Christien started karate in 1973, at the age of 15, with sensei Dave Millar, in Margate.There she trained until she finished school and moved to Johannesburg.
Here Sensei Lionel Marinus and Sakkie Louw took over the tuition. During this time she also attended courses given by Sensei Kimura, from United States. In 1986 returned to Margate and again trained with Sensei Dave.
In 1987 Graded to Shodan with sensei Ray Rayn.
In 1989 graded to Nidan with sensei Dave Millar.
1990 family pressure (2 small babies) prevented her to train full time but at the end of 1999 she started training full time again together with her 2 daughters.
In July 2001 Sensei Masuyama graded Christien to Sandan at a grading held at T.O.Strand, on the South Coast of Kwa-Zulu Natal.

Hylton moved from Pietersburg as a 1 st kyu brown belt and joined Mizukan Karate Academy in 1990. Sensei Sakkie Louw graded him to Shodan in 1992.
In June 2001, at a grading held in Durban, Hylton was graded to Nidan by the National Technical Commission panel for Kwa-Zulu Natal.