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Patrick
Jean-Claude
Richoux,
Godan,
originally from
Vierzon,
France, began
his karate
career in 1974
and joined IMA
in 2002. His
wife Veronica
and son Bryan
train with him.
The
owner/manager
of a pool hall,
Sensei Patrick
runs the IMA
dojo in
Houston, Texas.
His hobbies
include outside
activities and
good food and
movies. Sensei
Patrick holds
referee
certifications
at the Pan
American level
in both Kata
and Kumite, and
is a former
French National
Team Member as
well as a
former
International
Traditional
Karate
Federation
National Team
Member. Most
notably, he won
a Bronze Medal
at the World
Championships
in Brazil in
1993. President
of USA-NKF
Texas, Honorary
President of
the El Salvador
Karate
Federation, and
member of the
Referee Council
of the Central
American Karate
Federation,
Sensei Patrick
likes teaching
karate because
it gives him
the opportunity
to give back
what he learns,
to avoid
monotony in his
life, and to
sweat together
with his
students.
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Sensei Catalin
Neagu, Godan,
Coming
soon
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Sensei
Marius
Gîlcă
Coming
soon
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Sensei
Amadou Niang
Coming
soon
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Senei
Michelle
Prud'Homme,
has been
training at IMA
since 1993,
when she joined
her daughter,
Renee
Prud'Homme, at
the dojo.
Michelle is an
attorney who
was born in
Chateauroux,
France and is a
certified judge
at the national
level. She
competes,
coaches, and
referees
locally and
nationally and
is known at IMA
as the Master
of Ceremonies
and the
Overseer of the
Rags (for floor
cleaning!). She
enjoys teaching
karate, because
she gets to see
the progress of
her students,
and because it
helps her learn
and improve her
own techniques.
Hobbies include
karate (of
course!).
Michelle notes
that "Karate is
a great stress
reliever that
has made me
physically and
mentally
stronger. It's
also a social
outlet for me."
You can find
Sempai
Prud'Homme
teaching
Saturday
mornings at 9
at the
dojo.
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Sensei
Brian Meyer:
I have
practiced
karate since
1994. In 1998 I
achieved the
level of
black belt,
which I have
found is only
the beginning
of the journey.
I
am currently
Yondan (4th
degree). I have
been teaching
since 1996
under
Shihan Madani.
I especially
enjoy teaching
our youth and
watching
them
grow over the
years. I also
referee at
local and
national
tournaments.
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Sempai
Robert
McCormick;
I
started
training at IMA
in September of
1997, with my
oldest son
Ian. Ian
is now studying
music in
college and I
am still
training, but
with my younger
son,
Neal. I
have been
interested in
martial arts
for most of my
adult life,
spending some
time studying
Tae Kwon Do,
Hapkido, Judo,
and Aikido in
my teens and
20s. I
left the
martial arts
world to focus
on
mountaineering
and family, but
as I neared 40
I needed to do
something on a
regular basis
and closer to
home.
This led me to
visit IMA,
where I could
tell almost
immediately
that karate-do
was being
practiced at a
very high
level.
The more I
train in
karate, the
deeper and
deeper it gets,
and the more
challenging it
gets.
Today I also
derive great
satisfaction
from watching
the young
people that I
teach progress
and have
success at
karate.
The IMA family
is my
family.
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Deborah
Keyek-Franssen,
Nidan has
been training
with the
International
Martialarts
Association
since February
1998. The
first student
from the
Lafayette YMCA
to receive her
black belt,
Sampai Deb
enjoys teaching
the
Tuesday/Thursday
6 pm class at
the Honbu dojo,
and trains
mornings at the
6 am class
(ugh!) and at
the
Tuesday/Thursday
black belt
classes.
She is a
Class D referee
with two sons
at IMA:
Nathaniel
(Junior Black
Belt) and
Jonathan (1st
Kyu).
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Janson
Ferrera,
Nidan,
currently
an electrical
engineering
student at the
Colorado School
of Mines, was
born and raised
in Louisville,
Colorado, and
also holds the
rank of Shodan
in weapons and
is a referee at
the state
level. Janson
has been
training with
IMA since 1994;
his sister,
Kaylyn, is also
a student at
the dojo. In
addition to
karate, Janson
also enjoys
wrestling,
science, and
math. He has
competed in
several
national
competitions in
weapons, kata,
kumite, and
iai-do. He
likes teaching
karate, because
he has the
opportunity to
see his
students
improve after
he teaches
them. He says
about his
karate
experiences:
"While karate
has helped me
physically, it
has helped me
the most
mentally. I
have learned to
be humble,
patient, and to
have
self-confidence.
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Helmut
Lestinsky,
Nidan,
has been a lead
instructor for
the mid week
classes.
He enjoys
teaching adults
and self
defense
techniques.
Helmut began
his karate
journey in 1994
a year after
his two
children
started.
Although he no
longer
competes, he
continues to be
a presence as a
Regional level
Referee in many
local
tournaments.
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Wanda
Lestinsky,
Nidan,
began karate
classes in 1995
after her two
children and
husband
joined. She
taught scorekeepers
early in her karate
life and taught for
years at the
YMCA-IMA
extension.
She currently holds
a regional referee
licence and
competes at the
local and national
level. She
has taken gold at
the US Open and
hopes to compete
again soon. "I'm
not sure which I
enjoy more:
teaching or
competing-so I
might as well do
both. My
husband, daughter
and son-all black
belts-support my
training."
