One of the favorite phases that we have in our Karate college community is “Just Do It”,internationallyknownastheNikemotto.Forus,thisphraseforKaratewasinspired byourinteractionswithTabataSensei,ashehadamindsetofneverbackingup,and always going forward, whether it was in jiyu kumite or in life. He had a perspective of notlookingforanexcuse,butsimplydoingwhatwasnecessarytosucceed.Indeed,in our time teaching Shotokan Karate at the college level, there are many times when thingscanbechallenging,especiallywhenaclubisjustbeginning.Ifoneislookingfor an excuse, especially in the chaos of this world, one can always find an excuse. However, if your mindset is “just do it”, you will look for solutions, and put the time, money, skills necessary to make your goals a reality. Many Karate instructors get discouraged when they have fewer students at a Karate training than expected, and this impacts the quality of their teaching. Instead, they have to have the resilience to push ahead. Many Karate instructors look for financial funding, and nice Karate practice rooms in order to coordinate Karate lessons, instead of simply starting even outdoor Karate lessons and generating traction for a movement that can then take off. Our advice is to not look for results so early in the process. Be resilient, set your goals over the course of at least a few months, and then stick to the plan no matter how challenging certain days are, and the hard work will eventually translate into resultsyoucanbeproudof.
Just Do It Just Do It -Vazrik&Cassiano Editorial
First Fall Joint Colleges Karate Training at MIT FirstFallJointColleges KarateTrainingatMIT
The first Karate practice as a Karate colleges community is always a special day. On Sunday, December 28, we had the opportunitytohostourfirstKarateseminarat MIT with all the alum and current university students we teach in the Boston area. Students get to see each other after a summer away doing an internship or research opportunity at a university. We use the day to review fundamentals of kihon, several of the Heian kata as a template to training certain techniques, and kumite drills for kizami zuki and gyaku zuki. While students often start the first advanced class of the semester nervous that they are not at the level they were at the end of the las semester, all that washes away once they focus on the training and understanding the techniques. Welcome back to classes and to thefall2025semester,everyone!
Heian Kata and Sentei Kata Review for Husky Cup HeianKataandSenteiKata ReviewforHuskyCup
10/12/2025
With the Husky Cup approaching in the coming weeks, we held a seminar on Sunday at MIT with a particular focus on kata review. As the elimination rounds for the kata portion of the tournament include Heian kata and Sentei kata eliminations, we used this Sunday to review the 5 Heian kata, Tekki Shodan, and the 4 Sente Kata(BassaiDai,KankuDai,Enpi,Jion).Whileour students who are preparing for the tournament vary in skill from beginner level through black belt, we had each student review the necessary kata they would be asked to demonstrate. Our black belt students reviewed all 10 of these kata Wesetupsimulationswherewerandomizedthe kata and had students perform them out of order so that they could rely on their memory and not on the sequential order usually performed in training. We are excited for the Husky Cup to see how our students grow in the coming weeks and how they perform at the tournament!
UConn Husky Cup 2025 UConnHuskyCup2025
11/1/2025
As part of our autumn tradition, we participate in the Husky Cup karate tournamentattheUniversityofConnecticut,whichismarkingits24thyear.
This event offers a wonderful opportunity for beginner students to experience competition for the first time, while our black belts help judge the rings and improvetheirskills.It’salotoffun!
This year, we had 31 Karateka compete as current students or alums from 6 different colleges [Harvard, UMass, Amherst, Columbia University, Wellesley College, Boston University, and Leslie University]. The event is a great opportunity for members not just to compete, but also help judge and contribute to the tournamentitself.
Our students performed exceptionally well across all divisions, from White to Black belt,inbothKataandKumite.
We secured 2 Husky Cups [Sasiru BU and Angel Lesley University] in the black belt division, and we achieved 23 podium finishes [3 in 1st place, 5 in 2nd place, and 15 in3rdplace].
Another tradition we uphold is our Country Flag photo, where students can showcase their family heritage or personal roots, which is one way we practice our movement known asKarateDiplomacy.
