Annelize Morkel holds countless National Titles, a Martial Arts Black Belt and has won her World Championship division multiple times. Her philosophy on life and her sport go hand-in-hand, and her life lessons might just inspire you:
Cape Town, South Africa (08 October 2023) — When Annelize Morkel discovered the art of Karate, she had no idea that it would influence almost every aspect of her life.
Annelize met her superpower in the 80s; a time when Karate was a hugely male-dominated sport.
“It was something completely out of my frame of reference (circa mid-80s as a petite girl in SA)—and the fact that it showed how people who are sometimes smaller, female, or differently built could learn how to protect themselves stunned me. I was immediately drawn to the safety aspect, not so much the sport,” she shares.
“I started competing in Martial arts in 1988. I don’t think I showed a great deal of potential, and to this day, I keep trying to improve,” she explains humbly.
But years of dedication and talent pruned the potential she may not have seen into great accomplishments. Annelize is a Black Belt Martial Artist, a 5th Dan in Kimura Shukokai International Karate, holds 32 National titles and won her World Championship divisions five times. She has also qualified for no less than eight World Champion Finals.
However, for her, the competition has only ever been a small part of the art.
Having recently taken double Gold at the KSI World Championships held in Cape Town in July this year, her preparation insisted on a nearly five-year investment and effort in one of life’s most important arts: trying and trying again.
“Competing at the KSI World Championships in Cape Town was emotional and a huge privilege. The last world championships were in 2018 in Sweden, and COVID created challenges for all competitors, requiring almost everyone to re-evaluate their competitive journeys,” Annelize explains.
“I went through a bit of a challenging health time in 2019/2020, so I wasn’t sure if I could compete again. The training was intense, and I am immensely grateful for instructors like our Joint World Chief Instructor, Shihan Chris Thompson, various other brilliant instructors in the KSI style, incredible coaches and, of course, teammates and opponents who kept supporting and helping each other to try and compete to the best of our ability.
“Winning is obviously great, but more importantly, being part of a journey and discipline with lifelong friendships makes me feel eternally grateful to be part of,”—Annelize Morkel.
Her lessons from Martial Arts and especially Karate have spilt over into multiple realms of her life, especially professionally. As a strategy execution specialist with a Masters of Commerce and a degree in Technology who triples as an international lecturer and quadruples as the founder of ACHIEVE, it’s safe to say she’s earned her black belt in more ways than one.
Her unsung superpower then, is using the lessons her Martial Arts journey has taught her for over 40 years. And, some of them might just inspire you:
Commitment is Key
Showing up over and over again and committing to your dreams as if they were a sport creates a rhythm of responsibility from you to you. The more you show up for your dreams, the more prepared you are when opportunities arise.
Your Mind is Your Most Powerful Asset
The test is often mostly less physical and more mental,” Annelize contemplates. “Things like overcoming injury and prioritising goals and objectives”.
When we train our minds like muscles, we are training our agency and power over circumstances which makes us stronger.
Put Your Best into What You Do
“My philosophy in life and business is simple. Do the best you can, when you can, with what you’ve got. Consistently. Disciplined. It sounds easy, in theory, but learning how to practice and live it personally and professionally takes daily motivation,” Annelize shares.
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