tikk news · beauty and the beast" feb. 8-10. kyoshi shihan and renshi shihan kristensen...

By LAURA MURRAY Ni Dan

Kyoshi’s Corner……...…….….2

Summer Shiai………………….4

Winter Shiai……………….…10

Know Your Black Belts……...15

Senseis’ Corner……..……......16

Texas Isshinryu Karate Kai Perfecting Character Since 1991

TIKK NEWS Spring 2013

Inside

Flood rocks dojo, sparks move to new location

(See DOJO FLOOD, page 6-9)

“We will be like a fine tuned

machine with great self esteem

in 2013”

A Feb.1 flood at TIKK’s headquarters dojo in Coppell left it in temporary space and in chaos for six weeks.

A dumpster took over Kyoshi’s parking spot during the restoration.

O verflowing toilets were just

the spark Texas Isshinryu

Karate Kai needed to move on

with plans to relocate the main

Dec. 3 ........................Tessa Jones, Denton Jan. 3 ................ Dhriti Rajkamur, Coppell

Jan. 10 ............... Brian Pokluda, Granbury

Jan. 12 .............. Beth Evangelista, Coppell Jan. 12 ..................Jacob Schottle, Coppell

Jan. 14 ................ Carter Martin, Granbury

Jan. 14 ......... Gason Montellano, Granbury Jan. 23 .............. Cameron Cook, Rockwall

Jan. 29 .......................Amber Foote, Denia

Jan. 29 ......................... Jason Foote, Denia Jan. 29 ........................ Abby Cook, Denia

Feb. 2 ..................... Yuan Paulino, Coppell

Feb. 2 ........... Michael Tziovannis, Coppell Feb. 2 ..................... Natalie Duteil, Denton

Feb. 11 ................... Leon Lopez, Granbury

Feb. 11 ............... Paulina Lopez, Granbury Feb. 20 ................... Chris Jones, Rockwall

March 4 ............... Dwayne Miller, Aubrey

March 4 ................ Connor Miller, Aubrey March 5 ......................... Emily Orr, Denia

March 5 ................... Alex Moraska, Denia

NEW STUDENTS

Make it happen April 15 ............................................ Mrs. Laura Murray’s Birthday April 22 .............................................. Mr. Jovi Espinosa’s Birthday

April 25 ............................................ Mr. Johannes Kroll’s Birthday

May 1 ................................................ Mr. Steve Pergantis’ Birthday May 4 ................................................ Sensei Susan Harris’ Birthday

May 11 ........................................ Sensei Tommy Thomas’ Birthday

May 18 ................................... Mrs. Jennifer Wiederkehr’s Birthday May 19 .............................................. Mr. Dan Melendez’s Birthday

May 24 ........................................... Sensei Jeannie Rupp’s Birthday

June 15 ................................................ Sensei Carol Gue’s Birthday June 30 ...............................................Mr. Shane Murray’s Birthday

July 11-13 ................... IWKA World Championships, Akron, Ohio

July 16 ........................................... Mr. Allan Wallander’s Birthday July 22 ........................... Kyoshi Shihan Kristensen’s 65th Birthday

July 26-27 ............................. IHOF Tournament, Gatlinburg, Tenn.

Aug. 5 ................................................. Mr. Tyler Murray’s Birthday Aug. 8 .................................................... Mr. Steve Kroll’s Birthday

Aug. 18 ............................................... Mr. Caleb Clarke’s Birthday

Aug. 24 ............................................. Summer Shiai, Location TBA

TIKK NEWS is published periodically by karateka of Texas Isshinryu Karate

Kai, established in 1991, and is distrib-uted to students at all the school’s

dojos and to others interested in TIKK activities.

Publisher

Kyoshi Shihan Robert Kristensen Editor

Ni Dan Laura Murray

TIKK NEWS

KYOSHI’S corner

TIKK NEWS sPRING 2013

Coppell Dojo (Main) 1203 Crestside, Suite 230

Coppell, TX 75019 (817)491-1130

Visit us on the web: www.txikk.com Aubrey

All About Fitness (940)390-0192

Denton Brickhouse Gym & Denia Rec. Center

(940)390-0192

Calendar

Sept. 1 ............ Julian Evangelista, Coppell Sept. 4 ....................... Jair Aguilar, Denton

Sept. 11 .................. Jennifer Stokes, Denia

Sept. 13 ......................... Caleb Ison, Plano Sept. 14 ................. Andi Hawkins, Denton

Sept. 15 ............... Ilya Kavalyova, Coppell

Sept. 15 ....... Olekrando Kavalova,Coppell Sept. 15 .............. Daria Kavalova, Coppell

