Hallo, my name is Sensei Danie Bruwer (Sensei Danie for short).
It is my privilege to take you on a tour of my Blessed Life……………..
Family
I am married to Hanlie, who is a fantastic person and my greatest supporter.
I am father to two lovely children, Danica and Niel.
Danica is a teacher by profession and owner of a creche, Isense Kids, in partnership with her husband, Anton Van Zyl, in Raceview Alberton.
Niel has a Master’s Degree in Nutrition and started teaching judo full time in 2024.
They both are National Judo Champions and Danica qualified for National Colours in Kata (Forms – Almost like ballet!!) and Kumite (Fighting).
Hanlie has two wonderful children:
Hanru holds a degree in Psychology. Hanru is at present a teacher in South Korea.
Yanké is a third-year student in psychology at the University of Johannesburg and a regular member of the UJ First Netball Team.
School Years
I started judo as a child at Durban Deep judo club, as we lived on Durban deep Mine in Roodepoort. mine.
My coach was Dr Sensei Simon Botha. He was a very dedicated and clever person, and probably one of the best coaches in South Africa at that time. Simon is in his 80’s and is still actively teaching bowls and is living a full live.
We trained twice a week from 6:30 to 8:00 pm in an old building at Durban Deep mine.
The mine was productive and a wonderful area for children to grow up in.
During 1971 we built a clubhouse. My dad who was the Chief Security Officer on the mine and his friend Mr Robbie Gibbon secured the land. The coach, judoka and parents raised the funds to erect the building. Little did I know that I would eventually be co-owner of the club. This club was demolished in 2014, and I had the disputed honour to have monitored the whole demolishion process. I then established a dojo in Roodekrans in a much better location.
I started doing provincial judo soon and was a regular attendant at the SA championships since 1972.
My first SA championships took place in The Portuguese hall at Turffontein.
I remember my first fight against Andre Wheeler also known as “Poffie”.
He was a brown belt and I was an orange belt.
My club mate, Lawrence Abbot, who was also in my weight, warned met that Andre is “Always as fit as a donkey”.
I went with an open mind and beat Andre in the first fight.
I came third that day, Andre was not placed and Lawrence won the championships.
Andre became a member of the National Judo Team (Springbok Team) in later years and was a very good judoka already then.
We had no age and weight divisions, the children all participated under 18 years!!!
In September 1975 we moved to Evander. There was no judo club in Evander.
I trained once a week at either Sensei Gordon Cummings in Nigel or Sensei George Prinsloo in Boksburg at ERPM mines.
Both these two sensei’s have since passed away.
I won my first SA championships as a junior in 1976 and my second in 1979.
I won only one SA championships as a senior in 1986.
VarsityJudo
I studied at RAU (Now known as University of Johannesburg) from 1980 to 1982 and again from 1987 to 1988. I have a B. Comm. Accounting degree and an Honours degree in business economics. During my university years I participated in the University judo championships and won the title in my weight division in 1980, 1982 and 1986. I was also universities open champion in 1986.
Military Years
I did compulsory military training from July 1983 tot June 1985.
Whilst in the army, I attended a tour of Europe and Israel in 1984 under the management of Colonel Boet Botha, better known as Oom Boet, with assistance of Major Coen Van Tonder. Oom Boet really took good care of the judo players in the military. Coen is a living South African seventh dan.
(7th black belt).
National Colours!!
I qualified for National Colours (We were known as Springboks) on 1 February 1986.
I also entered my articles at an audit firm, Haasbroek Smith, in Florida, Roodepoort, South Africa, on that day.
My first working day however was Monday the Third.
I was doing judo on my first official day as an articled clerk!!
I worked for Mr. Haasbroek in Florida – Roodepoort – South Africa.
Mr. Chris Haasbroek was a lovely man and I have fond memories of this phase of my life.
The springbok team beat the SA Games team 6-1 that year at the Standard bank arena.
After that we were selected to go to Taiwan and the team consisted of Edwin Schroeder, Robbie van der Merwe, Tertius Esterhuizen (who in 1992, became our first male African Judo Champion), myself, Andre French, Vojo Vujevic, Oscar Knoester, Johan Du Plessis, Dr Deon Smith . Our coach was the late Patrick Stevenson and our manager Colonel Louw Malan.
I qualified for my National Colours again in 1988. We would get an opportunity once every second year to qualify for National Colours. We had very limited international exposure. South Africa was banned from world sport due to the apartheid laws of the then Government
I became springbok again in 1992 when I was reserve for the first ever SA team to attend the African Championships in Mauritius.
Masters Judo (Judoka above the age of 30 Years)
During 1999 I attended my first South African Masters Judo Games. I have since won a few Masters Judo Games Titles. I also won a few South African Open Judo Championships Titles in my weight and age group as a Master .
