Serge Trappeniers
Serge Trappeniers
Serge Trappeniers
Born in 1957 in Belgium, married in 1975 to Ingrid, together we have one son, Jethro and one grandson, Troy.
Professionally, I was authorised by the Belgian ministry as a training manager of Security, my main task was to train new entry personnel and deliver update courses to people who already work in the sector, this training consisted of self-defense, use of weapons, and defensive driving of armoured vehicles.
The last ten years of my career I provided psychosocial care for people who were looking for new diverse challenges in their lives and for people with burnout.
I am now retired from full time employment but I still give sport lessons in schools, institutions for people with disabilities and I give team building sessions in penal institutions.
Inspired by the way and the life of the samurai, I started karate in 1980.
Together with my wife and son we now have two dojos where we teach karate several days through the week and this also includes karate for people with disabilities.
My first Sensei was Satoshi Miyazaki, JKA Belgium, the training was very hard but always with great respect and "the real Budo spirit".
During my karate career I have had the great fortune to gain knowledge and train together with various Sensei’s such as, Asai, Abe, Kanazawa, Mori, Enoeda, Kato, Shiarai, Yahara, Namiki, and many others, too many to mention, every week we were on the road to follow different Gasshuku’s.
As my karate training progressed, my interest went to refereeing, from the grade of 1kyu I have focused myself on judging and refereeing, which I still do to this day.
In the 1990s we, as Belgium became a member of SKDUN together with the Netherlands, at the time I was the chief referee of the WJKA Karate Association.
Because we always want to stay with the traditional and the real budo spirit in Belgium, I was asked to help to start a recognized federation in Belgium which led to the formation of the Shotokan Karate Federation Belgium (SKFB), I hold the position of president of the SKFB, my ambition is to keep the level high and only with focus on the traditional Budo way.
I obtained my Dan degrees at the Japan Karate Association and the WJKA Karate Association. I hold qualifications as Instructor A class - Referee A class and Examiner A class.
I also had an examination by Sensei Abe who recognized my grades by Japanese Shotokan Karate Association (JSKA)
My current grade is 8th Dan.
International Referee Kumite and Kata Class A.
A member of the International Shotokan-ryu Karate-do Shihankai.
For about 20 years I have studied Kendo and also for 15 years I studied the art of Kyudo, which I still train today, and where I have obtained my Dan degrees.
I am a member of the executive board of directors for the SKDUN, Chairman of the disciplinary committee and member of the Referee committee.
My goal in personal life and in my karate study is to be open to new information because for me, every karateka big or small, high degree or low degree have the opportunity to bring something new, my motto is: working together as one big family.