Penny van Heerden (nee Thurman)
 

Penny was born in Harare, Zimbabwe (Southern Rhodesia). Formerly Salisbury, the capital is Zimbabwe’s commercial and industrial centre and also the usual starting point for any visit. It is a clean and sophisticated city, characterized by flowering trees, colourful parks and contemporary architecture. Local sightseeing includes the modern museum and art gallery, the Robert McIlwaine Recreational Park, which has a lake and game reserve, the Lion & Cheetah Park, the Larvon Bird Gardens and the landscaped gardens of aloes and cycads at Ewanrigg Botanical Gardens. Due to its pleasant climate, Harare is known as the ‘Sunshine City’.

Her family emigrated to South Africa shortly after the end of the Rhodesian War. First settled in Boxburg but moved to Amanzimtoti situated to the south of Durban City three years later. It is a popular east coast seaside holiday destination for the family in the Zulu Kingdom.

She did her schooling at Kingsway High School. Her hobbies included paragliding, hiking and reading. She met Emile by chance on a hill where he was flying. Emile was working as a construction field engineer at the time in Richards Bay. The two decided to backpack around the rural countryside of Japan October 1991. On returning, they moved to Pretoria, the Capital of South Africa. She was introduced to martial arts in the form of Jujutsu and Ryukyu Kobudo about this time. With her support the couple followed Emile’s dream of visiting the origins of Karate in 1996. Little did they know they would end up in Okinawa for 5 year practicing Ryukyu Kobudo and Shorin Ryu Karate at the Dojo of the old master Eisuke Akamine.