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Stephen
Bryant,
Nidan.
I started
karate back
when my son
Derrick was in
second grade
which would be
11 years.
As you know I
joined because
of the school
program being
put on by Tracy
over at
Monarch.
I am Vice
President in
the Wealth
Management
division of
Wells Fargo in
Boulder and
enjoy teaching
and trainning
for the stress
relief of my
daily
job.
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Jeffrey Holley,
Shodan,
has been
training at IMA
since 1991; his
daughter Miya
is also a
member of the
IMA family. An
electrical
engineer, Jeff
was born in
Boulder,
Colorado, and
enjoys skiing,
mountaineering,
and motocross.
He loves to see
the progress
that kids make
over years of
hard work. Jeff
has received
many medals in
local and
national
competitions in
kata and
kumite, is a
certified
referee at the
state
level.
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David
Claflin.
I started
Karate at his
daughter’s
request in
1998.
“Dad you should
do this too, so
we can so
something
together,” she
said.
I had long had
a passing
interest in
martial arts,
but always felt
I didn’t have
the body to do
it.
I started with
the goal of at
least making it
to a blue belt,
never imaging I
would get to
where I am
today.
It has been a
struggle, but
has been worth
it.
Mr. Claflin
have achieved
Shodan (1st
degree) level
in his
training.
Mr. Claflin
teaches classes
at
Louisville
Recreation
Center
, at the
Lafayette YMCA,
and
occasionally
assists at the
International
Martial Arts
Dojo. Mr.
Claflin came
to
Colorado
in 1974
to pursue his
academic
education.
Mr. Claflin
holds a
Bachelor of
Arts degree in
Studio Arts
from
Ottawa
University
and a
Master of
Architecture
from the
University
of
Colorado
.
Mr. Claflin is
currently a
practicing
Architect with
the
Denver
office of
a
multi-national
firm.
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Robert Davies,
Shodan
-
I began
karate training
Halloween of
2001. The
reason I
started is that
my 6 year old
son and 9 year
old daughter
had started,
and I became
more interested
as I would
watch their
classes.
Despite the
fact that I was
38 years old
and had never
done anything
similar to
martial arts, I
hesitantly
started my
practice.
Very quickly I
truly became
obsessed with
the practice of
karate.
Through years
of training, I
eventually
achieved the
level of First
Dan, and am now
working toward
Second
Dan. The
practice of
karate has
positively
effected every
aspect of my
life, including
my work where
I am now
studying the
impact of
incorporating
traditional
martial arts
practice into
the treatment
of at-risk use
who are
starting to use
drugs. On
a personal
note, martial
arts training,
and more
importantly the
family I have
found at the
IMA dojo, have
been truly
lifesaving in
helping me
weather some
very difficult
times in my
life.
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Rita Vali,
Shodan,
was born
in Montreal,
Quebec, Canada
and has been at
IMA since 1999.
Sons Quinn and
Max are part of
the IMA family,
too.
A biochemist
and ceramic
artist, Rita is
interested in
art in general,
gardening,
kayaking,
hiking, and
working with
non-profit art
groups and
children's
community
service groups.
She has placed
in the top
three in
numerous
tournaments and
likes teaching
karate because
she gets to
work with kids,
contribute to
the Dojo and
keep her skills
up. She
appreciates the
spiritual and
health benefits
she receives
from karate and
enjoys the IMA
community and
friends at the
Dojo.
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Sara
Stewart
Martinelli,
Shodan,
trains at IMA
with her three
children, Jax,
Rory and
Lily.
Sara and her
husband own a
number of local
restaurants and
Sara is also a
Cerified
Medical
Herbalist.
Sempai Sara
teaches some of
the Little
Dragon's
classes, as
well as being
one of the
assistant
coaches of the
IMA Competition
Team. She
is also a
licensed USANKF
Karate
Referee.
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Trudee
Kiyota,
Shodan
- joined
the IMA family
in 2000 through
her daughter
Taylor and then
she and her son
joined in 2002.
The Kiyota
family has
competed
Nationally and
Internationally
since 2002 and
has traveled to
Virginia,
Hawaii,
Seattle,
Vancouver, San
Jose, New
Orleans, Las
Vegas, South
Carolina, North
Carolina and
Orlando for
karate
tournaments.
Trudee is a CPA
who was born in
Berkeley,
California and
enjoys running,
skiing,
snowboarding
and hiking. She
is also a
certified
USANKF Karate
Referee.
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Debbie
Cooper-George,
Joined IMA
School 1996 and
achieved
1
st
degree
Black Belt
2006.
My son
Alexander
joined karate
after getting
to know the
Madani’s and
having an
interest in
sports.
I wanted
to be part of
his life so the
Madani’s
encourage me to
be interested
in the self
defense side of
karate since my
job was working
with the public
by myself and
needed to be
aware of the
happenings
around me. I
found myself
enjoying
sharing karate
with my
son.
My son advanced
and we loved
going to
completions,
knowing fellow
karate
students.
Karate became a
“way of life”
for our family.
As my son went
into high
school he focus
on other
things, but I
found myself
with the karate
spirit in my
heart calming
my soul. I am
very thankful
that karate is
a part of my
life and what
the Madani’s
have poured
into me and my
son.
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Coming up
soon:
Taylor
Kiyota, Miya
Holley, and
many
more....
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Back to Top
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