Dan “Basai” Asay came to the KIA from a hard-style martial arts system. In his search for a new studio, he investigated every karate studio in southern Orange county and northern San Diego county, looking for the place he wanted to be. He was extremely open and honest in his approach. He came to the KIA one day for an interview and explained exactly what he was doing.
Several months passed. Then one day, Basai showed up at the KIA, explaining to Mr. King that he had been visiting many other studios. He said he wanted to sign up at the Karate Institute of America. When Mr. King asked him why he simply said rhetorically, “Is there any other choice?”
Although the transition was difficult from his hard-style training to the medium-style of the KIA, Basai never flinched in his quest to learn a new style, but applied himself diligently and intelligently, transforming his fighting style from rigidity to effortless, flowing, efficient water. Basai embraced the fighting philosophy of the KIA like no other before him and became a top-flight fighter, not just in the studio but competitively as well.
In his fifteen years of study, Mr. Asay became Mr. King’s highest ranking Black Belt at 4th Dan, and remains so to this day. The KIA is ever grateful for Basai’s gentle but extremely efficient warrior spirit. His humility, character, skill, excellence, and compassion for his fellow martial artists, as well as all mankind, exemplify the true essence of a Kiado-Ryu Black Belt.