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Ryan Redfoot

Ryan was born in October of 1988 and has lived in the Smith’s Station/ Phenix City , Alabama area most of his life. He has two sisters, Kasie and Jessie who just started karate this summer after being in dance and gymnastic. Ryan was 10 years old, when he started his martial arts training in 1998 at Won’s Martial Arts Academy studying Tae Kwon Do.  He loved the martial arts from the beginning; as he said, “I’ve played baseball and football but nothing is as much fun as karate.”

Once he had earned his yellow belt he wanted to try competing in tournaments and joined the International Karate Circuit or the IKC. In his first few tournaments, he did not place any higher than finalist but that did not discourage him from continuing to try. He gives that same advice to others today, “never stop trying to reach your goals.”

 Ryan was a high yellow belt in 1999, when Mr. Won called him aside after class one day and told him that although he had the martial arts skills, if he wanted to excel, he needed to concentrate on his basics, basics, and basics and that he could only do that through hard work and being in class everyday he could. That is what Ryan has done; from that day on he has been at practice five to six days a week.

A few months later, there was an “in house” tournament and Ryan signed up. It was at that tournament that he first saw the KICK (Kicking In Christ Kingdom) Team in action and knew he wanted to be a part of it as soon as he could try out. He also won 1^st place in traditional forms that same day.

In 2000, when Ryan reached blue belt, the minimum level to join, he tried out for the KICK Team and made it. The KICK Team is more than a competition team; it is involved in church, school and civic events to help promote family and moral values for young people.

Ryan competed, as an under belt, in his first NASKA  (North American Sport Karate Association ) World Tour tournament  in 2001, by accident, as it was an IKC rated tournament. It was without a doubt the largest tournament he had very been to and after taking a 2^nd place in forms and weapons and a 3^rd place in sparring he was ready to join NASKA.

It was in November of 2001 that Ryan tested for Black Belt and started competing in more of the NASKA and IKC tournaments. In the IKC for 2001 he won 1^st place in forms, weapons and sparring, in 2002 he was awarded the Best Sportsmanship and Best All Around awards and won the Best All Around in 2003.

 2003 was  the year the KICK Team Competition Unit made its debut on the NASKA circuit and Ryan was proud to be a member of that team.  That is also when he started attending the World tour in earnest, going to all of the events for the first time. Unseeded at the beginning of the year he finished in the NASKA World Tour with  2^nd in traditional forms, 3^rd in traditional weapons and 5^th in open weapons for boys 14 to 15. His first major NASKA win came at the US Open in 2003 when he won first place in Traditional Forms.

 This year has been one of great blessings for Ryan, the KICK Team is doing very well on the circuit and is doing more demos in the community. He won his first Grand Championship in Traditional Weapons at Compete Nationals promoted by Mohammad Jahan-Vash in Pomona , California . Ryan is concentrating this year on his traditional weapons and forms but enjoys competing in the creative weapons division and is working on a few new things. He loves going to the tournaments and seeing all the folks he has met over the last two years, they are like an extend family.

“I am very grateful to Mr. Won for having put his faith in me and taking the time to help me be a better competitor and a better person. I am also grateful to Jon Boyd, who has showed me so much in my weapons training and to everyone else that has showed me something and helped me, Marcel Jones, Vince Johnson, Matthew Jennings and Ms. Amy Latta- Won, “says Ryan, “and remember that it takes more than natural talent to succeed, you must train hard, be respectful and learn all you can.” He still follows Mr. Won’s advice and practices his basics, basics, basics.