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. Jerry Alston is smart, sneaky smart, and he has won many competitions
and matches using his number one weapon—his intellect.
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.
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. He was the only Vind brother to
rise to the Black Belt level.
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.
In 1989 at the age of twenty-two, he became the #1 Black Belt American Forms
competitor in the United States in the North American Sports Karate
Association (NASKA).
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,
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. Therefore,
it is critical to know Who’s Watching You?
