From The Karate Consciousness: From Worldly Warrior to Mystic Master.
Strength is internal power manifested in external form. As all qualities of Divine Individuality, it flows from the center of man’s Oneness with his Creator. It permeates all components of the life system—physical, mental, spiritual—and is the sustaining force in the quest for perfection.
It is an absolute necessity for the student to continually increase his strength if he is to successfully progress in the continuum.
CONGRATULATIONS to Shaw “Wind” Shahriari for attaining his Blue Belt ranking! Wind is a devoted martial artist in multiple martial art systems in Iran (his home country) and the United States. The Karate Institute of America is proud to have him study in our Kiado-Ryu System.
Everyone has their special skills. Wind has two that are distinctive. 1) his kicks are devastatingly powerful and 2) he is an excellent kata performer.
How wonderful it is to reunite with KIA students and friends—in this case with Annette Carden-Dale, aka “Warrior.” It’s been a few years since our last get-together and such events are always fun and enjoyable. “Catching Up” is one of life’s most meaningful and endearing experiences.
Warrior began her martial arts studies at the Karate Institute of America, circa 2006. She was, and is, a great student—always focused, exuding a relentless spirit.
Let’s say you and some friends or family are out for a walk in the woods. Accidentally, you come across a mountain lion. You throw up your hands, scream and shout and do all you can do to frighten him so he’ll go away. However, not having any free space in which to run away to safety, the lion backs into a corner, frightened. Now what? You have a frightened predator who lives his life by killing and who finds himself trapped in a corner with a bunch of human beings who, themselves, are also frightened but who do not live their lives by killing, generally.
In any field of endeavor there are always levels of expertise from beginner, to intermediate, to advanced, to expert and beyond. Captain Lou Gacs, USMC retired, has surpassed that level of what is “beyond” to a level of martial arts excellence that is simply extraordinary. Without a doubt, Captain Lou Gacs is a “Martial Artist Extraordinaire.”
It is one thing for an individual to attain a Black Belt rating in one style of martial arts.
A fellow martial artist recently shared the following story. Pay attention if you value your money, jewelry, even your life—especially if you’re a woman.
In the community of Newport Beach, CA, theft is increasing, just like everywhere else in the world. A man, acting as if he was in dire trouble and needing assistance, approached a woman in her car. The woman was wearing a nice necklace and beautiful jewelry on her hands and wrists.
