The strongest man in the world is he who stands most alone. Henrik Ibsen I am sure of this, that by going much alone a man will get more of a noble courage in thought and word than from all the wisdom that is in books. Ralph Waldo Emerson We must learn to live with ourselves, independently of anything in this world. Saint Charan Singh I never must forget that none’s my true companion here, for all are gathered here for selfish ends.

From The Black Belt Book of Life: Secrets of a Martial Arts Master. Symbol before substance — pandemic renowned. Symbol before substance — deluded clown. Substance Before Symbol — turn it around. Substance Before Symbol — deservéd crown! Beware that you do not lose the substance by grasping at the shadow. Aesop Be not deceived with the first appearance of things, for show is not substance. English proverb The leader shows that style is no substitute for substance.

CONGRATULATIONS SMASHER, aka Aidan Ligtvoet, on being promoted to Purple Belt! Aidan’s test was on 6 August 2019. Pictured from left to right are his brother, Tristan, aka “Raptor” (the 64th Black Belt of the Kiado-Ryu who currently holds a 2nd Dan ranking); mom Atousa and dad Edward. Smasher’s journey to Purple Belt was a long one but highly inspirational. Aidan is the epitome of the #1 quality common to all successful people, and especially those distinguished individuals who became Kiado-Ryu Black Belts—persistence.

The goal of sparring is not to beat up our opponent but to learn from the experience. In actual combat, the goal is to win, to defeat our opponent. However, in sparring the goal is to gain valuable knowledge of combat in a controlled environment, bearing in mind that the “Process is the Product,” not victory or defeat. What does the sparring process teach us? Actually, the more germane question is, “What does sparring not teach us?

There is an art to the “gun,” just as there is an art to the fist, the open hand, the kick, the knife, the sword, etc. There is also a science to the “gun,” to its usage and application. Thankfully, there are great and generous friends who have blessed Whitefire and the KIA with their tremendous gifts and loving support. Among the most generous and devout families in the history of the Karate Institute of America are the Griffins.

The first chapter of The Black Belt Book of Life: Secrets of a Martial Arts Master is entitled, “Martial Arts is Life.” Sparring, which is a fundamental aspect of martial arts, therefore reflects many facets of life, perhaps the most critical of which is “problem solving.” We all have problems is life. That’s a gimmie. Who is there whose life is devoid of problems? Answer: no one. The issue is, “How do we solve our problems?

Tristan “Raptor” Ligtvoet and Josh “Viper” Shamassian back in the day. Perks are benefits. Sparring is light contact fighting designed to simulate actual combat for learning purposes but without the full intent of actual fighting, whose goal is to physically defeat your opponent. One of the many critical perks of sparring is independence—a state where the individual is autonomous, free and sovereign. Being independent is a critical aspect of personal identity and character because it negates one’s need and desire to be dependent on others.

All true warriors share a culture of common characteristics. They are determined, strong, courageous, focused, resilient and unyielding in their pursuit of victory. Paige, pictured here, is a true warrior on the track. On 4 May 2019, at the Kids Run the OC event held at the Orange County Fair Grounds, Paige ran a one mile race with hundreds of kids in her 9 year old age group and finished third with a time of 6 minutes, 42 seconds!

There are many aspects of fighting taught at the Karate Institute of America, a few of which are distance, angle, guard, posture and alignment. However, the most critical of all fighting skills is TIMING. This principle is corroborated by the great Japanese swordsman, Miyamoto Musashi, as seen in his following quote. Students of the Kiado-Ryu will remember the Seven Timings taught in our fighting curriculum: Up Back Backside Welele Draw Cross Change Once these critical timings are mastered, the student is well on his way to becoming a Master Fighter of great skill.

Invincibility lies in the defense; the possibility of victory in the attack. Sun Tzu How true are these words from Sun Tzu—one of the greatest military minds in history! When we have a defense that is skilled in strategies, tactics, techniques, movement, stealth and strength, it is invincible. When these same martial precepts are applied to an aggressive, intelligent and unrelenting attack, the warrior will be victorious. These two excellent principles of war should be paramount in the mind of great fighters and great generals.