Karate Information
| Current rank:
|
Godan
|
| Total years of
study:
|
21 years
|
| Current style:
|
Uechi Ryu
|
| Current dojo:
|
Okinawan
Karate
Academy
|
| Dojo location: |
1837 So. Westnedge,
Kalamazoo
,
MI |
| Current
instructor:
|
Mr. James Thompson
|
| Association
affiliation:
|
Independent – Mr. James Thompson
|
| Karate
and other martial trainings and years attended:
|
a.
Summer
Camp -
Kalamazoo
1989
b.
Summer
Camp -
Kalamazoo
1991
c.
Women’s Self defense seminars
d.
Assist
Mr. Thompson in his college karate course at the community college
e.
Help
organize the annual beach work out.
f.
Summer Camp -
Kalamazoo
1989
g.
Summer
Camp -
Kalamazoo
1991
h.
Women’s Self defense seminars
i.
Assist Mr. Thompson in his college karate course at the community
college
|
| Other
martial arts or weapons studied:
|
Aikido and weapons but very limited
|
Karate Promotions
| Rank |
Certificate Number |
Date of Issue |
Location of Promotion |
| Ikkyu |
|
|
Kalamazoo,
MI
Uechi-Ryu
Karate Association |
| Shodan |
3064 |
May 15, 1998 |
Kalamazoo,
MI
Uechi-Ryu
Karate Assocaition |
| Nidan |
1543 |
May 20, 1990 |
Kalamazoo,
MI
Uechi-Ryu
Karate Association |
| Sandan |
884 |
November 29, 1992 |
Kalamazoo,
MI
Okinawan
Karate-Do Association |
| Yondan |
513 |
November 12, 1995 |
Kalamazoo,
MI
Okinawan
Karate-Do Association |
| Godan |
01 |
November 19, 2000 |
Kalamazoo,
MI
Uechi-Ryu
Karatedo Kokusai Association |
Educational Background
| College: |
Kalamazoo Center for the Healing
Arts, Kalamazoo, MI |
Questions:
At what age did you begin to study karate?
23 years old.
Why did you choose to study karate?
I started karate to learn how to protect myself.
Was there a reason why you chose to study Uechi Ryu?
I chose Uechi Ryu because my brother and husband (at the time) were studying Uechi-Ryu.
What does the tour to Okinawa mean to you?
I feel this tour is a chance of a lifetime, and it has been a dream of mine to be able to one day go and train in Okinawa with some of the best. I also look forward in the opportunity to train with the women of this style as I feel there are not a large number of women in Uechi-Ryu. It will be great to talk to other ladies that have a common interest.
How has martial arts study affected or changed your life?
Studying martial arts has let me meet great people, I’ve made a lot of friends. It has given me confidence in myself, self-esteem, patience with people and myself. I’ve been able to teach people how to defend themselves. Before karate I had very low self-esteem and was shy. I now feel respected from my peers and I respect
them.
Growing up I was a very shy girl. I never raised my hand in school; I didn’t want to be noticed. I didn’t feel I was smart and felt I didn’t want to be found out. When I started martial Arts I just wanted to protect myself. But I fell in love with it the very first day. It was the first thing in my life that I understood and wanted to learn. It began to make me feel confident and I started to build self- esteem. I began to talk to people and I started for this first time to feel respected.
Uechi-Ryu Karate has made me the person I am today. It gives me something in my life to try hard at and I know it will be never ending. There will always be something to work on, to get better at. There is no end and that’s the beauty of it. It has also given me a chance to teach other women to defend themselves and help to build their self esteem. It is one way I will be able to leave my mark on this earth.
