I AM WHAT YOU COULD CALL "TOTALLY GIRLIE". I LOVE TO DRESS UP AND WEAR CUTE CLOTHES, I LIKE JEWELRY AND NAIL POLISH, I HAVE LONG BLONDE HAIR THAT GETS IN THE WAY OF EVERYTHING. I DEFINITELY DON'T LOOK THE PART OF A MARTIAL ARTIST. I NEVER WOULD HAVE DREAMT THAT MARTIAL ARTS WOULD BE A PART OF MY LIFE; IT IS IN REALITY, TYPICALLY A "MASCULINE ART". THERE ARE FAR MORE MEN INVOLVED IN THE MARTIAL ARTS AND LETS FACE IT - THERE ISN'T MUCH FEMINITY IN KICKING OR PUCHING. WHEN I STARTED MY TRAINING I FOUND IT HARD TO HAVE TO GO INTO "MASCULINE MODE". I HAVE SINCE FOUND A WAY TO BRING OUT THE "GIRLIE" IN MY KARATE PERSONA; I WEAR HOT PINK SPARRING GEAR.

I BEGAN MY MARTIAL ARTS TRAINING IN SEPTEMBER 2005 AFTER HAVING "SAT ON THE BENCH" FOR NEARLY 2.5 YEARS WATCHING MY OLDEST SON, CHRISTOPHER. I STARTED COMPETING IN NOVEMBER 2005, WITH MY FIRST TOURNAMENT BEING THE CALIFORNIA STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS. BEING A PERSON WHO NEVER REALLY FOUND MY "NICHE" IN LIFE; I IMMEDIATELY FOUND A LOVE FOR THE COMPETITIVE SIDE OF MARTIAL ARTS. I BEGAN COMPETING REGULARLY, TRAVELING ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES TO DO SO.

BY THE END OF THE 2005-2006 UNITED STATES KARATE ALLIANCE POINTS YEAR, I FOUND MYSELF IN 1ST PLACE IN THE NOVICE WOMEN SPARRING DIVISION, 2ND PLACE FOR NOVICE WOMEN KATA AND 12TH PLACE FOR ADULT KYU (UNDER BLACK BELT) WEAPONS. FEELING THE COMPETITIVE URGE, I DECIDED THAT I COULD DO EVEN BETTER. I SPENT THE NEXT POINTS YEAR TRAVELING WITH MY FAMILY TO 8 STATES ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND OVER 25 TOURNAMENTS IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE MY GOAL. DURING THIS TIME I ALSO TOOK A TRIPLE CROWN AT THE U.S.K.A. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS IN ALBUQUERQUE, NM AS WELL AS A TRIPLE CROWN AT THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN NEW ORLEANS, LA. BY THE END OF THE 2006-2007 POINTS YEAR I FOUND MYSELF REALIZING MY GOAL AND ACHIEVING A TRIPLE CROWN IN THE NATIONAL POINT STANDINGS. THIS TREMENDOUS FEAT ALSO EARNED ME A U.S.K.A. JUNIOR ALL AMERICAN AWARD (SOMETHING ONLY GIVEN TO COMPETITORS WHO PLACE 1ST IN AT LEAST TWO OF THE NATIONAL POINTS STANDINGS).

I WAS NOT THE ONLY ONE IN MY FAMILY TO ACHIEVE NATIONAL RANKING THAT YEAR. MY HUSBAND, MARK, EARNED 1ST PLACE IN THE BLACK BELT MEN'S KATA AND WEAPONS DIVISIONS AS WELL AS 3RD PLACE FOR INSTRUCTOR OF THE YEAR. MY OLDEST SON, CHRISTOPHER, PLACED 3RD IN THE TINY TOTS FORMS DIVISION. MY HUSBANDS SON, AARON, PLACED 1ST IN THE TEEN BOYS SPARRING DIVISION. FINALLY, TO TOP IT ALL OFF, OUR SCHOOL ACHIEVED 4TH IN THE TEAM OF THE YEAR DIVISION. IN ALL THERE WERE 9 NATIONAL POINTS AWARDS ACHIEVED BY MY FAMILY IN THE 2006-2007 POINTS YEAR. AFTER RECEIVING ALL OF OUR NATIONAL AWARDS AT THE 2007 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS BANQUET, WE THEN WENT ON TO EARN 8 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TITLES. AT THE END OF THE WEEKEND WE BOARDED A PLANE HOME WHILE CARRYING THE TROPHIES WE EARNED, 17 AWARDS IN ALL. WE WERE VEERED AT SUSPICIOUSLY BY TSA EMPLOYEES, IT WAS ALMOST RIDICULOUS. 

IN MID 2007 I WAS PROMOTED TO AN INTERMEDIATE RANK, WHICH ALSO PUT ME IN A NEW DIVISION; COLORED BELT WOMEN. FEELING THE SATISFACTION OF MY ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND THE DRIVE TO BE NAMED A NATIONAL POINTS CHAMPION AGAIN, I DECIDED TO GIVE IT ANOTHER RUN. I AGAIN TRAVELED ALL OVER THE COUNTRY COMPETING. I ONCE AGAIN FOUND MYSELF LEADING MY DIVISIONS, TAKING ANOTHER TRIPLE CROWN IN THE U.S.K.A. POINT STANDINGS (ONLY THIS TIME IN THE COLORED BELT WOMENS DIVISION). I WILL TRAVEL TO NEW ORLEANS THIS JULY TO COMPETE IN THE 2008 U.S.K.A. WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS AND TO RECEIVE MY NATIONAL POINTS AWARDS WHERE I WILL, AGAIN, RECEIVE THE JUNIOR ALL AMERICAN AWARD.

