Theodore “Teddy,” “Rough-Rider” Roosevelt became the 26th President of the United States at age 42, serving in that role from 14 September 1901 to 4 March 1909 upon the assassination of President William McKinley. Ascending to America’s highest office, Roosevelt was and remains the youngest President in American history. Roosevelt, known by his initials “T.R.,” was, to use the vernacular, a tough dude, a man’s man. He struggled with asthma in his youth.

Remember this photo of the Brothers Ligtvoet (Raptor & Smasher) from August of 2019? Well, as we all know, time marches on and while old people grow older the young grow taller. Take a look at the next pic! Raptor hasn’t changed much but Smasher certainly has! He’s now taller than his instructor (guess who?) and nearly as tall as his brother. It won’t be long before the younger outstrips his elder brother, possibly.

Winston Churchill is one of the greatest leaders in world history. As Prime Minister of Great Britain, it was his will, his strength, his vision that saved his country and assisted greatly in the Allied victory over the Axis powers in World War II. Churchill was a clear thinker. He understood the serious and irrefutable importance of victory. He was not one of those “everybody gets a trophy” kind of guy.

RANK is a symbol of status, station, position or class. Underscore the word symbol. What rank is not is a manifestation of excellence of what is symbolized as a high status. Simply stated, rank does not equate to excellence, nor does rank equate to a high level of ethics, morality, intelligence or common sense. In this age of COVID, there are some misguided, imperious individuals who erroneously perceive their rank to be an indisputable declaration of unquestionable power and absolute authority.

Ah! 21! It is, arguably, the first great Milestone in any of our lives. One of the Karate Institute of America’s own is adorable Hannah. She is lovely. She is tough. And now she is 21! Hannah’s birthday party was a smashing success. But how does one have a smashing success of a birthday party in this age of COVID? Simple. You have a Zoom birthday party, which is exactly what her parents and family organized for her.

BALANCE—a simple word; a critical concept; a must to master. One of the most important sayings of the Karate Institute of America is “Balance is Primary.” It seems like such a simple phrase, and it is, but it is also one of the most critical of concepts, not just in martial arts, but in every aspect of life. To be quite frank, if we want to have a good life, a positive life, then Balance is a must to master.

Barnyard critters climbing the Wall? What in the world is this all about? Well, it’s about strength, courage, persistence, determination and a relentless “Never-Give-Up” attitude that pervades the Kiado-Ryu spirit. The Wall? Ugh? Yes, the Wall—that vertical edifice that currently contains only 2% of the 3,300 students moving through the KIA’s 41 year history who have reached the level of Black Belt. That percentage translates to only 64 students: 56 males and 8 females.

This is a classic scenario—an Antifa punk attempts a cowardly sucker punch when the man he is accosting turns his head. What happens next is astonishing. It is powerful. Must see. Be sure to read the comments. They’re very cool. As you’re watching this video, ask these questions: What mistake(s) did the Antifa punk make? What mistake(s) did the marine in the white shirt make? What positive thing(s) was the marine in the “Repent” shirt doing?

The Karate Institute of America and the Kiado-Ryu system of martial arts welcome Nolan B., aka “Viper,” to our karate family, as well as his Dad, Eric, his mom, Melissa, and his younger brother, Reed. In one word, Nolan is a stud. Only eight years old, he can knock off 100 sit-ups with aplomb. He loves challenges and defies any thought that he cannot succeed in anything he wants to do.

Steven J. Vertun, aka “Coyote,” is the 39th Black Belt of the Karate Institute of America and the Kiado-Ryu system of martial arts. His performance excellence led him to become the North American Sports Karate Association (NASKA) National kata (forms) Champion in 1993. To achieve this esteemed goal, Steve traveled to thirteen venues throughout the United States, compiling victory after victory, which ultimately led him to be the Best of the Best at his rank in the entire country.