By 6th Degree Black Belt and Master Instructor Ms. Christa Boone “If you love something, love it completely, cherish it, say it, but most importantly, show it.” – R. Queen I really love karate. Of course, I should as I am an instructor and school owner. But sometimes I think back to some of the significant experiences I have had…

By 5th Degree Black Belt Diana McHenry Elliott Martial arts training has been a lifelong passion and hobby of mine. It offers many ways to grow, that is to continually learn and improve. That’s probably why I’ve never stopped training. I particularly love to compete in tournaments. There are so many good reasons to compete. After reflecting on a past…

“Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.” – Oprah Winfrey As I sat there in the parent’s lobby of the National Karate Academy of Martial Arts in Rochester Minnesota, watching my oldest take her karate lesson, something about the sport sparked a fire within me. I didn’t recognize what tingled within me until…

As moms, we understand the importance of self-care, and we are here to help busy moms like you find time to prioritize your wellness. Our hope is that you feel encouraged and equipped to value and prioritize nutrition, self-care, fitness and a healthy body image through these personal stories from experts in the fitness industry in our Health & Fitness…

The Early Days – Texas – 1967 – 1970 My earliest exposure to any sort of Martial Arts came in February of 1967 when my then seventeen-year-old younger brother Pat demonstrated his Taekwondo green belt skills in our Grandparents’ front yard in Hamilton, Texas. Five years his senior, I had always been able to manhandle him as older brothers often…

A conventional childhood was a luxury that I was not able to experience. Having been born with a rare condition known as Retinitis Pigmentosa or RP, standard childhood sports and activities were simply something I was not able to participate in. RP is a degenerative condition that causes severe vision loss. It meant that sports such as baseball, football, soccer,…

It’s funny how as adults we tell our children they can be anything they want to be when they grow up. We encourage and cultivate their want to be doctors, engineers, even space cowboys, but at what point do we stop having that same belief in ourselves? At what age do we wake up and decide that we are probably…

The martial arts explosion I was introduced to martial arts by my grandfather. He’d take me to the neighborhood drive-in theater to watch the latest martial arts movies. I was hooked from the moment my grandfather introduced me to it. Later in my tweens, the TV series Kung Fu, starring David Carradine, portrayed a Chinese monk—Kwai Chang Caine—on a quest…