Keith Geyer with Nakayama Shihan
Instructor Profile
Keith Geyer has practised the art of Karate for almost four decades under the guidance of Stan Schmidt, a world renowned Karate Master and the most prominent western Shotokan Karate practitioner.
Keith has visited and trained in Japan many times in order to improve his skill and knowledge of Karate. He spent considerable time practising under the expert guidance of the late Masatoshi Nakayama Shihan, who was personally selected by Gichin Funakoshi to pass on the art of Shotokan Karate to modern practitioners.
In September of 2000, Keith undertook and passed the 7th Dan grading examination in Tokyo, Japan.
The grading panel was headed by Motokuni Sugiura Shihan, the chief instructor of the Japan Karate Association (JKA).
Keith and Derrick Geyer
Keith's brother Derrick was successful at the same grading and it was the first time that brothers have been awarded the senior rank of 7th Dan simultaneously by the Japan Karate Association.
Keith has strong ties with many senior instructors from a variety of martial styles around the world and interacts with them on a regular basis.
He continually strives to improve his personal standard and endeavours to instill in his students, an appreciation, enthusiasm and dedication to the art of Shotokan karate.
The Competitor
Keith Geyer competed in the international arena for 14 years, representing South Africa against the United States of America, England, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada and Italy.
Keith at the SA JKA championships
He won the South African Open All Styles Kumite title six times and was a three-time winner of the South African JKA Kumite title.
During the period from 1982 to 1988, Keith captained the South African national team.
The Coach
As a coach, Keith has successfully trained both junior and adult competitors in national and international competitions.
Pavlo Protopapa, one of Keith's students, won the world 1994 Shotocup championship in Philadelphia, USA.
The winning team from the Melbourne Dojo at the WKC championships in Nepal 2003
Another of Keith's students, Johan La Grange, reached the final of the 2000 Shotocup held in the Budokan, Tokyo. He was narrowly beaten by Toshihito Kokubon in an exciting final match.
Johan defeated a number of very well known Japanese fighters on his way to the finals including the All Japan champion, Kunio Kobayashi in the quarters and Kooji Ogata in the semi's.
Keith has coached several junior Karate-ka that have either won world championships or been placed in the top three and continues to train world class Karateka at his dojo in Melbourne, Australia.