Sept. 24 .................Reese Baker, Granbury

Sept. 24 .................. Ryan Baker, Granbury Sept. 28 ................... Luis Banuelos, Denia

Oct. 12 .......................Ira Simpao, Coppell

Nov. 8 ................... Gaby Simpao, Coppell Nov. 15 ......... London Woolridge, Coppell

Nov. 15 ................... Liam Gibson, Denton

Nov. 15 ............... Hannah Rollins, Denton Nov. 15 ........... Mathew Redmond, Denton

Nov. 15 ............. Wesley McNabb, Denton

Nov. 15 ................. Ryan McNabb, Denton Nov. 26 .......... Lorenzo Ahumado, Aubrey

Dec. 1 ......................... Sue Ruffer, Coppell

There are those who think they know

what’s happening.

Those who watch what’s happening.

Those who don’t know what’s happening.

Those who don’t care what’s happening.

And those who make things happen.

You choose!

I choose to make it happen!

—Kyoshi Shihan Kristensen

Granbury YMCA

(214)923-1924 Plano

University of Gymnastics (469)688-4732

Rockwall Eclipse Fitness (214)995-9442

Affliliated school located in Nevada

March 5 ................... Sean Moraska, Denia March 5 ................ Angelica Rivera, Denia

March 5 ..................... Cade Knavel, Denia

March 5 ................... Camm Knavel, Denia March 5 ....................... Dylan Lyon, Denia

March 5 ................. Kolton Narayan, Denia

March 5 ............. Kreek Underwood, Denia March 5 .......... Luisanthony Zepeda, Denia

March 11 .............. Cody Freeman, Aubrey

March 14 ........ Anthony Wilson, Granbury March 18 ......... Caden Shattuck, Granbury

March 18 ........... Rylee Hendrix, Granbury

March 18 ..... Antonio Castrejon, Granbury March 18 ......... Taylor Milligan, Granbury

March 18 ......... Trevor Milligan, Granbury

March 18 ........ Christian Daigle, Granbury March 18 ........... Montana York, Granbury

March 21 ......... Jack Hernandez, Granbury

March 21 ....... Denise Gutierrez, Granbury March 21 ......... Kaytlynn Erwin, Granbury

P urple belt Kason Chesky

competed in his first 5K in

December and placed first in his

age division during his school's

Santa Fun Run, which is an an-

nual fundraising event for the fifth

grade field trip.

In addition, Kason's aborigi-

nal artwork

was chosen

to be exhib-

ited at the

Denton ISD

c e n t r a l

b u i l d i n g

and then

the Denton

Senior Cen-

ter. He was

honored as

very few

students were selected from his

school.

Brown belt Deanna Rupp, a

sophomore at Granbury High

School, was the Wardrobe in her

school's performance of "The

Beauty and the Beast" Feb. 8-10.

Kyoshi Shihan and Renshi

Shihan Kristensen attended a Sun-

day matinee of the play and said

they were

so im-

p r e s s e d

with the

quality of

the per-

f o r m a n c e

as it was as

good as

some of the

Broadway

shows they

have seen.

Sho Dan Johannes Kroll, a

senior at Lloyd V. Berkner High

School in Richardson, earned

third chair out of 10 double basses

SPRING 2013 TIKK NEWS

YOUTH CORNER

in the Region 3 All-Region Or-

chestra in October.

Mr. Kroll, who has been

playing the double bass about 1

1/2 years, was only given the mu-

sic for the tryouts three weeks

ahead of time and he managed to

beat out his school's top seated

bass player, who has been playing

about six years, Mr. Steve Kroll

said.

The younger Kroll was able

to learn the piece without much

help from his teacher and then

had the poise not to shudder under

pressure, Mr. Steve Kroll said,

adding that ability may have been

something he learned in karate.

Sho Dan Shane Murray

earned a spot in the Texas All-

State Band

on tenor

t r o mb o n e

after a se-

r ies of

a u d i t i o n s

held No-

v e m b e r

t h r o u g h

January.

At his

final audi-

tion on Feb.

13 in San

Antonio, he earned 9th chair out

of the 28 tenor trombones that

made the All-State Band and he

was placed in the Texas All-State

Philharmonic Orchestra. He re-

hearsed with the orchestra for

three days before concluding the

All-State clinic with a concert

Feb. 16.

Sho Dan Tyler Murray

made the Dean's List for the fall

semester at Belmont University in

Nashville, Tenn. where he is a

junior studying audio-engineering

technology and music business.

Ni Dan Chuck Blommaert

graduated Dec. 15 from the Uni-

versity of

N o r t h

Texas with

a Bache-

lor’s of

Arts in an-

thropology

and a minor

in criminal

justice. He

is currently

sea r c h i n g

for a job as

a police

officer or fire fighter.

