Student Profiles

Joe is a seventeen-year-old who has been training for more than two-thirds of his life. As he eludes to, he doesn't remember a time when he was not a Potomac Kempo student. Recently, we had the honor to promote him to Second-Degree Black Belt, an honor that only a handful of others have achieved before graduating high school. We are very proud of Joe and are excited to see all of the great things he will accomplish in life with this solid Kempo-based foundation. Kempo has had an immense effect on my life, and I can confidently say that I ...

I have two wonderful daughters and a wonderful husband. I have full time job that is challenging and, I believe, meaningful. As a mother, wife, and leader I have a lot of responsibilities and keep very busy. I needed a little time and an opportunity to focus on being a better me - to take care of myself so that I can be there for my family, those I lead, and those I serve. I studied martial arts when I was younger and really enjoyed it. I joined Potomac Kempo because I hoped that I would find the opportunity I ...

Journey from white coat to white belt Academia is forgiving – most of the time. . . Frequent relocations are an unspoken part of the biological sciences. Not this time though. . . After over 11 years in the research laboratory, uncounted hours behind the bench and the recent relocation I ended up on “the bench” – at home. It was fun at first but soon I realized that I needed a goal, something to stride towards – a project that could result in something great. No, this time it would not be another scientific article. . . so what ...

My Black Belt Essay by Jordan, age 8 Over the years, karate has taught me many things.  It has taught me not just to defend myself and others but taught me to be loyal, helpful, kind and honest.  Being a karate student means that you help people in every way possible.  I know that karate will help me in the future.  For example, it will help me to be healthy by exercising.  It helped me to be respectful and have confidence.  Being at karate has been fun and I hope that it will last for a long time.  As a ...

Kempo Quest Well, it’s been quite a year!  I really did not think I would stick with Kempo when I started a year ago, it seemed like such a whim and not something at which I would enjoy or could sustain, but here we are, Sensei Cassie, Sempei Erica, and I celebrating a year together this past Saturday.   I could barely get through an entire class a year ago, and today, not only can I survive class, I feel decent about most of them.  The first hurdle(s) was attending class.  The next hurdle was the first test for yellow.  ...

Benefits of Kempo Training Kempo training over the past six months has benefited me greatly in many ways, both physically and mentally.  The highlights of the benefits I have experienced are an increase in physical stamina, decrease in aches and pains and a reduction in mental stress. My physical stamina has increased dramatically.  My body feels fit and with that comes many pluses such as having more energy throughout the day and being able to complete physical tasks like yard work and heavy lifting with more ease and less strain.  My townhouse has three levels and fairly steep steps.  It ...

Growing up, my energy was consumed by playing year-round soccer, not to mention the other seasonal sports I did such as basketball, track, and cross country. Every school break was reserved for national tournaments or state cups. I felt, and still feel to this day, very passionate about soccer, for it has been a well of life lessons and a source of stress relief. As a child, my dream was to play collegiate soccer at Brigham Young University and then play professionally. Despite the time I put into soccer, though, my religion and family were always my top priorities in ...

When I started Kempo, I wasn't sure what to expect. I was looking to try something different, a new challenge. I found that, and more. Kempo has improved my physical well being drastically. Before I started Kempo, I was constantly hindered and immobilized by chronic neck and back pain due to Degenerative Disk Disease. Kempo has been, hands down, more successful in managing this pain than both physical therapy and a chiropractor. The pain is now much less frequent and the (non-good) soreness much less severe than before I started Kempo. My goal is to continue working towards being as ...

A New Beginning After immigrating to the United States of America (USA) last year, much has changed in my life. I have given up a successful career that I loved; left my family and friends, and given up my home. This was all a sacrifice, one for my family's future. Moving to the USA has given me a chance to start fresh, not that my life was bad before, but I think my family and I can achieve an even happier future. Joining Potomac Kempo has been a step towards achieving my ultimate goal of a happier and healthier life ...

Five years ago, Brett’s 4-year-old son Nicolas went poking around his father’s closet and discovered several karate belts. He said, “Dad, I didn’t know you did karate,” Brett remembers. “I told him, ‘Yeah, 20 years ago,’ and he said, ‘You should be a white belt!’” Brett had, in fact, been considering a return to the dojo. When he went there for Nicolas’s classes, he found himself talking to the instructors and was intrigued enough to think about getting back into martial arts. At that point, Brett, who runs an international company, knew he was overworked, out of shape and about ...

When Jonathan decided to give Kempo a try, three-and-a-half years ago, he had no idea how that one decision would change his life. At the time, he wasn’t doing much in the way of fitness, and most of his time was spent at a desk job at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. He was overweight, out of shape and knew he needed to make a change. It didn’t take Jonathan long to reap benefits from his practice. He began building up muscle, shedding pounds and feeling better prepared for activities he enjoyed, like hiking. Within six months, he had ...

Growing up, Erica was more of a bookworm than an athlete. She took ballet and gymnastics classes, but she never played sports, and even as an adult, she shied away from activities that were too competitive. She had taken yoga and aerobics classes, but they generally didn’t hold her attention. Plus, she was looking for a new way to increase her fitness level and improve her flexibility and coordination. In 2008, Erica ran into a Potomac Kempo instructor who offered her a free trial lesson. “When the opportunity came up, I was like, sure, I’ll give it a try,” says ...

