From the Karate Institute of America pictorial archives, courtesy of Genny “Cougar” Edge, is this 1992 pensive and serendipitous cameo of then Rose “Renegade” Guck and Kurt “Raphael” Hoberg before they were married. If they, and we, only knew then what we all know now. It is amazing how fate exists right before our very eyes long before the reality is made manifest! Rose and Kurt have been wonderful ambassadors of the KIA, and we greatly value their energies.
What a difference twenty-five years makes! How fast time flies. Meet the Family Hoberg, all grown up and not stoppin'. Renegade (Rose Hoberg) received her first dan Black Belt on 9 June 1990. Raphael (Kurt Hoberg) followed suit on 25 April 1992. At that time there were no kids in sight. Hardly the way things are now! Pictured with Rose and Kurt are their lovely children—Kyle, Erick and April. The boys are now in college; April is a Junior in high school.
Husband to Champion Archer, Rose “Renegade” Hoberg (KIA Black Belt #12) is Kurt “Raphael” Hoberg (KIA Black Belt #21). Rose and Kurt actually met through the Karate Institute of America via Kurt’s mother. They dated, fell in love, married and as they say, “The rest is history.” Kurt, like his champion wife, is also a competitive archer. Both of them have qualified to compete in the Senior Games in Minneapolis, MN, in July.
The Karate Institute of America has always been blessed with an exceptional clientele throughout its history, now spanning five decades. From our archives we see a young Eric “E.T.” Tan sharing his exquisite piano skills during his Black Belt coronation ceremony in 1992. Eric was a driven young man. He began his KIA studies around age 7 and achieved a fully ranked adult first dan Black Belt rating as a young man.
Featured this week are Nicole “Goldilocks” Hackler, her husband Warren, an heroic Marine who served America with honor and distinction for 26 years (now retired), and their loves—Clyde (the red male Shiba Inu) and Kiba (the black and tan female Shiba-Japanese for “Fang!). Goldilocks was one of the movers and shakers of the Karate Institute of America during her time with us. She achieved a 2nd Degree Brown belt rating before her husband was reassigned to another state so, unfortunately, she was not able to reach Black Belt, although she would have done so had she been able to stay in the area, no doubt.
The Karate Institute of America is proud to announce that we have a California State Archery Champion within our martial arts family. She is Rose “Renegade” Hoberg, the 12th Black Belt of the Kiado-Ryu (1990). Rose is the current California State Indoor Champion in the Masters 50 Recurve division. Husband Kurt “Raphael” Hoberg is the 21st Black Belt of the KIA and an archer as well. It is extremely satisfying to see our KIA family members so dynamically active and successful.
Paul Daniels is the 34th Black Belt of the Karate Institute of America and one of its most talented martial artists in our now 36 year history. Paul’s original call sign was “Electron” because of his blinding speed and quickness. That quickly morphed in his shorter call sign “Tron.” Paul is the owner and trainer of The Body Warehouse. Check it out, as well as his KIA Black Belt profile.
Defending yourself successfully requires more than simply thinking you’re tough. It requires knowledge of what to do, how to do it, when to do it and even when not to act. Neutralizing an adversary with a punch requires more than pumping your fists or flailing your arms. To have a powerful punch mandates knowing the physics of power, how to construct a fist that won’t collapse on impact and much more.
When having to seriously injure an attacker is your only option to survival, all things being equal, the first target is the eyes. Drum this into your psyche: eyes, eyes, eyes! No one who gets hit in the eyes enjoys the experience, quite the contrary. Eye strikes with the fingers, pens, pencils, credit cards or other implements with either points or edges will all be devastating to an attacker.
He’s young, determined and … cute. He’s our new “Sai Guy,” Aidan the “Smasher.” So many of our current 63 Black Belts of the Kiado-Ryu began at a young age and grew to be talented martial artists. Aidan is a fine young man. His brother, Tristan, aka, “Raptor,” will be our 64th Black Belt sometime this year. He, too, started at a young age and has grown into an exemplary individual, thanks to his wonderful parents.