Ni Dan Kyle Murray gradu-

ated Dec. 15 from Baylor Univer-

sity with a Bachelor's of Business

Administration in economics. He

is working as a medical econom-

ics analyst for Web TPA in Ir-

ving.

He wore a special cord at

graduation for earning member-

ship in the Omicron Delta Kappa

leadership honor society because

he started and led the Baylor Is-

shinryu Karate Club on campus

when he

was a stu-

dent.

T h e

big news

now is that

he is en-

gaged to

purple belt

G r a c e

Kennedy ,

who is a

senior at

the Uni-

versity of Texas at Arlington. A

June 2014 wedding is being

planned.

Kason Chesky

Deanna Rupp

Mr. Shane Murray

Mr. Chuck Blommaert

Mr. Kyle Murray & Grace Kennedy

TIKK NEWS SPRING 2013

F or Allan Wallander, the part

in the "Dojo Kun" about con-

tinuing your training with pa-

tience is something he had to take

to heart.

If someone had told him

when he first started training at

Texas Isshinryu Karate Kai in

2002 that it would take more than

two-thirds of his life to earn a full

-fledged black belt, like many

kids his age he probably would

have quit.

But he didn't. The then five-

year-old continued his training

with patience, and with the en-

couragement and support of his

family.

In August 2012 at the age of

16, he became the fourth student

in TIKK's 21-year history to pro-

gress through all the ranks with

his promotion to sho dan. He

earned his junior black belt, or

sho dan ho, in April 2010.

Mr. Wallander was pro-

moted at the Summer Shiai held

Aug. 25 at the Denton VFW after

a week of intensive testing. Sev-

eral black belts commented how

Mr. Wallander was incredibly

focused during his testing and was

able to do some amazing things.

Earning his sho dan at TIKK

was truly a milestone for Mr.

Wallander. "It means all of the

hard work and the years I spent

going every week was worth it

and it also means that my training

has just begun," he said.

His karate training has

helped him in all areas of his life.

"I'm more focused than most kids

my age, I have better self control

and karate helped me in sports as

well," Mr. Wallander said. "I was

well balanced in all areas."

Patience pays off as Wallander earns black belt


Kyoshi Shihan awards Allan Wallander his black belt at the shiai.

Sho Dans Chuck Blommaert, left, and Andrew Black bust through two blocks before be-ing named ni dans at the shiai.

Another highlight at the

shiai was the promotions of Mr.

Andrew Black and Mr. Chuck

Blommaert to ni dan.

Albert Solares earned his ni

kyu, or the second level in brown

belt, and Nicole Van Winkle en-

tered the brown belt ranks with

her promotion to san kyu.

Moving to purple belt were

Alexander Guardado, Kason

Chesky, Colleen Clarke and Trey

Dickey. New green belts were

Julian Chavez and Joachim Kroll.

Earning yellow belts were

Mark Vasquez, Camille Davis,

Logan Moser, Sam White, Jake

Wesson and Carter McKay.


Delight in the day at Summer Shiai...

Puttin’ on the stripes. A proud Mrs. Dianne Van Winkle congratulates daughter Nicole.

Mann-Ning Li, Kaylee Bordeaux and Charlotte Warrick enjoy moment with Denton teachers.

Yellow belts perform at shiai and, later, yellow belt Jack Belcher enjoys a dip in the VFW pool.

Joachim Kroll busts board before his promotion.

TIKK NEWS sPRING 2013

(From Page 1)

Dojo flood...

dojo to a new, more visible loca-

tion.

Nine years ago, TIKK's

move to a new location was the

result of the sale of the building

after the owner was killed in a

motorcycle accident.

Plans for the move in 2013

got into full gear after toilets

throughout the building where the

Coppell dojo is located over-

flowed simultaneously and

flooded the dojo, leaving it in

chaos for weeks and damaging the

mats valued at more than $4,000.

It all started Feb. 1 when

Sho Dan Jovi Espinosa had heard

that Melva Smith's dance studio

next door to TIKK had suffered

flood damage and he called Ni

Dan Laura Murray, who lives in

Coppell, to check it out.

Mrs. Murray found that

about 90 percent of the dojo floor

had suffered damage sometime

between Thursday evening when

TIKK last had a class and Friday

morning.

This hap-

pened just days

after Kyoshi Shi-

han Kristensen

had returned from

New York where

he had hip re-

surfacing surgery

and was trying to

rehab and recover.

TIKK stu-

dents immediately

came to the res-

cue, and more

than a half dozen

brown belts and

black belts came

to move TIKK

possessions out of

the wet confines

on Friday night.

