The following excerpt is from Chapter 8 of The Karate Consciousness: From Worldly Warrior to Mystic Master by Kiado-Ryu Grandmaster Richard Andrew King.

The “D and C” are the initials for Discipline and Control respectively. They generate the “Discipline-Control Factor” – an idea basic to all principles of achievement, without which there could be no accomplishment.

The relationship between Discipline and Control is that the former generates the latter. Control is regulation. Discipline is the training and exercise needed to effect the regulation. In karate, for instance, the placement, power and effect of any striking blow, be it a kick, punch, chop, rake, thrust, etc., is variable. Proficiency, however, and the extent of the variations is a matter of control. Yet, as any practitioner will confirm, the achievement of control takes work, concentrated effort, practice and repetition. Discipline is the force which binds all of these components together and creates the efficiency.

If there is one thing in this world that is certain it is that time marches on and we all get older. The photo with the two cuties above was taken in August of 2009. Pictured are Sofia “Cannon” Dale and brother Jake “Achilles” Dale, the children of Green Belt Annette “Warrior” Dale.

In the photo below we see these very focused and talented dynamos doing kicking drills during The Karate Institute of America’s Kids Power Self-Defense Workshop on 7 November 2010, Sunday. Notice how intense each of them is. Obviously, the acorn didn’t fall far from the Warrior tree!

The Karate Institute of America is home to a multitude of talented, extraordinary, one-of-a-kind individuals. It even has its own Norse Deity, Odin, God of wisdom, magic, poetry, healing, battle, war, death and divination. Meet Dr. Tim McCord, Kiado-Ryu Black Belt #25; call sign, Odin.

Tim “Odin” McCord, now in his early fifties, began his KIA journey in his late teens. A stalwart fixture, fighter and presence of the studio from mid 1980s to mid 1990s, Odin, a 2nd Dan KIA Black Belt, received his 1st Dan ranking on 25 June 1993 at our Lake Forest studio.

The day—15 November 2018, Thursday. It was a Blue Belt milestone for Hannah Shamassian and the Karate Institute of America as this lovely young lady moved up another rung on the Kiado-Ryu ladder of accomplishment.

Hannah is a paradox. She’s very quiet during her lessons, using few words to communicate with Mr. King. But when she does her bag work, look out! Her power is off the charts for her size, as her brother, Josh, understands full well.

He was one of the best and toughest fighters in the history of the Karate Institute of America. “He” is Guy McDonald, call sign “Hollywood.” He and Mr. King met up for lunch in October. It was awesome to reconnect after so many decades, decades that strangely seem like only a few weeks. How amazingly time flies. Yet, how wonderful it was to relive old stories and memories of a magical time gone by.