ABOUT

My name is Rodney Wippenaar and I had the privilege in being in the last group of Uchi Deshi students to experience the Karate Legend, the Godhand, Mas Oyama. I was there for the last 6months leading up to the passing of the Master and founder of the Kyokushinkaikan.

Wanting to train with Oyama Sosai became as obsession of mine at the age of 16. This is when I first saw, encountered and experienced the effects of training in Honbu via Sempai Marius Alers. He spent 18months as an Uchi Deshi and this was during Kancho Matsui’s build up to the 4th World Open Tournament. Marius’s techniques and power was awe-inspiring…and I wanted to achieve his level! I wanted this power.

During my time at Honbu I had the privilege of training as a kohai to Nicholas Pettas, only the second Westerner to complete the 1000days course and arguably one of the most powerful and highest achieving Uchi deshi. It is also through Nicholas that I met the first ever Westerner to complete the 1000days training under Oyama Sosai, Judd Reid. To this day I keep contact with these two gentlemen who continue to inspire me along my own path in life.

I stand on the shoulders of a giant! Although my best attempts never reached his level, I always try! The Giant I am referring to is Shihan Kenny Uytenbogaardt, who was the best and most famous student of Shihan Len Barnes. Len Barnes was the father of karate in South Africa and achieved 7th Dan in Kyokushin under Oyama Sosai. Shihan Barnes was a tough World War Two veteran, a Scottish boxing champion, a judoka and a self-professed Daoist. Within a period of 4years, Shihan Barnes moulded his student Kenny Uytenbogaardt from being a blue belt at the First World Open Karate Tournament in 1975, to being ranked no. 1, along with American Willie Williams (student of Shihan Shigeru Oyama) by Oyama Sosai for the Second World Open Karate Tournament! Alas due to South Africa’s racial politics, Sosai could not realise his wish of presenting the Japanese public with a Willie vs Kenny match as the final of the Second World Tournament. Shihan Kenny and the South African team did return for the Third World Open Tournament, but with only 4months preparation and at 36years old, he was not the same as at his physical prime in 1979.

It was precisely in the year of 1979 that a movie changed my life. After seeing Bruce Lee’s first Hollywood production “Enter the Dragon”, I entered the dojo of Sensei Kenny Uytenbogaardt! It was due to Shihan Kenny’s teaching that myself and Gavin Brink, a fellow student of Bellville dojo, undertook the adventure of training in Honbu, arriving there in October 1993. Just in time as the Era of the Strongest Karate ended with the passing of Mas Oyama…times changed and K-1 kickboxing then MMA took over the fighting world. However often the concept of Budo is lacking in today’s fighting world, Oyama Sosai said without Budo, fighting is just brawling! I wish to share my journey and experiences along the Budo Way and I hope that we can achieve one karate through sharing and interaction!