach and Morné’s work with athletes.
Reaching out to Morné was an absolute relief.
What immediately gave me confidence was the way he analysed and clearly explained the specific physical demands of martial arts. For the first time, I felt that someone genuinely understood what I needed to prepare for.
I was ready to get started — and very grateful to have someone take the guesswork out of my preparation.
Training smarter, not simply harder
I was already training five to six days a week. The problem wasn’t necessarily how much I was training; it was how effectively I was using that time.
Morné gave me a clear, graded and monitored programme that fitted into my existing schedule.
I trusted the process completely.
And I was amazed by what my body could handle — and by how quickly I could feel the difference in my karate.
One of the biggest benefits was the monitoring. Four to five weeks before the event, Morné identified that my recovery was starting to lag. I was at risk of either burning out or picking up another injury.
With his guidance, and a few strategically placed rest days, I was able to finish the programme strong.
I also discovered a few things along the way.
I found new exercises and equipment that I actually enjoy, including the SkiERG and Assault Bike. I discovered that swimming was fantastic for cardio and endurance and worked really well for my body.
I still hate running, though.
And I probably shouldn’t hold my breath waiting for my Olympic swimming career to take off!
Arriving with quiet confidence
I arrived at the seminar with a quiet confidence that I was in the best shape of my life.
Morné had explained that he wasn’t simply training me to accumulate hours. He was training me to handle a certain level of fatigue.
That mindset was a game-changer.
When tiredness inevitably set in during those long days, I didn’t panic. I recognised the feeling. I knew I could handle it, and I knew I could recover from it.
That made an enormous difference mentally.
It resulted in the best grading experience of my life.
I felt strong. I gave 110% throughout. And I even had enough energy to complete another training session later that same day.
“I trusted the process completely.”
The achievement
Then came the moment I had worked towards.
I was tremendously honoured to be awarded my 6th Dan — and I became only the third person in the history of the Border region to achieve this rare honour in Goju-Kai Karate.
It was an achievement that meant even more because of the journey behind it. I was also incredibly proud to be one of only a handful of women in Africa to hold this rank in my karate style.
What I learned
This experience taught me to listen to and trust my body.
It also taught me that age should not limit the expectations I have of myself.
I’ve since returned to a similar exercise programme and have even involved my son, who previously thought heavy weightlifting was the only answer!
I have had to dial back the intensity slightly while I catch up on work, but maintaining this baseline of fitness to support my karate remains a priority.
Trust the process
As athletes, we often think we know best when it comes to our training.
But handing over the reins to someone with a scientific, objective perspective is sometimes the best gift you can give yourself.
MCC helped me train smarter, understand my body better and arrive at my goal feeling prepared rather than simply hoping I was ready.
If you are looking to achieve your next goal, elevate your performance or train smarter, I cannot recommend MCC enough.
Thank you, Bobby and Morné — this was an experience I will never forget.
Now on to the next goal…