C o n n H u s
U C o n n H u s
Steven Chen Achieves JKA Instructor and Judge D Licensing in Taiwan StevenChenAchieves JKAInstructorandJudgeD LicensinginTaiwan
11/1/2025
We are proud to celebrate the new licensingachievementofoneofouralum students, Steven Chen! Steven recently passed his Instructor D and Judge D licensing examination in Taiwan. This is a wonderful achievement as he gains new abilities to pass on Karate knowledge and help in Karate tournaments. Steven achieved his Shodan with us at the June 2022 JKA AF camp in New Orleans. Since then, he moved back to Taiwan, training diligently at the JKA dojo there, and achieved his Nidan. Most recently, after joiningtheJKAAFNewOrleanscampthis past June 2025 and seeing our students take licensing exams, he was inspired to pursue the same goals in Taiwan. Congratulations Steven! We look forward to your continued efforts in developing Karateandspreaditaroundtheworld.
Marriage, Ritual, and the Spirit Beneath the Form Marriage,Ritual,andthe SpiritBeneaththeForm
Fall2025holdsaveryspecialplaceinmyheart.Thisseason, married the love of my life, and I had the privilege of inviting my karate team to my wedding. Many of them came, stood beside us, and celebrated with us. For that, I feel deeply grateful. It was a rare and beautiful experience to bring together two worlds that have shaped me so profoundly: my lifeinkarateandmylifebeyondkarate.
In the past, our time together usually meant traveling to New Orleans or Japan for training, seminars, and tournaments. was always a participant, never the host. Hosting a wedding much like leading an event, revealed an entirely different perspective. Before this, I had only ever been a guest watching from the outside and enjoying the celebration Standing on the inside changed everything. I came to realize that a wedding, much like karate, is not simply about what appears on the surface. It is not just a party, just as karate is notonlyaboutpunchesandkicks.Thereisstructure,intention andmeaningbehindeverymovement,everyritual,andevery moment.
Testimonialby IyitBenusia
Growing up as a Chinese-Indonesian, I experienced three cultures: Chinese, Indonesian, and Western culture through globalization. As a child, Western weddings seemed the most appealing to me because of the beautiful dresses, elegant decorations, and joyful celebration. In contrast, Chinese and Indonesian traditions felt heavy with ritual, honoring ancestors, formally leaving one phase of life, and embracing another. I used to wonder, what is the point of all this? After marriage, I would still be my father’s child,sowhyalltheformality?
Looking back now, I realize how shallow that thinking was It reminds me of questioning whyweshouldcareaboutbunkai JionisJion Gankaku is Gankaku Why look deeper? Yet just as karate reveals its wisdom when we study beyond the surface, the meaning of wedding rituals only reveals itself when we stepfullyinsidetheexperience
Asabeginnerinkarate, learning to bow, to kiai, and to enter the training with intention felt awkward at first. Over time, those rituals shaped my mindset and helped me access the spirit of practice. In the same way, participating in wedding rituals taught me to appreciate what they embody, not just whattheylooklike.
At first, I was stressing over the aesthetics, the schedule, whether everything would look perfect, and whether everyone would have fun. Gradually, I learned to let that go. The wedding was not about performing a flawless event. It was about committing to leave childishness behind and embracing a life of partnership. Choosing to build a future with someone I love, rather than clinging to comfort or expectation. It was about honoring my father, who raised me and sacrificed so much for me. It was about acknowledging the rootsthatshapedbothHenryandme.
ChineseEngagementCeremony
My family places strong emphasis on tradition, while Henry’s family focuses deeply on the meaning behind each act. Even though both families are Chinese, it was beautiful to witness how differently they approach marriage. To honor both sides, we chose to hold two weddingsintwostyles.
The first followed traditional Chinese customs in my hometown of Bandung. We began with the engagement ritual, where the groomformallycametothebride’s home to ask for marriage and present the dowry. The next day wastheteaceremony,thewedding dayinChinesetradition.Duringthis ceremony, the groom must “earn” his way to the bride through a series of playful challenges before he is allowed to see her. This became one of the most joyful moments of the entire process. Henry had to rely on his friends to overcome the challenges, while I relied on mine to design and lead them. In that moment, I was reminded how essential community is, both in life and in karate, no one progresses alone. We grow through training partners, teammates, and the bonds we buildalongtheway.
