Empowering Women in LA Through Guardian Girls Karate

As part of the newly launched project of the Guardian Girls Global Karate by the global partners Koyamada International Foundation (KIF Global), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and World Karate Federation (WKF), the global partners have organized the first Guardian Girls Karate Self-Defense Seminar with approximately 50 diverse girls and women who signed up from Los Angeles area at the Terasaki Budokan in Downtown Los Angeles on October 8th, 2022.

The Seminar was coordinated by head instructor and three-time World champion Elisa Au, the seminar also had the participation of Olympians Sakura Kokumai and Irina Zaretska, and three-time World Champion Douglas Brose who joined the activity as assistant instructors. All instructors wore a brand new black Guardian Girls T-Shirts on.

All women participants in ages from 18 to 76 from different professional backgrounds and ethnics have been given brand new official Guardian Girls white T-Shirts and worn them during the Seminar to join this inaugural gender-based violence prevention program in Los Angeles.

Most of the participants had no martial arts experience in the past and were first time to ever participate in a self-defense seminar. Some of the participants brought their kids, husbands and friends with them to watch the Seminar. All participants were enthusiastic in learning about this new Gender-Based Violence Prevention program and getting a 90-minute training by the world's best female Karate instructors in the United States.

In the beginning of the Seminar, Nia Lyte, Co-Founder and President of the KIF Global welcomed everyone and introduced the emcee of the Seminar Ms. Karyn Bryan, CNN and UFC Anchor. The opening remarks were made by the Japan's Consul General Kenko Sone, WKF General Secretary Toshihisa Nagura, KIF Global Chairman Shin Koyamada,  KIF USA President Anthony Al-Jamie and Terasaki Budokan Director Ryan Lee. A special presentation was given by the UNFPA Chief Strategic Partnerships Mariarosa Cutillo.