WANTAGE DOJO
Teacher
The dojo is run by Sensei David
Mienie.
David began training in 1987 and currently holds the rank
of 4th Dan.
Training
The Wantage dojo was opened in
March 2003.
Contact
David Mienie
Phone:
01235 766313 or 07759 756743 (mobile)
E-mail:
david.mienie@jundokan.org.uk |
Biography of David Mienie
My grandfather was a 4th dan Jujitsu instructor and as
a child I would attend his classes and learnt basic
throws and breakfalls. Sadly he was killed in a car accident when I was 14
years old. I joined a Judo class in Belfast Northern Ireland but unfortunately
the school closed down after a short time. Moving back to South Africa in 1983
I was very keen to learn Karate but could not find an
instructor that did not teach sport Karate. My grandfather taught a traditional
art and I was not interested in sport Karate. I discovered Sensei Francis Rink
in 1987 and he taught Goju Ryu Karate-Do, 'NOT A SPORT,
NOT A CONTEST'. These words attracted me to his teaching and I've been his
student ever since and have the honour of being his uchi-deshi (understudy)
since 1993. Sensei Francis gave me the title of sensei in 1995 after I
had run a school in Johannesburg for 2 years.
In the
year 2000 I left my employment and began teaching Karate full time. I had 2
dojo's in East London, South Africa and taught at schools during the day.
I had 120 students (mostly children.)
I was graded
to 4th dan by Sensei Francis in July 2002. In August 2002 I moved to England,
where I met Sensei Bob Honiball and joined his association (Jundokan United
Kingdom). In March 2003 I opened a Jundokan dojo in Wantage, Oxfordshire.
|