Then on Sat-

urday morning,

when a brown belt

workout was al-

ready scheduled,

about 20 brown belts and black

belts worked to move all items on

the floor into empty space in the

suite next door, which was now

dry as it did not have carpet or

objects on the floor to collect and

absorb the water.

The stench from the wet,

dirty carpets became rancid as

TIKK students continued with

classes the next week on Tuesday.

Then on Wednesday the recovery

company hired by the property

management company tore out

the carpets.

The karate mats, which stu-

dents raised money to buy more

than 15 years ago, sat upside

down in the temporary space as

they dried.

The Shoman sat perched on

a step ladder.

By Friday, the restoration

company found that the water had

moved up the walls three feet and

decided all of the sheet rock had

to be torn out up to four feet in

height.

This meant a complete va-

cating of the dojo, including all of

(See,DOJO FLOOD, next page)

Rob Casale, Nicole Van Winkle, Aisha Espinosa and Mr.Steve Kroll dismantle the entry display.

TIKK mats dry out in the temporary suite after the flood.


the hundreds of plaques and pic-

tures that line the walls of the

dojo. The restoration company

started the process by moving

many plaques and pictures into

yet another suite across the

breezeway.

On Sunday, about a dozen

students came to help move the

remaining items out of the dojo

into the temporary space. Now

TIKK belongings were spread out

through three different suites.

Finally, after much training

with patience, TIKK students

were able to return March 14 to

the freshly painted and newly

carpeted dojo for its first class

since the flood.

Discussions about moving

the main dojo to a more visible

location have gone on for several

years and Kyoshi and Renshi Shi-

han Kristensen took the recent

disaster as a sign that it was time

to make a move.

They have been exploring

options and are considering the

purchase of a stand-alone building

to house the main dojo.

As of press time, the exact

timeline for relocating the main

dojo had not been determined.

Black belt Mr. Joey Marcella White belt Sue Ruffer Brown belt Adam Wallander

Sensei Tommy Thomas leads the Saturday class in temporary quarters after the flood.

(From Page 6)

Dojo flood...


Sensei Tommy Thomas and Sho Dan Luke Hutchison work amidst the chaos of reconstruction.

Kyoshi reviews the slow pro-gress of reconstruction nearly five weeks after flood March 9.

Post Flood Day 1: Feb. 1 Post Flood Day 8: Feb. 8

Dojo Flood of 2013

spring 2013 TIKK NEWS

Sensei Tommy Thomas and Sho Dan Luke Hutchison work amidst the chaos of reconstruction.

Brown belts L.B. Herbert and Rob Casale, above, and Maggie Butterfield, left in lower photo, move cleaned items back into refur-bished dojo on March 15.

Ni Dan Andrew Black could not be hap-pier to return to classes at the the refur-bished space of the Coppell dojo on March 14 after six weeks.

…Home again

Post Flood Day 8: Feb. 8 Post Flood Day 42: March 14


TIKK NEWS sSPRING 2013

F ive ik kyus found their way to

the black belt ranks at Texas

Isshinryu Karate Kai as the year's

promotions wrapped up at the

Winter Shiai Dec. 1.

Dan Melendez, Steve Per-

gantis, Caleb Clarke and Kelli

Kleppinger all were promoted to

sho dan while then 13-year-old

Ethan Shah became the seventh

student in TIKK's 21 years to earn

sho dan ho, or junior black belt.

The five endured an intense

week of testing after training at

TIKK anywhere from six to 10

years. Mr. Shah will be eligible to

test for sho dan when he becomes

16 in two years.

The shiai, which was held at

the refurbished VFW Post in

Lewisville, featured a tournament

for all of the kyu ranks to compete

Five persevere way into TIKK black belt ranks

Earning the rank of sho dan at the Winter Shiai were, from left, Dan Melendez, Steve Pergantis, Caleb Clarke and Kelli Kleppinger. Ethan Shah, below, was named TIKK’s seventh junior black belt.

in. For many, it was their first

tournament ever.

Another highlight was An-

drew Freeman earning his way

into the brown belt ranks with his

promotion to san kyu.

Moving to purple belt were

Rory Allison, Julian Paulino, Lau-

ren Schneider and Mark Schneider

while those earning blue belts

were Joshua Wiederkehr and

Robert Duteil Jr.

New green belts were Adri-

ana Velez, Neha Rajkumar, Jared

Wiederkehr, Luis Velez, Rebecca

Stebbins, Julian Chavez, Mathew

Pagano, Christopher Tziovannis,

Brett Roth and Jack Belcher.

Earning yellow belts were

Brynn Pergantis, Bryan "BJ"

McSpadden, Ethan Stokes, An-

drew Pfeiffer, Sam White and

Robert Pfeiffer.

