Every structure needs a foundation, and one of the corner stones of the KIA’s legacy is Eric “E.V.” Vind, the 10th Black Belt of the Kiado-Ryu.
In his mid teens at the time, Eric was one of four brothers who studied at the Karate Institute of America in its infancy. Beginning at our first studio on Via Fabricante in Mission Viejo in 1979, Eric became the first leader to emerge and set the mark for others to follow. He was the only Vind brother to rise to the Black Belt level.
Highly creative, respectful, intelligent, skillful, humble and artistic, E.V.’s persona was magnetic, energetic, dynamic, enthusiastic. He was also the first assistant teacher at the KIA, and an extremely good one at that. He was always the first one to assist others in learning and in passing on technical information. He loved kata (martial arts choreographed routines), and was engaging and innovative in creating self-defense techniques.
One memorable story regarding Eric was when he was practicing with double nunchucks one night. Since the early studio had no mirrors, Eric was using the windows as a reflective device. Mr. King was standing behind his back watching as Eric whirled and twirled the chucks. All of a sudden, Eric stopped and turned around to face Mr. King. Blood was streaming down his face. Eric had cut his face open with the end of one of the chucks and the amazing thing of note is that the chucks never wavered in their trajectory, underscoring their ever-present danger! Eric recovered and will always be remembered as a respectful, creative and talented martial artist.
Eric is the 10th Black Belt of the Kiado-Ryu, achieving his 1st Dan rating in 1990. Sadly, E.V. died on 25 January 2005 from kidney failure as a result of type 2 diabetes. Although fallen, Eric “E.V.” Vind will never be forgotten. He was an extraordinary human being, and we are deeply grateful he was one of the gifted inspirational leaders of the Karate Institute of America. May he always rest in peace.