General George Patton stated a maxim of war: Fixed fortifications are monuments to man’s stupidity. Patton knew, as all great warriors know, to stand still in a fight and refuse to move is a fool’s strategy. It’s common sense that a moving target is much harder to hit than a stationary one. So why do many fighters refuse to incorporate movement and motion in their fighting strategies and styles? The Karate Institute of America’s fighting strategy is founded on movement.
Nicole “Goldilocks” Hackler has been a staunch KIA family member since the 1980s when her husband, Warren, a United States Marine, was stationed at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro. Times have changed a bit, but here is a photo of them at a U.S. Marine Corps function looking beautiful and handsome. Such a power couple! Time marches on. The following photo of four lovely and talented KIA women was taken in the 1990s.
Two of the Karate Institute of America’s loveliest students are Zemia “Barracuda” Garrett (photo right) and Hannah “Hannibal” Shamassian (photo left). They are dedicated, driven, talented ladies with great smiles, as we can see from the following photo. Hannah and Zemia However, let it be known, they are developing their martial arts skills to the point where anyone—man or woman—would be woefully unwise, i.e., foolish, to assault them. Those beautiful smiles are real, no doubt, but so, too, are the looks they can manifest to ward off any assailant, smiles which clearly send the message, “Don’t tread on me!
Beware of This Tactic! This story was aired on NBC on 29 April 2007. In Saratoga Springs, New York, a high school Senior female track star named Lindsey Ferguson was going to her car in the school parking lot. Adjacent to her car on the driver side was a van. She saw it and thought it was a parent’s car. As she opened her car door, the van door slid open and a man exited.
Richard Andrew King Grandmaster—Kiado-Ryu Martial Arts As one of the seemingly endless and escalating scenarios of stalking, assault, abduction, rape, and possibly murder, a woman in the San Diego area was walking innocently along a sidewalk when an older model black sedan began following her. The driver asked for her phone number and repeatedly asked her to get into the car. If this were to happen to you, what would you do?
Living in today’s world, more than ever before, demands we be constantly vigilant in relation to self-defense on a daily basis. No excuses. This world is not Pollyannaville. If anything, it is a Pandora’s Box full of misfortune. One of the principle ways to protect ourselves is to be constantly aware of our surroundings. Dr. Ignatius Piazza, Founder and Director of Frontsite.com, shares his organization’s “Color Code of Mental Awareness.” It’s valuable information.