Posing with one of his trophies in 1991 is David “Nails” Mooney, the 19th Black Belt of the Karate Institute of America. David was given his call sign “Nails” because he was as tough as nails. A relentless individual in his studies, David gave one of the best black belt testing performances in Kiado-Ryu history. He had prepared himself so well that even today, twenty-years later, his work ethic lives on and sets a standard for others to follow.

Photo courtesy of and copyright by Genny “Cougar” Edge.