As a follow up to our recent photo of the week, we present this article by Kiado-Ryu Grandmaster Richard Andrew King, originally written in 2007. 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.

Who’s lurking behind trees, bushes, walls, or structures in your life? The Phantom Ninja poses behind this tree to remind you to always be alert to who’s watching you when you’re out and about. Being aware is your first defense against attack and can save your life.

For those of you who have purchased canes from the Karate Institute of America, I would like to offer you a FREE group cane class, if you’re interested, on Saturday, January 26, at 10:00 AM at a park in Laguna Hills. If you have never purchased a cane from me but have your own cane, the fee is $20/person. There are two canes still available from the last order. These can be purchased for $50 each.

Adam “Frog” Mahan stands next to Mr. King, joined by the reviewing panel of Karate Institute of America martial artists, after being awarded his purple belt in the Kiado-Ryu martial arts system. Flanking Mr. King and Adam are #rd Dan black belts Chris “Growler” Grau, on the left, and Kim “Cultivator” Thomas, on the right. Rounding out the panel is first degree brown belt Tristan “Raptor” Ligtvoet.

Adam “Frog” Mahan demonstrates KIA kata, Institute Form #1, as part of his purple belt test. Pictured left-to-right are first degree brown belt Tristan “Raptor” Ligtvoet, 3rd Dan Black Belt Chris “Growler” Grau, and 3rd Dan Black Belt Kim “Cultivator” Thomas.

Adam “Frog” Mahan is awarded his purple belt by Mr. King on December 27, 2012. Congratulations, Frog, on another major step up the Karate Institute of America ladder! You’re doing great, and we all appreciate your effort, skill, and character. Next stop, blue belt!

What a blast from the past! James Rowe is pictured with his bride-to-be, Megan Von Berg. On the left, we see him in the early 1980s as a KIA Orange Belt in much younger days when we knew him as Jamie Rowe. James is now thirty-six. How rewarding it is to see old friends reconnect and share their lives with us. Congratulations, Jamie and Megan. We wish you all the very best!

As many of you know, many of the photos featured in the Karate Institute of America photo of the week have been graciously supplied by Genny “Cougar” Edge, pictured here in 1990 performing a kata and relaxing on a nature hike twenty years later in 2010. Cougar received her Kiado-Ryu 1st Dan rating on December 15, 1990. She is the 13th Black Belt of the Kiado-Ryu and one of only eight females to achieve Black Belt distinction of the sixty-three individuals who have garnered such success, a remarkable and noteworthy achievement.

For those who knew Jerry “Bones” Gentry, we commemorate him in this collage from the 1980s and 1990s. What a dynamic force Bones was in the early days of the KIA. We miss him and his energy tremendously, and are eternally grateful for all he did in helping establish the legacy of the Karate Institute of America.

From the Karate Institute of America 1980 and 1990 archives, Grandmaster Richard Andrew King competes with a cane. The cane, one of the most practical weapons in the contemporary world, is one of the standard weapons taught in the KIA’s Kiado-Ryu karate system. Free videos of the cane in action, as well as other weapons, can be found by following the “Videos” link at King’s Karate.