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?
The Karate Institute of America has been extremely blessed throughout its
thirty-seven year history with wonderfully generous people who have given
their time, energy, skill, and support to ensure its success. Without
question, the one individual whose generous endowment blessed the KIA with its
own studio in the early 2000s is second dan Black Belt, Jeff “Boa” Norman—the
sixty-first Black Belt of the Kiado-Ryu.
In 2001, the KIA was without an indoor facility. Jeff’s brother, Todd—also a
second dan (Black Belt #51), invited us to hold classes at his Cutting Edge
sports facility in Lake Forest, for which all the students were extremely
grateful. Next, Jeff offered to pay for a “build out” of a room on the second
story to house the KIA, stating that it was his gift based on all the KIA had
done for him and his business. That wonderful facility lasted until November
2010 when it finally fell victim to the global financial crisis of 2008. There
was simply not enough business to keep it or the Cutting Edge afloat. Yet,
that studio, made possible by Jeff Norman’s generosity, was a great home for
the KIA during those years. Jeff Norman was recognized and honored for his
exceedingly generous gift on 28 August 2006.
