Karate Helped Louis improve Club Feet

Hi, my name is Nidan Louis D’Oliveira .

I am a student at the Villieria Tigers dojo in Pretoria under Kyoshi Riaan Coetzee, I have been involved with the dojo since 1992.

I was born with club feet and the doctors told my mother that I would have problems walking my whole life , and that I would probably never run or be able to do any contact sports .

In 1992 my mother brought me to the Tigers dojo and I was hooked from the moment that I set my crooked little feet in the dojo . 

With a lot of patients and encouragement I WON my first medal at the SA nationals in 1994 , no holding back from there …. 

I had a couple of operations over the next couple of years , but never stopped training . 

As I got older the words “no retreat no surrender” became my life motto , taking part in every tournament possible , and achieving more than my doctors could ever dream of .

Except for karate , I competed at provincial level in athletics as well , I will never forget the orthopedic surgeon asking my mom if I am competing with the disabled kids and my mom just laughing at him .

Karate helped me gain the discipline , and self control , to put in the effort needed to be successful in what ever I wanted to be , and thanks to the family at Villieria Tigers dojo I never needed to feel insecure , helpless or disabled , Kyoshi Riaan has been a pillar in my life and Karate the foundation of every successful venture in my life .

I had to quit competing after a major operation in 2003 , but seeing my kids competing now warms my heart to the point where I started training full time again . 

Karate is not just a sport , it is a life style , and there is no family like a karate family .