How Has Kempo Training Benefited My Life? Physically: Faster, Stronger, Lighter! It has been around a year now, and the benefits have been remarkable. Firstly, and most notably, I’ve lost a *lot* of weight. Quickly. Fifteen pounds so far. Looking slimmer, old clothes now fit, I can shop one size down. Good news all around. This stands in stark contrast with  my experience with other exercise regimes. I used to go to the gym regularly, watch what I eat, etc. But I’ve never had the type of results I’ve seen with Kempo. I’m still trying to work out what the ...

Four years ago, kempo wasn’t even on Jessica’s radar. And as far as she was concerned, it was going to stay that way. Other than team sports in high school and lifeguarding during college, fitness and Jessica’s life, let’s just say, didn’t really cross paths. Jessica, 36, worked as an auditor at Marriott’s headquarters in Bethesda, Md., and back in 2009, she spent 95 percent of her time on the road. She was charged with visiting 47 Ritz-Carlton hotels each year, and she usually worked 12- hour days. “By the time you’re done, you’re going to your hotel room, eating ...

Every once in a while, Dany watches a martial arts movie. “You see these guys jumping 20 feet in the air, and making it look easy,” he says. “In real life, you can’t do all those amazing things. But you can still protect other people and protect yourself.” Since he started his kempo training four years ago, Dany has learned a repertoire of very cool moves, but his education transcends his physical skills. “It’s made me stronger, more flexible and more relaxed, says Dany, 12. “And I was always very healthy, but it probably made me a little more careful ...

In 2010, Gary had been helping his wife with her photography business when he was introduced to Potomac Kempo. The couple had shot family portraits for Master Santillo, and when they were reviewing the photos, the conversation turned to Gary’s fitness level. “We looked at my belly — and my belly had gotten pretty big,” Gary says. “Chris said to me, ‘We could work on that.’ He was not pushy at all. He just said if it’s something you ever want to do, let me know.” At that time, Gary had recently moved to Alexandria from Blacksburg, Va., to be ...

When Jordan first returned to the dojo after earning his adult Black Belt in 2013 — one of the youngest at Potomac Kempo to do so — he was on cloud nine. Passing the test was thrilling, but it even more, the experience was emotional. “This was the goal ever since I started when I was a kid,” Jordan says. “I always thought Black Belt was the coolest thing. Attaining that goal was huge for me. It’s like, you have this dream for your sport, and you’ve finally done it. It’s a reality, yet it’s overwhelming.” But it didn’t take ...

José, a 52-year-old software engineer with a small company in Arlington, likes to compare martial arts to graduate work. “I got a masters degree from George Mason, and this feels like the same major commitment of time and effort,” he says. “That’s why so many people start and don’t finish. But I don’t like quitting. Plus, it’s good for me. If I wasn’t doing karate, I would be at home watching TV.” Among the older students at Potomac Kempo, José began taking classes five years ago, when his son Stephen Rubio – an instructor at the dojo – gave him ...

Growing up in Northern Virginia, Dyer was an overweight and out-of-shape kid. He dreamed about practicing martial arts, like his oldest brother, but he never had the opportunity to take classes. The closest he got was donning his brother’s yellow belt and running around the house, a make-believe kung fu master. A couple decades later, Dyer returned to Northern Virginia from a year studying art renaissance history in Italy. Having succumbed to the Italian cuisine, and not having had a regular workout schedule, Dyer was 40 pounds overweight and again, out of shape. Now armed with an English degree and ...

When Brianne moved to Washington after college, she decided to accompany a friend at a kempo class. The first thing she learned is just how out of shape she was. The second thing she learned – when she continued going to classes – is that there wasn’t going to be an easy out. “I’d never been part of something that was such a shared experience with so many people,” she says. “I was embarrassed because I was so out of shape, but people would say, ‘We were all there at some point!’ And they would say, ‘See you Monday!’ If ...

Kempo is sometimes compared to boot camp and occasionally likened to CrossFit. But it’s not often that you hear “Kempo” in the same breath as “Law School.” Yet for Mike and Lisa Zarlenga, the correlation is clear. “You go to law school for three years, but it’s not until you graduate that you start learning the law,” Mike says. “That’s kind of how Kempo is – up until Black Belt, there’s all this basic preparatory material, like how to punch and how to kick. It’s not until you get into higher ranks that you really feel like you’re doing Kempo ...

I have now been training in Kempo for a little over four years and cannot say enough about how much I enjoy it. I have done other styles of martial arts, but feel I have found my niche with Kempo. There are multiple benefits to martial arts training. The most obvious benefit is knowledge of self-defense. But for me it goes well beyond that. I am a military man and have served for over 18 years. In the military and in martial arts, values such as discipline, honor, and integrity are at the forefront. Both the military and the martial ...

Once upon a time, George – a 5’10” network engineer who sat in front of a computer all day and a TV all night – weighed in at 265 pounds. On top of being grossly overweight, he was a heavy drinker, and as he neared his 40th birthday, he couldn’t help but worry about his health. “I was wasting away,” he says. “I really was feeling my mortality. I figured I had to do something, or I wouldn’t last too long.” Fortunately, George had an angel in his life, who happened to be his wife – and who also happened ...

In 2006, when Cheryl was a busy working mother, she often found herself at the dojo – dropping off and picking up her son for class at Potomac Kempo. One day, Master Chris Santillo stopped her. “When are you coming in?” he asked. His question caught Cheryl off guard. All she ever saw at the dojo were the youth classes, and she had a hard time imagining herself in her son’s class. “I didn’t really think about adults doing karate,” she says. And by that point, she had all but forgotten about a karate class she had taken in college, ...