Sensei Arendse was awarded his first dan in karate, in 1983, before he moved on to train with Chris Thompson, a fifth dan. In 1991, he was awarded his second dan, followed by a third dan in 1997.
Sensei Arendse said he has trained with movie stars, Chuck Norris, Nasty Anderson, Billy “Tae Bo” Blanks, Bill “Superfoot” Wallace, and the last ninja Grandmaster, Masaaki Hatsumi, from Japan.
In 1986, his interaction and training experiences with Chuck Norris and Billy Blanks led him to kickboxing, in addition to his karate.
“That was in the early 80s, Chuck Norris and Billy Blanks were fighting competitively in what was called freestyle fighting, now known as kickboxing. That is where I grew into kickboxing. I always opened my mind into trying out new martial arts,” he said.
Sensei Arendse said his level of mastery is a result of experience in traditional karate such as Shukokai, Goju Ryu and Shotokan, as well as non-traditional styles such as kickboxing, grappling and Thai boxing.
Although Sensei Arendse trained in a kickboxing style that did not have a grading system, in 2013, he requested to be graded by a senior kickboxing panel and was awarded his second dan in kickboxing.
Sensei Arendse said the increase in crime, as seen in the statistics of hijacking, robbery, rape, abuse and assault, led him to open the Shorin-Ji Martial Arts and Fitness Centre, which includes a crime awareness programme focusing on empowering the society with anti-rape and self-defence workshops and seminars.
“The style that I teach, Shukokai, is like a brand name. The name Shorin-ji, means a place where knowledge is gained. I do things for schools, where I teach parents and their daughters about self defence, fitness and a good mindset,” he said.
To get in touch with Sensei Arendse, contact him on 082 710 7734 or email, ian@shorin-ji.co.za