Shaun kicks way to top
AFTER just one year and eight months competing in the sport of kickboxing, national champion Shaun van Eeden is still absorbing it all.
Van Eeden, who hails from Kabega Park, became the South African champion at the interprovincial tournament at the University of Cape Town sport centre in September.
He will now go on to represent South Africa at the world championships in the United States in June next year.
Van Eeden battled four opponents in his weight and belt category to claim the championship title.
He is a second degree green belt kickboxer, fighting in the 85-95kg category.
Each fight consists of two minutes in which the winner is decided on a points system depending where each blow lands.
The stomach, chest and head are the main scoring areas to deliver telling blows. No shots below the belt are allowed in the sport.
"Each round you fight in is a knockout round. You only have two minutes to show your worth," Van Eeden said.
Although he has had a meteoric rise in kickboxing since joining the 360 Degree Martial Arts Academy last year, he firmly believes in staying grounded and is concerned about learning and achieving more.
It has not been an easy road for Van Eeden and in his very first fight he broke several ribs and had to sit out for six weeks to recover fully.
"What I have learnt in my short time here is self-respect and self-discipline are not only important in the sport, but in life too," Van Eeden said.
He became involved in kick-boxing when sensei Hendrick Jansen van Rensburg, a friend of his mother, told him about the sport and urged him to try it out.
"It really is a good feeling when all the hard work and training pays off. "When I started off, I never expected to be this good," he said.
"Going to fight for the world title next year, wow, who would have thought after just under two years in the game?"
Van Eeden said it would cost nearly R35000 to make the trip to the United States, but said he would work hard to make his goals a reality.