History Prenote During the 1980s and early 1990s, the Karate Institute of America was extremely involved in tournament competition on a local, state, regional and national level. Its competitors were highly successful in all areas of martial arts competition, winning hundreds of championships, which included four national championships. Yet, karate competition never made it into the big time. Why? The reason for such failure, as history has proven, is explained by Kiado-Ryu Grand Master Richard Andrew King in the following article: What’s Wrong With Tournament Karate, submitted to, accepted, and published by Black Belt Magazine in July of 1990.
CONGRATULATIONS, SMASHER!
27 May 2021 was another hallmark day for the Ligtvoet family as younger brother Aidan, aka “Smasher,” received his Blue Belt. It was no easy journey for Aidan, and it took time, but true to life principles of dedication and perseverance this terrific, respectful, loving and intelligent young man attained the next higher level of Kiado-Ryu achievement.
Pictured with Smasher are his mother Atousa; father Ed, and his big brother Tristan, who is currently a third dan KIA Black Belt and close to receiving his 4th Dan in December of 2021!
Genghis Khan is one of the greatest and most brutal leaders in world history. His conquests rival anyone in the pantheon of empire builders and conquerors. His Mongol Empire of the 13th and 14th Centuries was breathtakingly vast.
The Mongol Empire of the 13th and 14th centuries was the largest contiguous land empire in history and the second largest empire by landmass, second only to the British Empire.
Wikipedia Great leaders are never without maxims.
Kenneth “Ramjet” Anderson is the 11th Black Belt of the Karate Institute of America. He was awarded his 1st Dan ranking on 9 June 1990. It’s hard to believe that was 31 years ago! Seems like yesterday.
And, yes, Ramjet was that Black Belt who requested, on his Black Belt test, to do a second hour of the “still stance” requirement—a feat that has never been duplicated, and most likely never will be.
From The Black Belt Book of Life: Secrets of a Martial Arts Master.
We live in an age with effort waning,
with riches expected sans work;
but in all reality and actuality
There Can Be No Excellence Without Effort.
Much effort, much prosperity.
Euripides Success is dependent on effort.
Sophocles The mode by which the inevitable comes to pass is effort.
Oliver Wendell Holmes I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.
For Self-Defense and Survival Life is full of strife, struggle and conflict. Name one clear-headed adult on the planet who would disagree with this reality. Strife et al. is the basic nature of this world. Of course there are varying kinds and levels of struggle and, to be sure, everyone will experience them at some time or other.
The germane question is, “How do we deal with the strife, struggle and conflict?
