As nature has her wildcats, so does the Karate Institute of America, and our Wildcat, like Nature’s, is on the move! Anna “Wildcat” Griffin is the 55th Black Belt of the Kiado-Ryu. She began her KIA journey at age 11. In 1998 she earned her 1st Dan Black Belt rating. True to her call sign, Wildcat is as tough as they come and a true legend in KIA history. Anna, a former United States Army veteran of eight years, relocated from the central plains of the U.
In so many ways the civilization of the 21st Century lives in the delusion that symbol is more important than substance; that the character of who we are has been turned inside-out and upside-down to where it’s more important to be superficially adorned with the trappings of celebrity, fame, name, power, wealth, status, popularity and gamesmanship than it is to be anchored in principles of character, humility, honesty, honor, dignity, purity and substance.
Always with a smiling, optimistic, positive attitude is Terry “Slider” Bass, the fiftieth Black Belt of the Karate Institute of America, pictured here in his ubiquitous blue gi. Slider achieved his first dan on 13 December 1997. Possessing a strong, noble and generous character, Slider has been a staunch supporter of the KIA and other students, often attending the Black Belt tests of prospective candidates. As a fighter, Terry is very crafty, skilled, determined.
Swords are sharp … and cutting. The word “Shuto” is defined as a hand used like a sword in striking. Jerry “Shuto” Alston, the 28th Black Belt of the Kiado-Ryu (1994), not only used his hands as cutting implements on his opponents but he also used his mind as a cutting instrument to whittle his adversaries down to size. In fact, one of Shuto’s greatest assets, if not his greatest asset, is his mind.
Copyright, Richard Andrew King DON’T FORGET THE HEROES is a patriotic, passionate and moving tribute to those American men and women who serve and have served the “Flag of the Free.” It also offers a special acknowledgment to all those souls who have suffered, died and cried as a result of the Vietnam War. Download the Full Song for Free HERE. ENDORSEMENTS DON’T FORGET THE HEROES is a wonderful tribute to all of us who served in Vietnam, both the living and the dead, and the families at home who also paid a price for loving a service member.
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.
Steven “Widi” Ho began his karate experience at the Karate Institute of America with Kiado-Ryu Grandmaster, Richard Andrew King, in 1979 at the age of twelve in Mission Viejo, CA, at the original Via Fabricante studio. Gifted and eager to learn, Steven applied his talents and studies diligently and became the first Black Belt of the Kiado-Ryu in 1984 when he was seventeen. Ho competed extensively for the KIA in both open hand kata and weapons forms.
He began his KIA journey in 1985 after graduating from the University of California Irvine with a degree in Philosophy, a minor in Classics, and a tennis forehand that would make Roger Federer cower. Well, maybe. Who is he? “He” is Clark Hyman, the sixteenth Black Belt of the Karate Institute of America; call sign, “Flash.” first dan ranking, 1991. Regarding his Karate Institute of America training, Flash says, The intense work ethic and “There can be no excellence without effort” became a part of my core values at the KIA.
Being aware of your surroundings is one of the first lines of self-defense. Yet, many women go through their days not really paying attention to who’s watching them. Remember, this is a predatory world, and although most people are decent there are those who are not, who have nefarious agendas of molestation, kidnapping, rape and more. Being responsible for one’s safety means surveying your environment to assess any potential threats.
3 KIA Dudes and a Chick Under Cover This is a fun photo. Four of the Karate Institute of America’s “Tried & True” don the new Kiado-Ryu baseball caps during class on 21 April 2016. Front row (all by his lonesome): Fifth Dan Master, Kim “Cultivator” Thomas Second row (left to right): Blue belt Zemia “Barracuda” Garrett. First Dan Black Belt James “Psycho” Griffin. Back row (standing tall): First Dan Black Belt Tristan “Raptor” Ligtvoet.