Nathan Ellsworth was pro-

moted to blue belt at a Saturday

class in Coppell following the

shiai.

Taking first step key to life-changing journey

By STEVE PERGANTIS Sho Dan

SSPRING 2013 TIKK NEWS

I came to Texas Isshinryu Karate Kai in 2003,

weighing 325 pounds and certainly in horrible

shape; my blood pressure was off the charts, and I

could barely climb a set of stairs.

It didn’t take a lot of wisdom to know that I was

on a bad path, and my life had to change.

My son Jack had started classes at the Richard-

son dojo, and quite often I was

driving him to class and just

watching. It took a little prodding,

but pretty soon I figured that I

should be doing something be-

sides sitting there like a lump.

I had obviously perfected

“lumping,” so maybe it was time

to try something new? At that

point, my life changed, because I

took the first step.

At first, it wasn't what I ex-

pected; it was more like learning

how to walk. I wanted to break

boards, and do flying-spinning

back kicks. I questioned myself

“what’s with this basic stuff,” but

pushed on, determined to conquer them in a week.

After a couple of weeks, my gi arrived, and I

thought I looked like "The Michelin Man." Ten years

later, I’m still trying to conquer my basics, and a lot of

other things.

After such a humble beginning, I had nowhere to

go but up. Slowly, methodically, I learned some shobu

techniques, more kata, some throws. At times, I was

frustrated by some of the repetition, and what I

thought was lack of progress.

Always, in the back of my mind, I knew that the

senseis were very knowledgeable and knew the proc-

ess, knew what they were doing with me. Then some-

thing miraculous happened, I lost 5-10 pounds. It was-

n’t fast and it wasn’t very noticeable, but I was mak-

ing some progress.

I remember climbing some stairs that had previ-

ously challenged me, and it was much easier. It may

not seem like much, but these small victories gave me

motivation to try harder.

The years and ranks passed slowly, life has a

way of self-regulating, and I stalled in my training a

few times. However, as we say in Dojo Kun,

“Continue your training with patience.”

So I stuck with it the best I could through the

hard times, and remembered that Kyoshi frequently

told me to do the best I could, and to come whenever I

could, and that “some training is better than no train-

ing.” Many answers, to life’s challenges were found

on the dojo floor.

Surprisingly, I made green belt, and then purple

belt. Suddenly it kicked in, I might actually be able to

someday, somehow wear that black obi? Was it really

possible? But there was still a small mountain to

climb, the brown belt ranks.

Being a brown belt is much

like being in high school: you’re

expected to learn more, learn

faster and act like a higher rank.

Playtime was over, and it was

time to get serious...very, very

serious.

The brown belt is where

you learn the higher kata like

Kusanku and Sunsu, multiple

attack routines and a LOT of time

is spent refining your previously

‘good’ kata. Conditioning is also

kicked up a notch, a BIG notch.

Testing for black belt is an

individual experience. Kyoshi has said that if you

haven’t done it, you wouldn’t understand it, and I’m

in total agreement with that. But when that’s over, you

haven’t arrived at your destination; it’s not where my

training ends, but where a new chapter begins.

In many ways, you’re a white belt all over again,

but it was certainly a benchmark in my life.

What had started with such humble beginnings

has now become a lifestyle. My daughter Brynn was

recently promoted to yellow belt and my girlfriend

Sue (Ruffer) also has joined the TIKK family.

I should emphasize that word FAMILY in capi-

tal letters because the kai has always been there for us

publicly and privately.

Whenever your journey through the martial arts

begins, keep in mind that it won’t always be easy. It

would not be so valuable without a little sweat equity,

and a few sore muscles.

However, every journey begins with that first

step, and if you keep your focus you can “continue

your training with patience” and achieve your goals,

and so much more.


W e hear throughout our training about the dragon

within, the strength that lies within us. We see

the dragon on our patches and

everywhere we look in the dojo.

When I was asked to test

for black belt in November, I

thought I had an understanding

of how to access that inner

strength. To some extent my

years of classical ballet training

did teach me about inner

strength, about keeping going

despite pain and fatigue, after

all the show must go on.

But, testing for black belt

at Texas Isshinryu Karate Kai

takes you far beyond the show

must go on.

I think it only natural that

we question ourselves during

testing. Do I really want to do

this? Why am I putting myself

through this? You don’t have to

do this, you know?

For me at one point during that week it became a

case of “I can’t do this! I don’t have the strength or

the will to continue.”

I was in my room crying, got dressed for class,

couldn’t stop crying, sitting on the floor still crying.

Mr. (Joey) Marcella came in and found me, crying. I

don’t remember everything he said now; it was very

comforting and inspirational.

