Here’s a wonderful flashback to the early 1980s and a Saturday morning KIA kids class with instructors Greg “Maddog” Bendel and Rose “Renegade” Hoberg. Rose became the 12th KIA Black Belt; Greg the 14th.

How cute these kids were! And they could never be tired out! The ages of these children were 5 to 7. Simply adorable.

A couple things of note:

1. This photo was taken at the main studio on the corner of Lambert and Aspen streets in Lake Forest.
2. Notice the blue bags on the floor. We still have them, although they’re quite worn. Real troopers.
3. The only Black Belts at the time were Steven “Widi” Ho and Jerry “Bones” Gentry, both 2nd Dans as is noticeable by the two red stripes on their Black Belts hanging above the mirror (Ho’s is the grey gi top in the foreground; Gentry’s the black gi top with the red bandana he used to wear). The KIA now has 64 Black Belts on its distinguished Wall. With an average of six years training time from white belt to Black Belt, one can appreciate how challenging it was and still is to ascend to the Black Belt level. It is an elite group, to be sure, representing 2% of all Karate Institute of America students throughout its continuing journey to date (March, 2016).

KIA Black Belts are diverse individuals. Mike “Shooter” Benedict is one such person. One of his hobbies is being a biker, and he’s placing that “Benedict focus” into a fun and healthy passion.

Shooter is the sixty-second Black Belt of the Karate Institute of America. He is also a second dan. His youngest son, Greg aka, “Earthquake,” is the fifty-ninth Black Belt of the KIA—another terrific father/son Black Belt duo.

What in the world is “A Black Belt Pinky Champion?” It is a rather interesting question, is it not? Well, the Karate Institute of America has its own one-of-a-kind Black Belt Pinky Champion?

He is Doug “Pinky” Krause, KIA Black Belt #48, who received his first dan rating on 1 February 1997, nineteen years ago!

Pinky’s National Championship was earned in 1993 on the North American Sport Karate Association (NASKA) circuit, which consisted of 13 cities in the United States hosting open, all comers tournaments. Mr. Krause won the Intermediate men’s open hand forms division.

The following quotation is from one of America’s greatest men, Dwight D. Eisenhower. It is highly germane to today’s environment. It is also important for millennial children to understand because America’s future will one day be in their hands.

If all that Americans want is security they can go to prison. They’ll have enough to eat, a bed and a roof over their heads. But if an American wants to preserve his dignity and his equality as a human being, he must not bow his neck to any dictatorial government.

From The Black Belt Book of Life: Secrets of a Martial Arts Master.

If we are to live with a noble and elevated spirit, regardless of our personal comfort, it is axiomatic that we realize that Character Must Precede Prowess. In other words, character must come first before our martial arts rank, status, championships, name, fame, skill, billfold, bank account, titles on the door, trophies on the shelf, name plates on the desk, headlines in the local society column or records in the record book. Without a high ethical and moral character, of what true value is our life? Regardless of our achievements, if we lack a sound character, how can we be truly satisfied with ourselves as human beings and the legacy we will leave upon the earth when our last breath is expended?

There is only one “Chief” in the annals of Kiado-Ryu history, and there always will be only one. That “Chief” is Dr. Tim Huston, whose call sign fits his persona.

A graduate of Georgetown University School of Medicine, Dr. Huston is the 29th Black Belt of the Kiado-Ryu, receiving his 1st Dan rank on 12 February 1994. In fact, he is the patriarch of the inaugural father/son Black Belt duo at the Karate Institute of America. His son, Geoffrey, aka “Eagle,” became the 26th KIA Black Belt on 25 June 1993. Following in their footsteps and fighting gear, are Dave and Phillip Sampson, Vince and Jeffrey Weber, Mike and Greg Benedict.