KIA students come from all walks of life, all nationalities, and all races. Jerry “Shuto” Alston was a computer engineer, whose brilliance in his field led to great executive success in the business world.
Shuto was an extremely intelligent man, although he never flaunted it. He used it. His mental skills were his greatest asset, especially as a fighter. He was competitive, smart, and wily. During a fight with one of the KIA’s most physically talented students, Shuto measured his distance and baited his opponent into ambush after ambush, defeating him five to nothing, proving that a well-educated fighter will beat a talented jock any day.
Mr. King can attest to Shuto’s cunning. When the two of them were fighting one afternoon after Jerry got his black belt, Mr. King was on the receiving end of Shuto’s stealth. Getting close and closer still, Mr. King fell for an ambush and attacked. Shuto retreated, sticking Mr. King in the chest with a beautifully executed jumping back kick to his chest. It was one of those moments for Mr. King when he saw the attack coming but there was nothing he could do about it. Slam! Great technique on Shuto’s part. Awesome execution!
Jerry Alston was a gracious, kind, generous man and an excellent performer. He assisted Mr. King in many of his competitive self-defense technique competitions and the two of them won many championships. There were even a couple times Shuto took some hard knocks but he never complained and became a stellar Black Belt of the Kiado-Ryu.