Theceremonyalsoemphasizedthe power of symbolism. During the ritual, Henry began addressing my fatheras“Dad,”apracticethatnow comes naturally to him. Because Western weddings lack a similar transition,Istillfeelabitshycalling Henry’s parents “Mom” and “Dad.” Ritual truly makes a difference. It is like learning to kiai. It might be awkwardatfirst,buttransformative whenpracticedwithsincerity.
After two days of traditional rituals, we traveled to Bali for our Westernstyle wedding. Unlike the Chinese ceremony, which focusesonguiding people through transition, the Western wedding allowed more room for personal expression. This freedom gave us spacetomakethe celebration truly ourown.
We chose Bali because it represents both an ending and a beginning. A place where we once said we would like to retire, now marking the start of our shared journey. Travel is somethingHenryandIdeeplyvalue,andwewantedourgueststoexperiencethatjoywith us.Balialsofeltlikeanaturalmeetingpointforfriendsandfamilycomingfromalloverthe world. We hosted a welcome dinner, a reception, and an after-party, all with the intention of creating time for genuine connection. Still, time never felt like enough. Organizing everything reminded me of preparing for a karate tournament: sending invitations early, managing headcounts, organizing logistics, balancing budgets, and ensuring everyone’s well-being.
Planningfromacrosstheworldcamewithitsownchallenges.Wereliedentirelyonresearch, recommendations, and trust. Never seeing the venue or tasting the food in advance. At a certainpoint,youbow,stepontotheline,andcommit.Faithispartofbothlifeandkarate.
As people with tender hearts, Henry and I also had to navigate many strong opinions. Listening to everyone can be overwhelming. In the end, we reminded ourselves of a lesson karate teaches us well: hold your center and strengthen your core. Act with good intention, accept that you cannot please everyone and that, as humans, we will never perform a perfect kata, and move forward with integrity. Looking back, what fills me most with joy is seeingfriends,frommykarateteamandbeyond,gatherfromaroundtheworldaftersolong apart. In that shared space, I felt the connection, perseverance, and heart that live in the karatespirits.
Marriage,likekarate,isnotabout perfect form alone. It is about understanding what lives beneath the form and
MHKHfriendscelebrating IB’swedding
Jitte Kata Seminar JitteKataSeminar
On Sunday, November 9, we hosted a joint class with our college and alum Karate students. Vazrik Sensei taught the kata Jitte (10 Hands) as a special kata seminar. This kata was part of the 15 kata Tabata Sensei used in testing students for Shodan level. We learned the choreography as well as the unique features that make this kata special, like yama kamae (mountain posture). Students from beginner level through black belt learned the movements as well as the kata rhythm, and were able to apply their understanding of basic stances and techniques to this kata, as well aslearnnewtechniquestheywereexposed tobythiskata.
11/1/2025
Tabata Sensei’s Legacy
JKAKyu Promotion
This fall 2025, we hosted official JKA kyu exams for our college and alum students. We are proudofthehardworkourstudentsputinthroughoutthesemesterintheirtraining.Theirhard workenabledthemtoreachthenextlevelintheirKaratejourney.Wehad27studentsintotal that were promoted this semester among our Harvard University, Boston University, Wellesley COllegeKarateclubsaswellasouralumnistudents.Congratulations!