All I remember was him looking into my eyes

and calling my dragon by name. Yes, my dragon has a

name and somehow he knew her name. She was bur-

ied under years of marriage (and divorce) and mother-

hood, years of being every-

thing to everyone.

She was there all along

giving me the strength to do

everything that needed to be

done, she would surface from

time to time but then quickly

retreat again. Testing for sho

dan brought her to the surface,

made her accessible to me.

Every time I felt I could

not go on after that pep-talk, I

would call her by name and

she responded by giving me

the strength to do one more

round, do one more kata as

strong as I could, to keep go-

ing despite my legs not want-

ing to hold me up, to breathe,

to focus.

Yes, my dragon has a

name and I look forward to

years of getting to know her through my training at

TIKK. Maybe your dragon has a name, too.

Find your dragon and you’ll be amazed at what

the two of you can do together.

Finding dragon within not just saying during testing

By KELLI KLEPPINGER Sho Dan

Kelli Kleppinger breaks a concrete block before being named a sho dan.

T here is a difference between

“karate” and “martial arts.”

Often times, I think, people

tend to forget that. The most obvi-

ous example I can give is when a

really young kid says, “I’m a

black belt.”

In my opinion, people do not

realize that one does not get a

high rank just by showing off

some fancy spinning kicks and

punches. There is a discipline that

comes with it.

Martial arts has impacted

my life more in one year than any

other activity, not only in the

dojo, but outside as well. Patience

is one quality I have definitely

gained from karate that I did not

have before.

Things and people that both-

ered me before suddenly don’t

seem so irritating if I stop to think

about it.

Then there are the physical

advantages of training with

TIKK. Last year, I could do

maybe 13 push ups and ten laps

around a gymnasium before I got

tired. This year, I max out on my

school’s fitness testing, and I am

much more in shape, which leads

to a much healthier lifestyle.

My goal is to continue train-

ing for as long as possible, and

perfect my character along the

way.

—Brynn Pergantis

Yellow Belt

Yellow belt sees attributes of studying martial arts

SPRING 2013 TIKK NEWS PAGE 13

Kyoshi responds well to hip resurfacing surgery in NY


"Gentlemen, we can rebuild

him. We have the technology. We

have the capability to build the

world's first bionic man. Steve

Austin will be that man. Better

than he was before. Better,

stronger, faster."

K yoshi Shihan Kristensen

may not be the "bionic

man," but he is hoping he will be

better than he was before—both

stronger and faster, and more

flexible.

After years of leading a very

active lifestyle, Kyoshi's nearly 65

-year-old hip was simply starting

to wear out and it was greatly

limiting his range of motion and

flexibility, causing him much pain

as he tried to continue his active

karate lifestyle.

Lucky for him, modern tech-

nology allowed him to re-surface

his hip rather than replace it, and

unlike Steve Austin, it did not

cost him $6 million to do it.

On Jan. 19, Dr. Edwin Su

performed the Birmingham hip

resurfacing surgery on Kyoshi at

the Hospital for Special Surgery

in New York City. Dr. Su is one

of the most experienced hip resur-

facing surgeons in the U.S. and

did one of the first such proce-

dures in the U.S. after it was ap-

proved by the Food and Drug

Administration in 2006.

Kyoshi and Renshi Shihan

Kristensen returned to Texas Jan.

27 after spending nearly two

weeks in New York for pre-op,

surgery and initial recovery and

rehabilitation.

A few weeks after the sur-

gery, Kyoshi said he was very

pleased with how the surgery

turned out, although he was still

working to get back his full range

of motion.

He said he was told that by

three months after the surgery he

would be able to put on his shoes

and socks. By four months post-

op, he should have 85 percent of

his range of motion and then by

six months, he should be back at

100 percent.

As Texas Isshinryu Karate

Kai students would expect him to

do, Kyoshi returned to class just

two days after he returned to

Texas, and it has taken him little

time to bounce back.

By 3 1/2 weeks post surgery,

he could be seen leading the

morning class through all of the

katas, although not with hard,

snap kicks. By five weeks, he was

bowling strikes at the Bowl-A-

Thon and by 5 1/2 weeks, he was

doing kicks in class.

Kyoshi said he is looking

forward to the day he is able to do

the lunge on the ground move in

Kusanku kata.

During his New York stay,

Kyoshi said he enjoyed visits

from many of his East Coast

friends, including Renshi Karl

Sidnam, Kyoshi Marvin Carmona

and Sensei Kelly Carmona. He

said he appreciated all of the calls,

cards and gifts.

Kyoshi Shihan and Renshi Shihan Kristensen enjoy a fruit basket from Texas Isshinryu Karate Kai after his surgery in New York.

