Dear Master Kloss,

I wanted to send you a letter to express my appreciation to you and your staff at KMAI for your support and encouragement. 

About a year ago I had just finished up the competitive synchronized skating season. I was not happy with how much I was struggling with my skating and way overweight to boot. I made the difficult decision to stop skating as I was having back pain from a herniated disc and I decided I needed to make some changes.

My kids have been involved in karate for about 3-4 years or so. All along they kept telling me that I needed to try it. I made a deal with them that if I quit skating I’d try karate. I wasn’t sure if I’d like it or how it would effect my back, but I’d promised so I gave it a try. I took my first class which was taught by Josh Remmell. It was a blast and he really made it fun. I worked hard and was shocked that the next morning I could get out of bed without my back hurting. I kept at it and pretty soon I noticed that I was getting a really good workout as I learned new techniques and could start putting some power behind them. I also noticed that I was starting to lose weight and even more importantly, inches. The focus and discipline from karate also helped me to improve my eating habits. As my weight loss became more noticeable, my family, friends and co-workers started to comment on how much better I looked. I started feeling like I had more energy and felt so much happier because I felt good. The support network at karate also helped. Other parents are involved and are taking classes and they’ve supported me in my weight loss and as I’ve progressed at karate. The instructors have been fabulous with their support and willingness to take extra time to help me if I needed it.

So here I am 25 lbs lighter and 5 sizes smaller and I couldn’t be happier. It’s been a lot of hard work, but I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. In particular I’d like to thank Master Watters for his support in my weight loss and Mike Mansfield for all the extra time and guidance he’s given me in preparing for the various karate tournaments that I’ve entered.