Get Your Mind Right: A journey to excellence, gives us a rare glimpse into this private man’s extraordinary inner workings and discipline of mind.
Born on the 27th of April 1950, Chris Botha lives in Roodepoort.
He grew up in Seaview, Durban, South Africa and in his early teens embarked on a journey in martial arts.
Chris holds an 8th Dan black belt in Funakoshi Karate and is the Style Head of Funakoshi Karate South Africa.
In his quiet and reflective moments, he reveals an ocean of depth reflected in his philosophy of being and has finally shared his thoughts on his journey as a hardcore, real-deal karate expert and all-round sportsman.
People can know him for years and not know much about the road he has travelled or what his work as an instructor has meant to thousands of students who owe their often life-altering karate and sporting experiences to him.
He truly led from the front!
How did he do it? What was his inner process? Who is he really?
His unrelenting attitude, winning mindset and training ethic is laid bare in the hope that it will help other martial arts instructors, students of karate, as well as sportsmen and women who demand excellence from themselves to reach greater heights.
He is so much more than just a Sensei.
He sees the golden potential in students that they often cannot see for themselves and teaches them to tap into their depths and grow through kicking down internal barriers, breaking through their fears, and learning to expect excellence from within as part of their new and improved default setting in life.
He encourages them to push themselves beyond what they ever thought possible, to experience their lives fully, whether they remain lifelong karateka or not.
He appreciates the natural world and cares for the environment, holding a deep affection for all creatures great and small.
His favourite holiday destination is the Kruger National Park, a place where his soul reconnects with the dust of the earth and God Himself as he settles in to listen to the song of the wild.
He loves the sound of the rain on a tin roof, the crackling of a wood fire, and family and friends who reside eternally in his big strong heart.