A new Texas Isshinryu Karate

Kai dojo, being led by Sen-

sei Susan Harris, opened in Rock-

wall in January at the Eclipse Fit-

ness, 201 E. I-30.

Classes are held 7:30-8:45

p.m. Mondays and 7:00-8:15 p.m.

Wednesdays. For more informa-

tion on classes in Rockwall, call

(214) 995-9442.

TIKK opens Rockwall dojo

TIKK NEWS Spring 2013

55 students attend TIKK’s first Junior Gasshuku March 23

F ifty-five juniors attended Texas Isshinryu Karate

Kai's first Junior Gasshuku held March 23 at the

Brickhouse Gym in Denton.

Students ranging in age from six to 12 and in

rank from white belt to purple belt and from all of

TIKK's dojos participated in a variety of activities for

a full day of training and fun.

"The Junior Gasshuku was a great success," said

Sensei Tina Palos. "Everyone had fun, no one got hurt

and, most importantly, the students had fun doing ka-

rate. They got to work with all the senseis and assis-

tant instructors and they got to balance hard work with

creativity, fun and rewards."

The idea for a one-day Junior Gasshuku evolved

after hearing Kyoshi Shihan Kristensen's experience

of having a kids' camp when he was in New Jersey.

The one-day event would give students some-

thing special they could do as they cannot attend the

senior Gasshuku due to age/rank. A practice tourna-

ment, team-building exercises like the balance beam,

tug of war and relays and skits were on the agenda as

well as a pizza party and prizes.

About half of TIKK's black belts who directly

work with junior students in classes helped to organ-

ize and run the Junior Gasshuku.

"The senseis and instructors had fun coming

together to run an event by ourselves instead of Kyo-

shi being in charge," Sensei Palos said.

In addition, several parent volunteers were help-

ful in making the event run smoothly, from shuttling

kids to the bathroom to helping with clean up during

the day to picking up 20 boxes of pizza to dispersing

prizes, pizza and water.

Brown belts Steve Sumners and Albert Solares

helped with some last-minute needs even though or-

ganizers were not trying to involve the brown belts.

Sho Dan Jovi Espinosa provided the black belts with a

homemade hot lunch.

Sensei Palos said she really appreciated Brick-

house Gym owner Mike Jones allowing the event to

be held at his gym and being flexible since it rained

off and on.

The Junior Gasshuku is definitely an example of

the dojo saying "No one of us is as strong as all of us,"

she said. "This only happened because everyone came

together—senseis, instructors, students, parents,

spouses, family and friends."

In addition, Kyoshi and Renshi set the example

that made this event possible, Sensei Palos said. "We

have all observed their teachings and efforts over the

years we have had of being their students. Say well is

good, do well is better!"

Students and instructors gather for TIKK’s first Junior Gasshuku held in Denton’s Brickhouse Gym.


The 16th annual senior Gasshuku

will be held April 12-14

at Camp Summit in Copper Canyon.

Theme: “Make It Happen

Spring Shiai: 2:30 p.m. April 14

Mrs. Tracy Dickey

KNOW YOUR BLACK BELTS


KARATE

Rank: Ni-Dan.

I first started doing karate on:

June 3, 2003.

I first started doing karate be-

cause: when I was little, I always

wanted to do a sport so my first

opportunity came after I had Trey.

Carson started first than I started

six months later. Mr. (Steve) Per-

gantis introduced us to Texas Is-

shinryu Karate Kai.

The thing that has kept me do-

ing karate has been: it's become

part of my life, the people, the

exercise and the discipline.

I achieved my sho dan on:

March 29, 2009.

My favorite kata is: Sunsu.

My favorite karate drill is: any

drill that I am winning.

My least favorite karate drill is:

the one I am not winning.

The one thing Shihan has

taught me that has had the most

impact on my life is: discipline,

perseverance, confidence and a

positive attitude .

To me, karate is: in my heart and

my way of life.

My most memorable karate

experience is: making sho dan.

My goal in karate this year is: sharing my love for karate with

others.

PERSONAL

Nickname: When I was little, my

last name was Tuma so the mean

kids called me Tuna or Tuba. Just

for the record, I was not over-

weight.

Birth date and place: March 22,

1961 in Elmira, New York.

Occupation (outside of karate): mom, granny and business owner.

Family: husband, Kurt, three

boys, Chris, Carson and Trey.

Future daughter, Krystal. Grand

kids: Kaleigh, Tristen and

Keegan.

I live in: Murphy.

My favorite pastime or hobby

besides karate is: watching high

school baseball games and swim

meets.

The three words people use to

describe me are: organized, mul-

titasker and friendly.

The two people I’d most like to

meet are: besides Jesus, Ronald

Reagan and Shihan Dale Jenkins.

