Hard to believe this photo was taken twenty-eight years ago in 1986. In many ways it seems like yesterday.
Sparring with each other are Eric “E.T.” Tan and Jimmy “Moneyman” Edge, both of whom have grown into fine men. Eric is the 22nd Black Belt of the KIA. Jimmy is the son of Genny “Cougar” Edge, the 13th KIA Black Belt.
In the foreground on the left is Clark “Flash” Hyman, a green belt then but who became the KIA’s 16th Black Belt in 1991.
Against the curtain in the black gi (uniform) next to the young man in the white gi is Jason “J.B.” Brown, the KIA’s 15th Black Belt (1990). Two people to his left in the red boots and black gi is Colin “Semi” Lee who became our 5th Black Belt, receiving his 1st Dan rating in 1988.
On the right in the white gi top is Jerry “Bones” Gentry, the KIA’s 2nd Black Belt. Sadly, Bones, a 2nd Dan Black Belt, passed on in 2012.