HARVARD
MyriamKebtane 4thkyu
AddisDzebic 6thkyu
BOSTON UNIVERSITY
AnnaTrapani 3rdkyu
Xiangjia(Jessie)Chen 3rdkyu
MaggieShirk 3rdkyu
BenjiKissin 3rdkyu
OguzYildirim 4thkyu
VaishnaviVatsal 4thkyu
KevinJiang 5thkyu
StevenDang 5thkyu
LukaMoloney 7thkyu
MeghanaSen 7thkyu
SiyaSetty 7thkyu
KiyoungHaavisto 7thkyu
MicahKimura 7thkyu
AidanLackstrom 7thkyu
SophieDuda 7thkyu
FionaLingSridjaja 8thkyu
AnnabelJi 8thkyu
WELLESLEY
KaavyaSenthil 1stkyu
SageWidder 2ndkyu
MariaRutter 6thkyu
OLIN COLLEGE
AnaghaBabu 8thkyu
LaurelCox 8thkyu
HDKIKyu Promotion
VarakMouradian 1stkyu
PeiqiChen 1stkyu
KaavyaSenthil 2ndkyu
SageWidder 3rdkyu
AnnaTrapani 4thkyu
Xiangjia(Jessie)Chen 4thkyu
MaggieShirk 4thkyu
BenjiKissin 4thkyu
OguzYildirim 5thkyu
VaishnaviVatsal 5thkyu
KevinJiang 6thkyu
StevenDang 6thkyu
MariaRutter
LukaMoloney
MeghanaSen
SiyaSetty
KiyoungHaavisto
MicahKimura
AidanLackstrom
SophieDuda
FionaLingSridjaja
AnnabelJi
AnaghaBabu
LaurelCox
AdiellaChapa
Fall End of Semester Party FallEndofSemesterParty
To end the semester, we had a celebration on Friday, December 12 and invited the college and alum Karate students. We wanted to give everyone a chance to take a break from the stresses of studying and work, and to spend time together before the final exam week. We hosted a gathering at Amandine’s place in Cambridge, and ordered delicious Brazilian food from Oasis. It was a night of fun games and an opportunity for students to connect outside of Karate training. We played the party game called Mafia with all the students to see how our Karateka strategize to win. We were impressed with Amandine’s ability to narrate the gameandkeeptheexcitementgoing.
Bassai Dai Kata Seminar BassaiDaiKataSeminar
On Sunday, December 14, we had advanced training at MIT focused on Bassai Dai. Several of our alum students are preparing for their 1st kyu belt exam, which requires Bassai Dai as the kata. As this is the first Sentei kata that students learn in their training to black belt,itisanewchallengethatrequiresa larger number of moves in the choreography than they are used to thus far in their training, and more advanced nuances for stances and techniques. The Sunday class fo on going through Bassai Dai in first reviewing the choreograp ensure students understand required stance, speed, power technical details of each move. Th focused on how to generate necessary speed for fast move how to generate the proper cont slow moves. Lastly, we focused o rhythm of the kata, and how to s moves as a chain link of 42 tech r h h i di id l
12/14/2025
bui l d ing
bridges
Our Karate community builds bridges with Karate instructors and organizations around the world. This gives our students the opportunity to learn different approaches to Karate and create bonds with Karateka across the globe. We connect with high-level instructors who view Karate not just as a physical activity, but also as a way of developing humble character, confidence, leadership skills in Karate ‘diplomats’ who make the world a better place in their local, regional, and global communities. Throughout the magazine, we feature a few of the instructors who represent this approach to Karate and with whom we have developed a bond.
bridges
Luisito Nopal’s Japan Experience LuisitoNopal’s JapanExperience
We are excited to build this Karate bridge with our friend Luisito Nopal. We met Luisito and his son Andre through various Karate seminars, tournaments, and trips in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and even New Orleans. He has been training Shotokan Karate for years with his son, and always has been passionate about capturing wonderful Karate photos. We want to give him the opportunity to highlightsomeofhisphotojourneyinJapan.
Luisito Nopal: “Practicing Shotokan Karate has helped me bring together the lessons I’ve learned throughout my life. Startinginmyearly40sandsharingthejourneyalongsidemy childhasgivenmemeaningfulexperiencesandinsightsthatI willcherishforever.
Visiting the Land of the Rising Sun allowed me to immerse myself deeply in Japanese culture, from exploring its breathtaking places to savoring the remarkable foods that reflectitshistoryandtraditions.”
Tabata Sensei Legacy: Spreading Karate
At College Level for Olin College of Engineering Students
This Fall, 2025, we had 3 Olin College of Engineering students join our Karate classes. Olin is an engineering college closely located to Wellesley College, and we had the opportunity to teach students who were interested in learning Shotokan Karate for the first time. They started off as white belts, attended Karate lessons weekly, learningthefundamentalpunches,blocks,andkicksoftheShotokanKaratesystem.
They learned the choreography of Heian Shodan, as well as applying the fundamentals they learned from training kihon to the kata, and also learning distancing as applied to kumite with an opponent. At the end of the semester, they applied their skills in belt promotions and reached their first new rank. We are excited for more Karate opportunities in the coming monthsforOlinstudents!
