Master Denis Magua, 7th Degree(Dan), is the owner and head instructor at Magua Taekwon-Do. 

He has dedicated his life to martial arts, actively training since he was five. His start was in Judo, and he later took up Tang soo Do. His brother, Norman, convinced him to try out a Taekwon-Do class as a teenager. He has never looked back. In conjunction with Taekwon-Do, Denis took up boxing but, after a few years, decided to focus solely on Taekwon-Do, where his heart truly lies.

Denis started teaching Taekwon-Do in his school in the late ’90s. He and his brother, Norman, soon joined forces and formed the Magua Taekwon-Do School in 2001, which is now the largest Taekwon-Do club in South Africa. He has produced dozens of top-quality black belts, many of which are Instructors today.

Denis is also affectionately known as “Master Knuckles.” He acquired this nickname due to the large size of his knuckles from years of dedicated martial arts conditioning, which enabled him to perform miraculous feats of power-breaking techniques with his punches, the signature of which was smashing through bricks.

He is most known for his dedication to his students. He has high standards and high expectations of each of them. He is committed to bringing out your best and has a unique way of leading you to your full potential. His mission is to help you achieve your goals.

Denis moved to Toronto in early 2016, opened his Mister Knuckles Gym within just a couple of months, and introduced the first Canadian branch of Magua Taekwon-Do. He brought with him insurmountable knowledge and his unique style and training methods. He has since relocated from Toronto to Huntsville, Ontario, where he has opened (2022) the second Canadian branch of Magua Taekwon-Do in a full-time martial arts facility.

His high standards and love of martial arts are unrivalled. He has an unmatched dedication to his students and takes an active role and interest in their success.

• 7th-degree(Dan) Master Instructor - ITF Taekwon-Do (fully accredited)
• Certified ITF International Instructor
• Certified Class A International umpire/referee
• ITF Approved Coach
• Head Instructor at Magua Taekwon-Do School, Canada
• Founder and President of the National Taekwon-Do Council of Canada (NTCC)
• Co-founder and Vice-president of Taekwon-Do South Africa (TSA)
• Co-founder and co-head instructor of the Magua Taekwon-Do Club
• Multiple-time South African champion in various divisions, including sparring, patterns, power destruction and special-technique(flying kicks) breaking.
• Medallist at 3 ITF World Championships (2001, 2007, 2014)
• Co-Head Coach for the South African National Team (Pre moving to Canada)
• Proud student of GM Trevor Nicholls(UK), Vice-President of the ITF
• Trained with and graded under some of the top Masters and Grand Masters globally, including GM Choi Jung Hwa, ITF President, son of the founder of Taekwon-Do.
• Self-Defence training specialist