Qualifications:

• 4th Dan Funakoshi Shotokan Karate
• Brown belt Aikido
• Represented South African all styles karate team
• Certified Red Zone weapons defence instructor 
• First UK affiliate of Richard Dimitri of Senshido
• Certified Hochheim weapons defence instructor  
• Register instructor of International Self-Defence Federation under Dave Turton
• 2008 awarded Instructors certificate by 9th Dan Japanese Master Shihan Kenneth Funakoshi of FSKA (only 15 awarded in history of F.S.K.A internationally)
• 11th Jan 2009 St John's Ambulance Emergency Life Support Children and Infants
• 2009 St Mary’s University Professional Strength and Conditions Course
• I have been awarded my 4th Dan black belt by Shihan Kenneth Funakoshi on
  20th Jan 2009.
  

Sensei Debi has competed at high level in hockey, athletics and volleyball and started training karate in 1989 at the age of 19.

She was keen to start at an earlier age, but her parents felt that karate was more for boys. She started Training in Durban South Africa under Shihan Barry Anderson and then moved to Cape Town where she set up Pee-Wee Karate and trained under Shihan Sanette Smit.

She was a member of the Western Province All Styles Karate Team for many years and then in 1997 she was selected for the South African All Styles Karate team and as a member she travelled to Tokyo, Japan and competed at the Women's World All Styles Championships. In 1992 Sensei Debi travelled to India and met the Dalai Lama in his temple. In 1998 she worked as a bodyguard to the main actors in the Quentin Tarantino
movie: 'Texas Blood Money' which was shot in Cape Town.


In 1998 she move to Kew Gardens and a few years later set up Pee-Wee Karate in London. She joined FUNAKOSHI SHOTOKAN KARATE under Shihan Kenneth Funakoshi, a 9th Dan Japanese master, she is recognised as a Senior Funakoshi Shotokan Instructor.

She has travelled twice to Las Vegas to compete in the Funakoshi Shotokan Karate World Tournaments where she won a Silver and Bronze medal for Kumite. She has on many occasions trained with Shihan Kanazawa (10th Dan Japanese shotokan master)
In 2008 she travelled to the USA to train at the world headquarters of FUNAKOSHI SHOTOKAN KARATE and will return next summer to grade for her 4th Dan karate belt.

When Sensei Debi is not teaching karate she is teaching self-defence and personal safety to many schools, universities and blue chip companies like The Bank of England, Specsavers and Accenture. Some schools she teaches annually at are: Kew College Latymer, Lady Eleanor Holles, St David's, Godolphin & Latymer and Broomfield House School. 

She has completed instructors' courses in the UK, Canada and the USA.  Have a look at her website: www.premierself-defence.co.uk. She has been rated as one of the top self-defence instructors in the UK. She travelled to Canada to train with the amazing Richard Dimitri and became his first UK affiliate of Senshido (www.senshido.com). 

She is recognised as a senior karate and self-defence instructor by the International Self-Defence Federation headed up by Mr Dave Turton, who is the highest graded self-defence instructor in Europe. In 2006 Sensei Debi Travel to Las Angeles to do an instructors course with Jerry Wetzel, she was the only woman at the exam! She has also done an instructors course with (www.hockscqc.com) Mr Hochheim of the U.S.A who trains many of the USA police force.

For fun Sensei Debi goes to the gym and enjoys squash and is a huge South African Rugby supporter.