Kansas City 50th Anniversary Celebration – October 28 – 30, 2016
Seventy-seven past and present members gathered for a weekend of practices and parties.
The weekend kicked off with a Friday evening pot luck dinner for black belts at Linda and Mike Lyon Home. About 25 attended and it was especially great for younger members to become acquainted with some of the old warriors who’d been away from practice for many years.
2016 Linda Lyon, John Kaczynski, Carl Johnson, Dom Pizoli, Greg Oliver, Jim Kaplafka, Slava Paul 
2016 Friday Pot luck: Jon Beltram, Mike Schuler, David Mills, Tom Peacher and date, Nancy Aguirre, Ken Richardson, Matt Chatfield, Thomas Ngundo 
2016 Ann and Rick Solomon, Sarah and Greg Oliver
Saturday kicked off at 10am with a two-hour practice led by Kansas City Shotokan Karate Club founder and senior instructor, Jon Beltram, godan.
2016 David Altman, Jon Beltram, Carl Johnson 
2016 Isabel, Tiffany, and Lauren – the Chatfield triplets 
2016 Dom Pizoli warms up with Tekki Shodan 
2016 Larissa and Mike Schuler arrive 
2016 Julia Makiejus and Derek Topilko 
2016 Derek Topilko, Kate Buenau, Ken Richardson 
2016 50th Anniversary Mokuso 
2016 Jon Beltram leads junbi-undo (warm-up and stretch) 
2016 Jon Beltram shows a hiza application to Brad Markisohn while Yosuke Kameda practices hiza 
2016 Jon Beltram demonstrates irimi with Brad Markisohn, Mike Kostroske observes 
2016 Jon refereed numerous jiyū-kumite matches 
2016 Shodans Ken Richardson vs Aldrin Clement 
2016 Nidans Will Ragin vs Kate Buenau 
2016 Sandans Keith Kirk vs Vladimir Fokin 
2016 KC Shotokan 50th Anniversary group 
2016 Old friends, Jim Kaplafka and Jon Beltram 
2016 Becca Horzewski, Pam Logan, Kate Buenau 
2016 Caleb Zimmerschied 
2016 Dan Lobmire and Mike Bedinger 
2016 Bobby Bird 
2016 Keith Kirk with John Teramoto 
2016 Susan Wright with Dom Pizoli 
2016 Sophie Chatfield prepared a delicious lunch 
2016 Sophie Chatfield prepared a delicious lunch 
2016 Seniors relax in the Teramoto Tea Room
President of SKA’s Black Belt Council, godan John Teramoto led a two hour practice at 2pm which stressed kihon, breathing, alignment.
2016 John Teramoto practice gets underway 
2016 Careful explanation and encouragement for all levels 
2016 Nidans Kelly Rudolph and Rick Solomon 
2016 Heian Shodan 
2016 Gary Rubyor 
2016 Pam Logan helps brown belts with Bassai 2016 Kelly Rudolph, Keith Kirk, David Altman 2016 Mike Kostroske, Brad Markisohn, John Teramoto 
2016 Kelly Rudolph, Keith Kirk, David Altman 
2016 Mike Kostroske, Brad Markisohn, John Teramoto 
2016 John Teramoto demonstrates alignment and back leg, assisted by Keith Kirk 
2016 Lauren, Isabel, and Tiffany Chatfield with Noah Zach 
2016 John Teramoto shares a special story with the next generation
Saturday evening, we enjoyed cocktails and an Italian dinner at Oakwood Country Club. Entertainment provided by Kokyo Taiko of Lincoln, Nebraska, featuring shodan Lien Phan
2016 Kostiantyn Marichev enjoying the party 
2016 Gary Rubyor chats with Bobbie Beltram while Jon catches up with Mary and Jim Kaplafka 
2016 Gary Rubyor, Jon and Bobbie Beltram, Mary and Jim Kaplafka, Earl Rand and daughter Rochelle Schliecher, Patricia and Randy Morris, Dan Lobmire 