Jion Kata Seminar JionKataSeminar
We held our last Karate trainin 2025 on Sunday, December 28 at Having completed the fall seme and conducted kyu exams students ranging from white be the way through 1st kyu, we ha opportunity to explore the kata that many of our advanced b belt students are considering u for the black belt test in June 2 Jion is a wonderful kata to utiliz develop one’s Karate: it contain of the basic stances: zenk t d kokutsu dachi, kiba dachi. It is a kata that speed and power, but a and stability. With a ver blueprint (embusen) movements up and do floor, the kata is straigh students to learn its ch but challenges even students in mast movements. Many of o have successfully passe exams for Shodan and Jion, and we are excited wave of students that wi t b
12/28/2025
Fall 2025 JKA SKDI Tournament Fall2025JKASKDITournament
10/11/2025
In the fall, several of our students competed at a JKA tournament in New York. Sasiru Pathiranage (JKA Nidan and BU Karate Club President) competed very well, and was the adult male kumite champion! He faced a crowd of competitors with differing styles and strengths, and was able to apply the required tactics for each match to makehiswaytothetop.CongratsSasiru!
karate more than
This fall, we are introducing our audience to Karateka Interviews! Peiqi Chen, who has a talent for helping people feel comfortable and share about different aspects of their lives, has begun interviewing several of our Karateka, asking them about their perspectives on Karate, life, and values and activities that are important to them.
Varak works as an underground transmission line engineer at Eversource, focusing on replacinghigh-voltagetransmissioncablesintheBostonareatodelivermorepowerto citiesandtowns.
His role is primarily as a project engineer on capital projects, serving as the point of contact for vendors, managing engineering and design work, and coordinating with siting,survey,environmental,andprojectmanagementteams. Day-to-dayworkinvolvesmanymeetings.
Previous volunteer experience includes Armenian community youth organizations (scouts,Homenetmen)withfundraisingactivities,andacollegeprojectwith"Gardening forHumanity"inSpringfieldbuildinggreenhouses.
Would teach others about the importance of volunteering – not just for helping others, but for personal fulfillment and maintaining happiness by doing things without expectinganythinginreturn.
BookRecommendations
Primary recommendation: The Count of Monte Cristo
– a 1,400-page French classic about a Navy soldier falsely accused of a crime who spends decades in prison,thenseeksrevengeonthosewhoframedhim. Varak appreciates how well-written and engaging it isdespiteitslength.
Other books mentioned: The Stranger by Albert Camus,LifeofPi,TheAlchemist.
Started reading much more in the past two years afterpreviouslydislikingreading.
RoleModels RoleModels
Primary role model: His father – worked long hours (sevendaysaweek)inastorewhileemphasizingthe importanceofeducation.Well-readandeducatedin English literature in Syria before immigrating. Varak describeshimaswise,diligent,andagoodfriend. Alsolooksuptooldercousins(specificallymentioned "Vazrik") for their volunteering, values, and responsibilitiesasfirst-generationimmigrants.
KarateJourney
Mostimpactfulkaratetrip:NewOrleanstournament–attendedprimarilyassupportfor others testing, but gained valuable insight into the testing process and preparation required.Appreciatedseeingeveryone'shardworkanddedicationpayoff.
Favorite kata: Jion – enjoys katas that promote stability over agility, allowing him to demonstrate form, deep stances, and hip mechanics (similar to horse stance training fromhischildhoodkungfuexperience).
Motivation to start karate: Wanted a physical activity beyond working out, sought a martial art that balanced individual journey with team/group dynamics. Appreciated thatkarateislessfocusedonfullsparringthanboxingorwrestling. Has been practicing consistently (twice a week minimum) for almost two years. COVID periodhighlightedtheneedforadditionalphysicalactivity.
Values training with a serious, community-focused group and learning alongside his cousinVazrik,whoseextensivekaratebackgroundhehadn'tfullyknownabout.
Physical benefits: Full-body engagement, hip mechanics, developing muscles not typicallyused,contributestolongevity.
Varak doesn't shy away from the paradox of altruism that helping others helps yourself too. From his youth work with the Armenian community to digging soil for a Springfield greenhouse,hediscoveredthatgenerositycreatesitsownreward.Notinatransactionalway, but in the quiet satisfaction of contributing without calculation. Authentic altruism doesn't requiremartyrdom;it'ssustainablepreciselybecauseitnourishesbothgiverandreceiver.