IN MARCH OF 2008 I COMPETED IN THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS AGAIN. NOT ONLY DID I MATCH MY ACHIEVEMENT OF THE YEAR PRIOR, BUT I ALSO WON THE ADULT KYU WEAPONS GRAND CHAMPION TITLE. THIS WAS MY FIRST GRAND CHAMPION TITLE AT A MAJOR EVENT. AT THE TIME, I WAS A COLORED BELT COMPETING AGAINST THE BROWN BELT MEN AND WOMEN FOR THE TITLE. IT WAS NO EASY TASK, BUT THE FEELING I HAD WHEN MY NAME WAS ANNOUNCED WAS INDESCRIBABLE AND COMPLETELY WORTH ALL THE HARD HOURS OF TRAINING.

THIS MAY I WAS UNEXPECTEDLY PROMOTED TO BROWN BELT, THIS ACT MOVED ME INTO YET ANOTHER (TOUGHER) DIVISION - BROWN BELT WOMEN. I COMPETED IN MY FIRST TOURNAMENT AS A BROWN BELT IN BAKERSFIELD, CA WHERE I HAPPILY TOOK HOME TWO 1ST AND ONE 3RD PLACE AWARDS. I HAVE SINCE COMPETED IN SEVERAL TOURNAMENTS AS A BROWN BELT, INCLUDING THE 2008 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS WHERE I TOOK 1ST IN KATA, 1ST IN WEAPONS, 2ND IN SPARRING AND ADULT KYU WEAPONS GRAND CHAMPION. I AM CURRENTLY LEADING MY DIVISIONS ONCE AGAIN. I HAVE THE DESIRE AND DRIVE TO TAKE HOME ANOTHER TRIPLE CROWN IN THE POINTS STANDINGS THIS YEAR. MY HUSBAND AND CHILDREN WOULD LIKE TO DO THE SAME; BUT WE DON'T WANT IT FOR THE REASONS YOU MIGHT THINK.

WE WANT TO DO IT BECAUSE OF THE LIFE SKILLS IT TEACHES AND CONSTANTLY RE-INFORCES. IT GIVES ME THE STRENGTH TO OVERCOME OBSTACLES THAT MIGHT OTHERWISE DEFEAT ME, IT HELPED ME OVERCOME MY PAINFUL LOW SELF-ESTEEM AND DEBILITATING SHYNESS. IT GIVES MY CHILDREN CONFIDENCE AND SELF CONTROL; THEY WONT SPEND THEIR YOUNG LIVES ALWAYS BEING AFRAID AND WHEN FACED WITH A TOUGH SITUATION THEY WILL HAVE THE SENSE TO CONSIDER HOW TO RESPOND AND THE ABILITY TO CARRY IT OUT.

WE WANT TO DO IT BECAUSE OF THE STRENGTH IT BUILDS IN OUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH EACH OTHER. WE GET TO WORK TOGETHER, PLAY TOGETHER, TRAVEL TOGETHER AND COMPETE TOGETHER. WE FAIL AND SUCCEED TOGETHER. WE ACHIEVE DREAMS TOGETHER. THE POINT BEING; KARATE IS THE TIE THAT BINDS OUR FAMILY TOGETHER, IT IS THE COMMON PASSION FOR ALL OF US AGES 4 TO 49. FOR US, IT IS NO LONGER ABOUT THE TROPHY; IT'S ABOUT THE PRIDE IN ACHIEVING OUR GOALS AND THE FULFILLMENT OF HAVING DONE IT TOGETHER.

• JUNE 28, 2008 - MAXIMUM POINT TOURNAMENT - PHOENIX, AZ
• JULY 10-14, 2008 -  USKA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS DOUBLE MAXIMUM POINT - NEW ORLEANS, LA
• AUGUST 16, 2008 - CALIFORNIA STATE TOURNAMENT MAXIMUM POINT+5 - RIVERSIDE, CA
• OCTOBER 11, 2008 - USKA TOURNAMENT MAXIMUM POINT - PHOENIX, AZ
• NOVEMBER 2008 - NEW MEXICO STATE MAX. +5 TOURNAMENT - SANTA FE, NM
• NOVEMBER 8, 2008 - USKA PACIFIC REGIONAL MAX. +10 TOURNAMENT - PALM SPRINGS, CA
• NOVEMBER 15, 2008 - USKA TOURNAMENT MAXIMUM POINT - MESA, AZ
• JANUARY 10, 2009 - ARIZONA STATE TOURNAMENT MAX. +5 POINT - PHOENIX, AZ
• JANUARY 31, 2009 - TOTAL VICTORY MARTIAL ARTS INVITATIONAL MAX POINT - REDLANDS, CA
• FEBRUARY 14, 2009 - USKA MAXIMUM POINT TOURNAMENT - PHOENIX, AZ
• MARCH 14, 2009 - USKA MAXIMUM POINT TOURNAMENT - SCOTTSDALE, AZ
• MARCH 2009 - USKA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS DOUBLE MAX. POINT - ALBUQUERQUE, NM
• APRIL 25, 2009 - USKA MAXIMUM POINT TOURNAMENT - WICKENBURG, AZ
• JULY 2009 - USKA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS DOUBLE MAX. POINT - NEW ORLEANS, LA