In 2006 I attended the Common Wealth Judo Championships as a player. I became the Commonwealth Masters’ Champion in the 66Kg weight category, in Londonderry, Northern Ireland.
My last master’s tournament was in 2010, when I won my last SA National Title at the age of 49.
Club Coaching
I started teaching judo full time in 1992. I had a 1600 Ford Bakkie a trailer two sets of mats and a will to conquer the West Rand.
People thought that I had lost my head to exchange a promising career in the financial industry for the job as a full time sports coach. I never regretted one day that I decided to change careers. I was already turning 31!!
I started a club Kuzushi Judo Kwai (KJK) on The West Rand.
The club was very successful and produced many National Champions and Judoka that qualified for National Colours.
This club produced two full time coaches, who are currently running their own successful Judo Clubs.
My Ex-wife has taken over Kuzushi Judo Kwai (KJK) in 2016 (my first club). She has recently been awarded her Seventh Dan (7th Black belt) in Judo. Katja managed to produce excellent judoka over the years and has gone from strength to strength as the owner of KJK
One of my First Students, Michelle Diamond, nee Booyse, is now a full time coach of her own
Club: Golden Score Judo!
Several Judoka who started with us are teaching judo at present as club owners.
I also started Ippon Judo Academy in 2000 in Pretoria, I later sold the club to Louis Nolte, who changed the name to Pretoria Martial Arts Academy.
I took over Roohuiskraal Judo Club in 2024 and I am in process of establishing judo at the schools in the Centurion area in Tshwane.
I am in process os setting my son, Niel up to eventually run and own his own Judo Club.
Jacques Van Zyl was South Africa’s only Olympian during the 2012 Olympic Games. I am proud to say that his first years in judo were with me!!
I broke away from KJK in 2016 and started a new club – Doryoku Judo Academy.
Doryoku is pronounced as follows: Dori Yo Ku.
Doryoku means effort. My dad’s last wish was to donate a Floating Trophy for Effort.
As effort is the story of my life – I decided to name my club Doryoku.
The name is also a tribute to my parents, (who both passed on). They were the best supporters a judoka could wish for!!
Doryoku Judo Academy has six coaches at present who teach judo at the schools as an extra mural activity.
Other Coaching
I was coach of Wits University during 1985 to 1989 and of The University of Johannesburg during 2003 to 2005. To me University judo is the most enjoyable of all judo in South Africa!!
I am a provincial coach since 1989.
I was National senior and junior coach a few times during the period 1995 to 2009.
I attended the Commonwealth Judo Championships as coach/manager of the National side in the year 2000. This tournament took place in Stephenville, Newfoundland, Canada
I was National Junior Coach (under 20 age group) from 2007 to 2009.
Coaching Courses and Qualifications
I am a South African Level 4 Coach.
I attended a course for “Instructors in Judo” during 1996 at the University of Tsukuba in Japan.
I had the privilege to visit the Kodokan (The home of judo) and also Hiroshima where the first atom bomb exploded in 1945 during the Second World War.
I qualified as an European Union Level 3 Coach in 2014.
I qualified as an International Judo Federation Level 2 Coach in 2019.
Other Sporting activities.
I played rugby and cricket on school level and represented the first teams of both disciplines for my school.
I still love to watch Rugby and Cricket when not busy with Judo.
I ran and completed the comrades ultra marathon (89km) three times 2000 – 2002.
In 2002 I ran a time of 8 hours 59 minutes to qualify for a Bill Rowan medal (Medal for running under 9 hours).
I swam two Midmar miles and completed it in time (2004 and 2005).
I finished the 94.7 Bicycle challenge (Joburg) in 2010 and 2011 and completed the Argus Cycle Race (Cape Town) in 2011.
People that really made an impact on my life in judo:
My first coach: Simon Botha
My later coaches: Gordon Cummings and especially George Prinsloo – who had such a good heart and really loved judo.
Vojo Vujevic: 3rd in 1981 World Championships. Without him, I and many of the current full time coaches would never have started teaching judo full time. I trained with him a lot and he assisted me to win my first National trials in 1986.
Herman Van der Merwe: A real Judo friend and honourable man.
George Carter: A judo mate and honest person.
My varsity Room mate, Danie Noppé, who now lives in Australia.
Dirk Crafford, my judo friend since childhood.
Christel Malherbe, who assists me with the admin load of our Judo club
Conclusion
I am trying to make a difference wherever I go.
I love my job and it really pleases me to see young children developing to adults and actually coping in the real world. It gives me great joy to know that I had such an opportunity to touch their lives through judo and that I, by the grace of God can see them as successful, mature human beings.
