We are proud to announce that USA Martial Arts Federation Black Belt Kathy Reynolds, age 13, won the gold for the United States at the Junior Pan American Karate Championships in El Salvador at the end of August.

Kathy is a student of Sensei Mike Jacobs, USAMAF Regional Director, and head instructor of the USA Martial Arts Training Center in Genoa, Ohio.  Kathy and her older brother Brad have been training with Sensei Jacobs for many years.  Brad has trained for 13 years and Kathy has trained for 9 years.  Brad made the US Team 2 years ago and represented our country at the Junior Pan Ams in Ecuador that year. Both Shihan Jarrett and Sensei Jacobs are proud of Kathy, taking the Gold in her first time out with the US Team. 

On August 6, 2009 the Martial Arts world lost a living legend, Grandmaster George Edward Anderson.  His unexpected and untimely death has left a hole in the heart of thousands of Martial Arts students, instructors and masters.

Hanshi Anderson was one of the most respected and influential figures in modern martial arts.  His leadership skills and foresight helped bring both Karate and Jujitsu into the Olympic family and set a path for the future of martial arts both as a sport and as a way to better enhance a person’s life.  He served in many different position of authority is several martial arts organizations and systems and held high dan ranks in many martial arts to numerous to mention here. If you simply look him up on the internet, you will be astounded at his accomplishments. 

Just to mention a few of his ranks, Hanshi Anderson held a 10th Dan in Karate, 10th Dan in Tae Kwon Do and in June 2009 he was awarded his 10th Dan in Jujitsu.  He was by far the highest ranking and most senior Martial Artist in the United States and most possibly the world.  All of us in the Olympic Karate movement owe so much to Hanshi Anderson.  We wouldn’t be where we are today without his leadership.  Just to name a few karate leaders today that he trained, developed and set the path for are:  Julius Thiry, Joe Mirza, William Millerson, Antonio Espinos, Tommy Morris, John DiPasquale, Patrick Hickey, and, of course, myself, Roger Jarrett.