Lineage

Wren Sensei is my Sensei. She is an incredibly caring and very strict teacher with an extreme attention to detail. Before karate, Wren was my Chanoyu (Japanese Tea Ceremony) Sensei. The Japanese Tea Ceremony is one of the most highly refined traditional arts of Japan. It is the most beautiful, graceful ceremony that would take a lifetime (or two) to master and it was the perfect fit for Wren Sensei's keen eye to detail. 

 I learned right away that one must remain humble and open to corrections as Sensei's instructions were never a personal attack on one's abilities, rather they were always with the intention of maintaining tradition and form. 

 All of this seamlessly transitioned over to karate for her.

 I took private lessons with a couple other students popping in and out of our classes. We never trained in sparring as Sensei referred to that as the "sport" of karate and she was teaching me the "Art" of karate. Sensei stays very traditional in her teaching, focusing on charts and kata and always stressing the importance of precision in each technique.

Karate History

Started karate in Fall of 1976 at Kent State University.

Co-founder and Head Instructor of the Kent State University Okinawan Karate Club.

Certified Isshinryu Karate Instructor under Kichiro Shimabuku (IWKA)

Received 1st Degree Black Belt   06/25/80

Received 2nd Degree Black Belt   07/01/82

Received 3rd Degree Black Belt   12/01/84

Received 4th Degree Black Belt   01/27/89

Received 5th Degree Black Belt   01/01/91

Received 6th Degree Black Belt   04/13/96

Received 7th Degree Black Belt   06/01/07

Special Awards:

AAU Lake Erie Karate Association Athlete of the Year 1978.

AAU USA Team Trials 1981 and 1982.

AAU National Karate Championship qualifier in 1978, 79, 80, 81, 82, and 83.

Women's Black Belt Kata Champion at the 1983 IWKA World Karate Championship.

Awarded The Tatsuo Shimabuku World Karate Association Achievement Award from Kichiro Shimabuku on June 24, 2017.