On community through karate: Oncommunitythroughkarate:
AfterCOVID,Varakcravedmorethanjustgymsetsand reps. He needed something that engaged both body and belonging. Karate offered that rare combination: personal mastery within collective practice. What surprised him was discovering his cousin Vazrik's years ofdeepinvolvement.He'dfoundacommunitythattook the art seriously, that understood karate as both individualtransformationandsharedmission.
"I like katas that promote stability less than agility. I enjoy that stability, because when I did kung fu when I was younger, that's what
JionisVarak'sfavoritekata.Afteryearsofkungfudrilling stability and horse stances into his muscle memory, he gravitatestowardformsthatshowcasedepthoverflash. The deepness of a stance, the precision of hip rotation, controlled strength from being rooted It's a philosophy beyond the dojo: stabili understanding that the most the one that looks effortle unshakeable.
On his father as role model: Onhisfatherasrolemodel:
Behind every immigrant success story is a parent who works in the shadows.Varak'sfather,educatedinEnglishliteratureinSyria,spent his American years behind a store counter—endless hours, seven daysaweek.Yetheneverletthosecircumstancesdiminishwhathe knew to be true: education was the bridge between survival and thriving. Those brief moments when his father came home became masterclassesinvalues.NowVarakseeshimnotjustasafather,but asafriendwhosewisdomwasforgedinfirst-generationsacrifice.
ALTRUISM INACTION
Karate is not just about punching and kicking. It is about developing a resilient mind, one that can achieve success both inside the dojo but also in one’s academic and professional career. One of the lessons we try to impart to our students is the power of altruism. Altruism is about paying it forward. It is about giving opportunities to people who otherwise would not have access to it. Throughout the magazine, we highlight a few examples of altruism in action that our students demonstrated around the world. We consider 3 ways in which people can offer help to others in the world:
In the pages ahead, you will see examples of each one, but sometimes cases where a combination of time, money, and skills were offered to help people. The most important is that our students find a way to give back to their communities, and to empower people to pay it forward themselves to help the next generation and help make the world a better place one act of kindness at a time.
Negotiation Seminar For Brazilian Students NegotiationSeminarFor BrazilianStudents
12/6/2025
During the fall semester, Cassiano taught his negotiation seminar, “The Harvard Way of Negotiating” (“O Jeito Harvard de Negociar”), to Brazilian students participating in an exchange programfromthestateofPiauí,Brazil,toMassachusetts,USA.
The students, all from public schools, earned this opportunity after winning their state Hackathon, with the prize being an educational exchange to the United States to learn more about innovation,entrepreneurship,andthecollegeenvironment.
Cassiano invited distinguished guests to enrich the learning experience by sharing real-life negotiation stories and personal journeys to top global institutions. Guest speakers included Rosabelli Coelho (Blue belt, Director of MIT-Brazil), Emile Zounon (Black belt, Harvard University and IBM, originally from Benin), and Ricardo Harripaul (Black belt, Genetics Specialist at Harvard Medical School and the Broad Institute, originally from Trinidad & Tobago/Canada).
Through this initiative, sixty students were introduced to the core principles of the Harvard Negotiation Method, gaining practical tools, inspir thways to world-class
Peiqi Chen’s Fitness App PeiqiChen’sFitnessApp
Meet TrackUp Fitness, a weight training app developedbyourownPeiqiChen,designedwith a simple philosophy: every rep counts, every set matters, and every small step forward deserves to be tracked. The app empowers lifters to seamlessly log their workouts using intuitive muscle group cards or customizable routine templates, making it effortless to capture each training session. The standout Trends feature visualizes your strength gains through detailed progress graphs, letting you see exactly how your bench press, squat, or any exercise improves over time turning numbers into motivation. Peiqi deliberately crafted TrackUp with a minimalist aesthetic and distraction-free interface,believingthatthebestfitnessappgets out of your way and lets you focus on what matters: lift, grow, and celebrate your journey. Best of all, TrackUp Fitness is completely free andavailablenowontheAppStore.
