Our Instructors

Chief Instructor

  • Hanshi Cyrus Madani, Hachidan

Head Instructor

  • Sensei Fariba Madani, Godan-Ho

Assistant Instructors

  • Sensei Prud’Homme, Godan-Ho
  • Sensei Meyer, Godan-Ho
    I joined IMA in 1994 and have been teaching at the Honbu dojo and IMA’s Louisville Recreation Center classes since 1996. What I like best about IMA is the teaching of traditional karate and all of the new friends I’ve met over the years. I especially enjoy teaching our youth and watching their amazing growth over the years where I focus on making karate fun and challenging.
  • Sensei Tom Geske, Yondan
  • Sensei Bob McCormick, Yondan
    I joined IMA Honbu dojo in 1996 and began teaching in 1997 while an orange belt. I liked IMA because when I first visited I could see the family atmosphere, but also (and maybe more importantly) the very high level at which karate-do was being practiced. I had trained in martial arts before and I knew high quality when I saw it. In learning karate the most important thing is to always try as hard as you can, karate is challenging. In teaching karate I try to find one or two things to focus on, for example one or two things as the focus for a section of a class; or if I am teaching one-on-one to focus on the one or two most important things for that person to improve their karate. Sometimes it is as simple as telling them to not look at the floor, which completely changes their posture and fixes several other problems they were having.
  • Sensei Helmut Lestinsky, Sandan
  • Sensei Wanda Lestinsky, Sandan
  • Sensei Odile Lynch, Sandan
  • Sempai Jansen Ferraro, Sandan
  • Sempai Debbie Keyake Franssen, Sandan-Ho
  • Sempai Sara Stewart Martinelli, Nidan
    I joined IMA in 2002 because I saw how much fun my kids had when they attended their classes. I began teaching at the Honbu dojo in 2004. My focus has been competition karate, and when I retired from competition in 2006 I began assisting Shihan and Sensei Madani with coaching the IMA Competition Team. My teaching philosophy is that the best way to guide students is to empower them to find their own personal strengths. I believe that the mission of IMA is to bring out the best of us; celebrating our diversity and individuality but recognizing the need to constantly strive for personal improvement.
  • Sempai Trudee Kiyota, Nidan
  • Sempai Michael Ford, Nidan
  • Sempai Rita Vali, Nidan
    I joined IMA in 1999 and have been teaching at the IMA Honbu Dojo since 2006. What I like best about IMA is the friendly supportive environment and the high quality of instruction that make learning karate fun and challenging both mentally and physically. Karate is part of my family’s life and it’s been wonderful to train with my two sons for so many years. I try to instill my passion and knowledge of karate to my young students in a way that is personal, motivating and fun.
  • Sempai David Claflin, Nidan
    I joined IMA in 1998 and have been teaching at Recreation Center/YMCA since 2004/2008. What I like best about IMA is the commitment to family and improvement of their skills by Hanshi and Sensei Madani. Like many other adults there, my daughter got me started.When I teach …I try to watch the student and figure out their weaknesses and help them overcome them, whether the weakness is in focus, physical control, or belief that they can succeed. We always try to mix in some fun time, especially for the younger students.
  • Sempai Jim Spink, Nidan-Ho
    I joined IMA in 1999, and have been teaching at the Honbu dojo since 2005. I’m currently teaching the 6am Wednesday/Friday classes. What I like about IMA is the great workouts and the many different class times and locations, which allows me to choose from week to week which workout fits my ever-changing schedule. I have enjoyed being able to practice karate with both of my sons during this time. My morning class teaching style focuses on finding out what one individual student needs to work on and bringing that to the entire class as the focus of that day’s workout.
  • Sempai Quinn Vali, Nidan-Ho
  • Sempai Charles Albright , Nidan-Ho
    I joined IMA in 2000 and have been teaching at IMA Headquarters since 2007. IMA is my dojo that it is a great way to meet new people, and that it is more than just a place to get a good work out, but more of a place to bond and to be accepted into a new family. My teaching philosophy is that you need to understand the students and look at their behavior. then from there start to teach them. Also not to be strict all the time but to add some fun into the work out, that is how the students respond.
  • Sempai Kamran Madani, Shodan
  • Sempai Eric Nehls, Shodan

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