I wish I knew how to: shoot a

gun.

I’m most proud of: being and

wife, mom and granny.

My favorite restaurant is: on

date night, Steve Fields and just

for fun, Fuzzy's.

The best vacation I’ve ever had

was: last summer when Kurt and

I took our first honeymoon after

20 years to Palm Beach, Florida.

My goal in life this year is to: 1.

Pay it forward, help others in

need. 2. Be a good friend. 3. Be

the best wife. 4. Be a great mom.

5. Be a loving granny.

W hat does “All One’s Ef-

fort” really mean?

As with most things, that

depends on you. In general, I do

not know anyone that gives that

all the time. That’s a big order

and basically impossible to do.

Olympic athletes have probably

done that as much or more than

anyone.

That being said, how-

ever, we should strive as karate

students to honor ourselves, our

teacher(s) and those who have

gone before us. One way to do

that is to do our best as we do our

basics, drills, katas and kumite.

You don’t have to have

every move down perfectly as that

wi l l take a l i fe t ime to

achieve. Start with something that

you know you can improve on. As

an example, do your basics as

though you have an attacker in

front of you and you have to pro-

tect yourself. Pay attention to

your punches, your kicks and

your stances.

If you are strong in your

basics, you will be stronger in

your defense, and your katas.

—Ni Dan Mike Harper

Zen-ryo-ku: “All One’s Effort” can lead to success


Senseis’ corner

W hat does it mean, when we say, "Take care of

your health" in our Dojo Kun? Does it mean,

eat right, exercise/train carefully, take vitamins?

However you define it, it needs to be taken seri-

ously. For what you do today will have

"consequences" tomorrow.

So "Take care of your health" today and every

day, so you can be strong tomorrow.

—Sensei Carol Gue

G ive new energy, new effort, new commitment

and determination to this year. We have the good

fortune to be free and here on earth to make choices.

The future is yours—what you make of it, give more

than you receive, make a difference in someone else's

life. That is success.

—Sensei Susan Harris

T IKK students are the best in the land. They al-

ways are there when needed, are unselfish, kind

and strong, compassionate and dedicated.

The dojo is as strong as the people in it is a say-

ing that comes to mind. And with the students in the

dojo, I have to say, We are a force to be reckoned with

—what a blessing!

—Renshi Shihan Kristensen

I just love great quotes so here goes: “You cannot

live a perfect day without doing something for

someone who will never be able to repay you.”

—John Wooden

"Doing crunches, and continuing to eat poorly IS

LIKE…detailing your car and continuing to drive in

the mud."

"Don’t erase your hard work in the gym by con-

tinuing to make poor choices after you leave."

—Bonnie Pfiester

—Sensei Jeannie Rupp

B e the Best YOU, you can be!

To be the best YOU, you can be, one must

first be strong in spirit, for we are one with God. Mind

—think before you do something. Body—keep the

body strong. In this you can be the best YOU.

—Sensei Tommy Thomas

“A ll glory comes from daring to begin.”

This is one of my favorite sayings in the

dojo. I think it can remind all of us not only of what it

took to start training in karate, but of the rewards we

have received from daring to begin something most of

us did not really understand in the beginning.

Do you re-

member the first

time you came to

class? How about

going to your first

shiai? And of

co ur se , wha t

about your first

gasshuku?

Some of us

might have felt

excitement, some

of us anxiety, and

for some of us, it

took real courage

to take those first

steps into un-

known territory.

But I think

we can all look back after each first step and remem-

ber the feeling of having achieved something positive

and worthwhile, of having learned how to overcome

obstacles and conquer our fears, of having perfected

our characters in some small way.

This is the glory we have all earned for our-

selves.

—Sensei Tina Palos

S everal years back, Mrs. Sensei (Tina Palos) and I

received a special gift from Kyoshi (Shihan Kris-

tensen) in the form of a couple of t-shirts. Written on

the front was a quote from Bruce Lee that said,

"Dedication, absolute dedication is what keeps one

ahead."

Out of all my karate t-shirts, this one is my fa-

vorite. It holds a special meaning for me. It serves to

remind me that dedication is nothing more than sim-

ply staying the path.

There is a place for dedicating time to train like

an Olympian, but for the rest us mere mortals, just

simply keeping a regular schedule and sticking to it is

more realistic. If you are consistent, rank takes care of

itself...it reflects time you have put in to your art.

Training in Isshinryu karate is a lifelong journey

for those who decide to stick with it. For any white

belts reading this, the journey of a thousand miles

begins with a single step!

—Sensei Tony Palos

And how about daring to begin reconstructing the walls?

tikk news · beauty and the beast" feb. 8-10. kyoshi shihan and renshi shihan kristensen...

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