Being the Candle: The Wiz in NJ!!!

Master Katherine Wieczerza teaching her first class at TMAFC in New Jersey!

When I began traveling down south to visit my friends in Georgia, I kept being told by people that I sounded a lot like this Master Kathy character. All I kept hearing was "You sound like Master Kathy!" or "Master Kathy says that!" Or "You need to meet Master Kathy!" Well OKAY! Let me meet this Master Kathy person! So it was about a year ago when I went to the Georgia AAU Qualifier, I met for the first time Master Katherine Wieczerza. Kathy "the Wiz" was as warm and welcoming when I first met her as if I have known her all my life.

A month later I got to work with her on the mats a little at Master Stone's school and she gave me a cane as a gift that we use to train in Goju Shorei weapons. That September I went down for the first time to Tennessee and I got to see her teach a seminar as well as sit on an panel for Black Belt testing in Tennessee. I was also honored to be present at her wedding.

Master Wiz is one of the most inspiring individuals I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. She is not only knowledgeable but also powerful in the sense not ONLY is she a badass warrior that when she walks by you WILL keep your hands up, but also powerful in the sense that you FEEL empowered on the inside as well. She hits the chords of your emotions that brings out the best in you. That is a rare gift few have. A few weeks ago I stayed with Master Wiz when I went to Tennessee (later blog) and I kept telling her I wanted to get her to come to New Jersey! Finally that chance came this past weekend.

Master Kathy presenting Sifu with a gift she had made for him before coming to New Jersey.

Master Kathy being presented with the Hung Ga banner by Sifu Yee.

She flew in Friday morning after four delays. We went straight to Sifu's school. First stop HAD to be a visit to my master. She said she was nervous but I knew she would love getting to meet Sifu. His warm and bubbly hug was of course the welcome he would give to her! She presented him with a gift she had made for him from her Christmas tree this year which was very hard for her and she explained the symbolism of turning something difficult into something beautiful with three tea lights (three being the most powerful number in the world) and being the strong firm straight line in my own life. Knowing how important Sifu is to me, she wanted to give him this gift as a thank you for all he does. I was thrilled to have these two get to meet.

Then we went to my school where I gave her a quick tour and we ate lunch before doing an intro to Master Kathy class. It was absolutely spectacular. A great turnout, different range of belts and ages, and everything I knew Master Kathy would be. She was knowledgeable, she was skillful, she was inspiring, she was funny, she was motivating, she was ON.

It was great to see her interact with my students on such a level that was professional and personal at the same time. She got to know people's names first shot, which is very important when dealing with people. She would play a few games that had a martial lesson in it, but it also contained deeper life lessons that were just mind blowing for my students. It was really cool to see them nod their heads and get wide eyed as she would explain a concept or a lesson that was MORE than just martial arts. And it wasn't just the students, but the parents sitting in and watching as well!

Master Kathy's intro class at TMAFC

Miss Volk demonstrating how a reaction is slower than an action with Master Kathy.

"Sometimes you don't have to overpower to get ahead, you just got to give a little."

Next was our two hour competition team class. Master Kathy is known to be excellent with point sparring and gave some really great yet simple concepts that my team could use for sparring. Some of them are doing point sparring for the first time at the New Jersey AAU Qualifier this month which she encouraged everyone to do. Master Kathy, who has had experience in every aspect of competition had brought so much to the table during that class. She has been a competitor, a coach, an official, a director, worked staging, been Chief referee, you name it and she has done it.

She really brought some great insight using her experience and my students loved everything she threw at them. And Guillermo Colon got to experience Master Kathy first hand as her "helper". If you ask him what lesson he learned being with Master Kathy, I could almost guarantee he'll say "Keep your hands up"! LOL! After Point sparring the team got to perform their forms for her and it was really cool to see how she was able to bring out the best in them. Even Guillermo was moving stronger by the end of the class. Every little thing from being effective, how to start from the ready position, the emotionalism that you bring out in forms, she hit the nail on the head each time. It was also exciting to see how excited the students got with the progress in such a short time!

Afterwards a few of us went to get dinner and spent some time as my parent's house to just be and recap from the classes, and the others got to know Master Kathy a little better. My mother and father really took to her well and enjoyed her company and laughed along with each other's jokes and stories which was nice to see. It's that time that we get to spend with each other sometimes that are most meaningful.

Next morning I still had to get up early to teach HaganaH which Master Kathy participated in, and later was even able to bring some of the concepts into the lessons she was teaching, which a true master is able to do anywhere. In the first teen and adult Taekwondo class she had gone over basic techniques and critiqued and demonstrated different ways and styles and attributed to doing Taekwondo basics which I found very valuable and really opened the student's minds. The next class was Olympic style sparring and it was so awesome to see the shift from her concepts of Point Sparring the night before to Olympic style. Her attention to the technique and strategy and fighting mentality was so great to experience.