2016 Will Ragin, nidan from Memphis 
2016 Jean Teramoto, Maureen Brase-Houchin (Kokyo Taiko leader), Lien Phan, John Teramoto 
2016 Carl Johnson, Dakota Altman, David Altman, Dom Pizoli 
2016 Quang Nguyen and Laura Altman 
2016 Derek Topilko, Zully Perez Sierra, Dinh Hoang, Matt and Sophie Chatfield, Julia Makiejus, Kostiantyn Marichev 
2016 Kathy and Mike Kostroske, Mike and Holly Stayton 
2016 Caleb Zimmerschied, Linda Bryant, Mike Bedinger, Deborah and Ken Richardson, Chie Hirosawa 
2016 Nancy Rudolph, Carl Johnson, Dom Pizoli, Jon Beltram, Kelly Rudolph 
2016 Vladimir Fokin, Bobby Bird, Will Ragin, Susan Wright, Keith and Carla Kirk, Brad Markisohn 
2016 Susan Wright with a shiner 
2016 Kokyo Taiko drumming starts to fill the dining room 
2016 Shotokan centerpiece! 
2016 Jon and Bobbie Beltram with Jim Blackmon
2016 Kokyo Taiko !! 
2016 Lien Phan (left) shows her stuff 
2016 Drummers recruited: Matt Chatfield, Mike Lyon, Keith Kirk, Larissa Schuler, Pam Logan, Derek Topilko 
2016 David Altman made a long and very touching speech honoring Jon Beltram and KC Dojo 
2016 Roger Rinn gave a warm toast 
2016 Mary and Jim Kaplafka 
2016 Roger Rinn gave a warm toast 
2016 David Altman made a long and very touching speech honoring Jon Beltram and KC Dojo 
2016 Pam Logan, Dom Pizoli, Jon Beltram, Jean Teramoto, Michael Schuler 
2016 Jon Beltram thanked everyone for coming, especially his juniors from the earliest days
David Altman’s banquet remarks:
It truly warms my heart to see all of you here. I mean this. You’re my best friends. We are here to celebrate our practice, to Celebrate 50 years of Shotokan Ohshima Karate-Do in Kansas City. This martial arts practice is not learned through books or YouTube videos or movies (although I have to admit there are times when I rewind and fast forward through movie scenes to learn a technique or throw).
Our Karate practice has been handed down and taught to us by Mr. Tsutomu Ohshima. This senior-junior relationship is vital in our practice. We would not have met Sensei if it were not for our seniors. A Karate-ka has 3 lives, his/ her senior’s life, his/her junior’s life and their own life.
Dr. Jon Beltram started his martial arts training in 1959 and has been leading Shotokan Ohshima Karate-do in KC for 50 years, since 1966. Sensei sent two of his juniors to Kansas City, Mr. Ohara and Mr. Okabe. This was the start of Kansas City Shotokan. I started Karate practice with Jon Beltram in 1976.
After 40 years of practice, I am as surprised as you are. We cannot forget why we practice, not for rank, not for glory. We practice to perfect our character, so that we can improve our lives and the lives of those we love, and for the lives of society that we may affect. This is what has been passed down to me from my teacher and this is what Mr. Ohshima wants for us.
You know Master Funakoshi said, “The ultimate aim of karate lies not in victory nor defeat, but in the perfection of the character of its participants”.
Sensei has also given us the beautiful word polishing. It means to look at our self with strict eyes, try to recognize our weaknesses, to eliminate them and courageously step forward. To never ever give up. To never ever give up. I have heard this tenet since I started practice with Jon Beltram.
Then I recently read an article about Winston Churchill and he used to tell his troops to never, ever, ever give up.
I thought to myself, “That man stole that saying from my teacher!” I think the actual quote from Mr. Churchill was:
Never, never, never give up.
I want to finish up by saying thank you to all of you for first taking time out of your beautiful lives to celebrate 50 years of Shotokan Ohshima Karate-do in Kansas City with us. Second, I want to thank our spouses, our partners for being so supportive of our practice. I can’t thank you enough.
I want to thank our Seniors: Dr. Jon Beltram, godan with 50 years of leadership of KC Shotokan; Dr. John Teramoto, godan and BBC president; Mr. Michael Schuler, godan; Dr. Jim Kaplafka, yodan; Donnie Duncun, yodan; Carl Johnson, yodan; Mike Lyon, yodan; Greg Barstow, sandan; Dr. David Mills, sandan; Colonel Mike Bedinger, nidan; and Earl Rand, nidan.
I would like to present a gift of thanks to our teacher Dr. Jon Beltram. He is the epitome of “never, never, never give up.” Remember, in life we are all faced with different challenges and adversities good and bad. What makes you who you are is how you overcome those challenges.
I wrote Ohshima Sensei a while back and asked if he would create a calligraphy for our celebration. It means will or intention. On behalf of Mr. Ohshima, I’d like to present his calligraphy to Dr. Jon Beltram for his leadership and dedication to continuing Shotokan Ohshima Karate-Do in KC for 50 years.
2016 Jon choked up and shed a few tears 
2016 Everyone stood and applauded Jon for his 50 years of leadership for the Kansas City group 
2016 Memphis: Susan Wright, Will Ragin, Bobby Bird (with centerpiece), Carla and Keith Kirk
Sunday morning from 9 to 11, David Altman led practice focused on taking care of the body through long Yoga-based stretching and strengthening, and using good sense while practicing.
2016 David Altman focused on healthy practice 
2016 David Altman focused on healthy practice
After David Altman’s Sunday morning practice, lots of people said their goodbyes. The rest enjoyed the Sunday dim sum brunch at Bo Ling’s Chinese Restaurant.
2016 Dim Sum brunch at Bo Ling’s Restaurant