This is the interior of the Old North Church in Boston, Massachusetts. As we know from United States history, it was this structure that is intrinsic to the legend of Paul Revere on April 18, 1775, in which the signal lanterns were displayed, notifying fellow American freedom fighters of the British march to Lexington and Concord.
Listen my children and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,
On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five;
Hardly a man is now alive
Who remembers that famous day and year.
He said to his friend, “If the British march
By land or sea from the town to-night,
Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry arch
Of the North Church tower as a signal light,—
One if by land, and two if by sea;
And I on the opposite shore will be,
Ready to ride and spread the alarm
Through every Middlesex village and farm,
For the country folk to be up and to arm.”
Paul Revere played a critical role in America’s Revolutionary War. This statue of him is one of the many treasures along the Freedom Trail in Boston, honoring him and the many patriots whose courage and vision birthed a free nation.
You can read a biography about Paul Revere, his house, Midnight Ride, Silver Shop, Foundry, as well as the Freedom Trail in Boston.
America’s history is rich in martial warfare. The American Revolution freed us from England and allowed America to become a nation whose freedom has been revered and prized the world over. Freedom gained at the expense of great courage, vision and, unfortunately, bloodshed.
Pictured here in the Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, is a statue of General George Washington, the first President of the United States of America, who led the Colonial Army against the British. Bostonians have done a remarkable job in preserving the rich legacy of America as well as Boston’s role in her revolution. If you’ve never been to Boston, it is a trip worth making. Touring its great historical sites leaves one in awe of the immense sacrifice and character of those who fought and died so that we, the collective mass of Americans, could be free.
Pictured is Grandmaster Richard Andrew King, founder of the Kiado-Ryu system and the Karate Institute of America, known to his students as “Mr. King” or, simply, “sir.” Most weeks, Mr. King is in charge of selecting a photo, but this week he is taking a much-deserved holiday and has left the duty to someone else. Thus he becomes the unwitting subject of this week’s photo highlight.
Needless to say, without Mr. King the Karate Institute of America—or this web site!—would not exist. He developed the Kiado-Ryu system, instructed us in not only its techniques, but its philosophy. Many of us are who we are today because of his influence and training.
Pictured here is the main gate of the Shaolin Monastery in Henan, China. The Shaolin Temple is the seed of the Karate Institute of America. From this revered iconic structure, the art of kenpō—meaning “fist law or fist rule”—was born. From kenpō, the KIA curriculum was developed and expanded to create its artistic and technical breadth, depth, and diversity.