But as always, the concept of our upcoming theme of the year was involved! MOVEMENT. Movement is life, and she got us to move! Apparently many of her students and grand students will know this drill where we had us stand and she swung a bo staff downwards while we wore our helmets, and we were to move to the side and not let the bo staff touch our heads. I got caught a few times too! We were ALL moving by the end of that class! It was awesome! And the second class she did partner drills which really made the students who worked with her feel important enough to help but at the same time she got to see what it was they were passing down to the people they were helping that they felt was important to the form. It accomplished the need of certainty, uncertainty, to be needed, growth, support, and contribution all at the same time.

One of my favorite pictures. The expression on Sasha's face in the mirror and Miss Samantha Niblock is priceless.

Mr. William Stiehl working with Master Kathy in teen class.

In the afternoon Master Kathy did a seminar called "Every Day Items for Self-Defense" which she is known for doing down in the south and at her student's schools. The concept is absolutely fantastic because if you just look around, there are so many things you can use that can help you defend yourself when you are in danger. Weapons don't have to be complex and huge, only effective. She gave some phenomenal advice when it comes to self-defense and your safety, and then progressed to items such as flashlights, carabiner, and magazine. She had a nice turnout for the seminar, my mom even took the class with a friend, and toward the end my mentor Master Kevin Balon arrived on the scene to join in the seminars!

Master Balon has a great deal of respect for Master Kathy and they have not seen each other since he tested for 7th Degree in Austin, Texas in 2011. For ME it was the first time to be in both their presence at the same time! When she noticed him walking in she made sure to stop and have everyone turn to face him and bow out of her respect for him as well.

Master Kathy teaching Every Day Items for Self Defense seminar!

The group getting close to see exactly how a flashlight could be used to defend yourself.

Some of the concepts of these every day weapons came from what she has developed within the Goju Shorei Weapons system. She is the world-wide director of the Goju Shorei Weapons system under head of the system Soke David McNeil. Her second seminar was a Goju Shorei Weapon seminar using the cane. This was her biggest turnout as it is so different and she is so well known for it, it made for an amazing seminar.

Master Kathy began just introducing us to some basic concepts to break the ice for those who never used it before. It really is amazing what you can be with something that so many people carry and could have every day, any where they go! I know me personally I have had my cane with me on a bus, an airplane, a bus stop, a grocery store, you can take it anywhere with you and it has so many uses, not just for self-defense!

Then we got into some deeper concepts form the system, and she used Guillermo as her assistant primarily if it wasn't me. She beat the hell out of us which honestly, there's no greater honor LOL. But everyone was fascinated by the concepts, great questions were asked, and she had everyone's attention from beginning to end. It was also really great to see my mother and her friend participate, to have Master Balon and his wife participate, some of the students' parents participate including my other mentor Dr. Mary Ellen Stiehl, and most of my active Black Belts who have been enjoying the company of Master Kathy all weekend long.

Master Kathy at the Goju Shorei Weapons seminar

Master Kathy demonstrating how to use the cane for defend yourself from an attack.

Some of the crew who attended Master Kathy's seminar.

My mother and my teacher Master Balon partners during the seminar #SoCool!

The Goju Shorei Weapons Cane Seminar at TMAFC with Master Kathy Wieczerza!

One of my favorite moments was at the very end of the seminar when we thought we were ending, she said "OH just one more thing" and called Guillermo over and we sighed as if he knew what was coming next and came up and put his hands up. She then placed a cane on his arm and said "That is my gift to you for helping me today." It was a sweet moment, but also showed the giving heart that Master Kathy has, which is so apparent to all who meet her.

Afterwards everyone was talking about the things the learned, asked more questions to Master Kathy, took pictures, etc, but it was really cool to spend time with both Master Kathy and Master Balon together. At one point the three of us worked together to do a drill with the cane together and Nicole took a picture of it. It was a historical picture of the three of us working together for the first time! You gotta catch the moments!

Afterwards we had gone to eat, spent some time with Ara and Juneta, and the following day we relaxed a bit and had some company over to spend time with Master Kathy before she had to return to Tennessee. We were all very sad to see her leave. We got to FaceTime with Soke McNeil at one point, we ate some food, recapped the weekend, and then at one point I felt a strong burst of energy and I kept looking over my shoulder. Not five minutes later my door opened and I got up to see who it was. It was Sifu and Simo! They had come to big Master Kathy well and to have a safe flight home! It was a beautiful gesture and so great to have these two beautiful people in my home at the same time.

Master Kathy Wieczerza is an amazing martial artist with great skill and experience. She is a phenomenal instructor, a master educator who thrives at getting the best out of you. She is a fantastic leader, adored by all who meet her, but particularly her own students whom she loves so very much in return. Not only in skill, leadership, and teaching, but in character she embodies what a true martial artist is about. She takes care of her own and then some. She cares for the people she surrounds herself with, and she wants the very best for everyone. The Wiz's gift is being able to walk away making you feel like you're a better person, feeling so good and wonderful. That magic was so apparent during her time here in New Jersey. I hope she had as much fun and excitement as we all did here with her during her stay.

We welcome her to our New Jersey family and want her to know she is welcome back anytime, and we ALL hope she does return soon. In the words of my mentor, "New Jersey has your back." (BOWS)