I first met Mr. Rick and Ms. Tina in 2001, in Biloxi, Mississippi. My grandson was 4 years old at the time and his dad figured he was old enough to start learning self-defense. We also figured training at such a young age would help Josh understand self-defense training should be a normal daily event much like eating a well balanced breakfast everyday. Training should be conducted in the karate studio or at home everyday to maintain a certain level of expertise and this is exactly what Mr. Rick and Ms. Tina gave Josh, positive direction in the karate studio and something to work with and improve on when at home.
Mr. Rick and Ms. Tina's training was always spot-on and they worked well with children and adults alike. Unfortunately, all students do not learn at the same rate as others. To some, karate comes easily and others soon find it may not be what they were looking for. Those that quit usually find a reason to stop their training and in this day and age, quitters more often than not, blame others for their failure.
All sports have trainers that push their students towards improvement. Pushing produces winners and those that lack positive reinforcement from their trainers soon become today's quitters or tomorrow's failures. Students that resent being pushed towards a goal would be better off staying at home watching TV.
Josh was pushed at times and it made him a better person because of it. He soon performed his movements and techniques at a higher level of expertise. He didn't complain, he simply listened and adjusted to what was being asked of him. The pushing I refer to was not a mean thing, it was a positive thing.
Josh trained with Mr. Rick and Ms. Tina until Hurricane Katrina destroyed their studio in 2005. They then moved to St. Cloud, Florida and we stayed in Biloxi until 2008 when we too moved to St. Cloud, Florida. Between 2005 and 2008 Josh tried a few other forms of self-defense such as Judo, MMA training and Kung-Fu. Very few forms of self-defense training remained in the Biloxi area and the other forms of self-defense training Josh tried just weren't the same as the karate training Josh received with Mr. Rick and Ms. Tina. The other forms of training were good and no blame was brought to their attention because, what they provided although good, just wasn't what Josh was interested in learning at the time. He wanted to continue to learn Kenpo Karate and unfortunately it no longer existed in Biloxi.
At this point we, as a family, decided to move to St. Cloud, Florida. We did so in September 2008 and Josh immediately started his training again in Kenpo Karate. In all, Josh trained 7 years with Mr. Rick and Ms. Tina. He received a black belt in the Little Dragon's age group and a black belt in the Junior's age group and had achieved a brown belt in the Teen's age group. He did not buy any of his black belts and he wasn't given his black belts ... he earned everyone of his black belts through determination, dedication and hard work.
After 7 years of training with Mr. Rick and Ms. Tina, Josh told us he wanted to explore boxing and compete as an amateur boxer. Josh moved on as many have in the past and as many will do in the future. This is simply a fact when it comes to sports.
Josh just turned 16 years old and he is a force to be reckoned with in the boxing ring. He is able to compete with and win against boxers in their mid 20's. His expertise and abilities came from his karate training and the basics they taught him, all the way up to his black belts. I, his father and Josh understand this. Mr. Rick and Ms. Tina gave Josh the tools necessary to defend himself in and out of the ring. Josh has confidence in himself and has used his skills and confidence to help others in trouble. Josh is not a bully, he is a defender.
All the good things Josh brought to boxing came from his Premier Kenpo Karate training. The basics he learned in karate helped him quickly grasp the boxing skills he now possesses. Josh still has fond memories of his karate days and the fun times he had.
Mr. Rick and Ms. Tina are highly professional in the way they operate their business. They realize the importance of their clientele and always address their needs when brought to their attention. The karate training they provide is second to none. If you are thinking of karate training look here and no further.
A final note ... I read the poor review given by Lora. I don't know her, but I do know she has given a total of 3 reviews and ALL were poor. Seems like she doesn't get any satisfaction, no matter where she goes. I see one common denominator here. Do you?
John K. read more
