A Place of Great Memories
Photo of the Week – 09 March 2009
Where the red arrow is pointing was the location of the Karate Institute of America from March 1981 to April 1997 - 22622 Lambert St. #308, Lake Forest, CA. This was its second physical location. So many wonderful memories and black belts were created within the walls there. And if those walls could talk, oh what stories they would tell! The building has gone through many color schemes, veneers and management companies since then, but the shell remains the same. Thousands of students came and went through the KIA’s door during those times. It was a bustling place of activity, friendships, memories, great performances and, as any Kiado-Ryu Black Belt will tell you, test after test where students oozed sweat, blood, tears, fears, smiles, laughter and the irrepressible joy of triumph! Although not as large in physical numbers today, the spirit of the KIA lives on through those souls still studying the art of Kiado-Ryu, still creating a legacy of great meaning and substance, for in the final analysis it is not material buildings which house the Spirit of the Kiado-Ryu but the hearts and minds of everyone who has breathed a breath to give it life.