S.T.O.R.M TEAM

S.T.O.R.M. is a qualified, small population of students who are a part of our dojo’s leadership curriculum and are in search of increased understanding and application of karate, possess/desire the types of leadership traits needed to WIN in their future, have aspirations of learning about business through the eyes of an entrepreneur, and/or would like to be an Assistant Instructor, Instructor, camp counselor, student leader, and more!

A few key perks:

Inclusion in our exclusive leadership curriculum

fosters self empowerment, effective teamwork and leadership, instills/fortifies the black belt qualities, promotes community service, etc.

FREE access to seminars and specialized training

Invaluable insight and on-the-job experience in the martial arts business model

Use of STORM related activities for community service hours

Compensated, part-time work hours

….and MUCH MORE!

This comprehensive set of experiences will aid STORM members in equipping them for personal and academic success….and beyond! If interested in the full details, participant eligibility, or how to apply for our STORM program, please contact us to schedule a meeting/conference.

OUR CURRENT S.T.O.R.M MEMBERS

Evan Ambler

I am 10 years old and in 4th grade at Ducketts Lane.
I have been doing karate since 2017 when OKD would come to Ducketts Lane afterschool.
Other than karate, my hobbies are playing video games and building Legos.
My favorite subjects are Math and PE.
One thing I’d like to get out of my storm training is being able to help my little sister. Also, I think extra training would be good for me.
I study karate because it is interesting and I am very interested in Japan.

Krish Bakshi:

I have been doing Uechi-ryu Karate since 2011
I am a Jr. Sandan/ 3rd Jr. Black Belt
I was born in 2005 and am in the 9th Grade
I love Karate, video games, reading, and computers!
I really want to learn more about Karate and go to Japan!
My favorite part of Karate is sparring
My favorite subjects in school are Biology and English!
I do Karate to increase both my physical and mental abilities.

Jayla Bouges-White

I have been studying karate since I was 5 years old. I am in sixth grade and new member of the STORM team.
I was inspired by the other members of the STORM team to help other students to enjoy karate as much as I do.
When I am not doing karate I enjoy reading writing short stories and drawing.
I am on a step team, participate in activities at my church, play basketball, and sing in chorus at my middle school and for the John Hopkins Peabody Preparatory.

Isabella Brewer:

I am in the 8th grade and my favorite subjects are math and science. I love engineering, and anything to do with space. I also love country music.
I have two dogs, a French Bulldog named Savannah, and a Police K9 Black Labrador named Lexi, who works with my dad.
I study martial arts so I can defend myself, and build up my confidence
I like to practice my karate techniques, and watch videos of other types of kata to dig deeper into my karate.
I want to be part of the STORM team so I can learn how to be a great role model for young kids, kids my age, and even adults.

Dresden Hughes

I am 10 years old and am a 5th grade homeschooler.
My favorite subjects are math, science and gym (Karate).
I started karate to help improve my coordination.
In my free time other than practicing Karate, I enjoy coloring, playing board games and video games, and building Lego creations.
I decided to continue because I really enjoy Karate and the Dojo. My favorite part of the dojo is that we learn a lot about the history and the culture of Okinawa Japan. I like knowing that someday I will have the opportunity to travel with the dojo to Japan and hopefully test for my Shodan rank. .

Cody Knippenberg:

Karate is my favorite pastime
I like reading
I am very interested in karate and learning about it
I have been to multiple styles of martial arts and Uechi Ryu is by far my favorite
I have written multiple comic books, and I love drawing

Andrew Litman:

I have been practicing karate for over 7 years.
I am in the 7th grade, and my favorite subjects are science and math.
My favorite pastime is reading; I like classics and biographies. One of my favorites is “Great Expectations” by Charles Dickens.
I like to teach myself how computers work, and I am even programming my own operating system. I also enjoy teaching people about computers.
I study karate to learn self-discipline, respect for myself and others, and self-defense.
I want to be in STORM because I want to learn about business and leadership skills to help my manage my future computer business and be successful.

Maggie McCarthy

I have been at the dojo since the summer of 2020, and I am a yellow belt stripe.
I started to study martial arts because I wanted to learn to defend myself, build my confidence, and try new things.
The dojo has been great but some things that I like most about it are Cheeseburger, the Senpais and Sensei, and learning new things. The instructors at the dojo are very encouraging and helpful. I also find it interesting to learn about a different culture and how they study martial arts different than we do.
I am in 5^th grade and I am interested in math and related arts (mostly P.E.) In my free time I enjoy playing basketball, skateboarding, and singing/dancing.
I have been a Girl Scout for 6 years and have also picked up an interest in designing houses during the pandemic.
I love watching movies and playing games with my family. I also like to color and play with my sister and our dog, Tanner.

Chase Pakula:

I want to be in STORM because I want to be a leader in my community and to learn from my experiences to be a better person in the future. I also believe that storm will help me better understand business and communication.
I have been studying karate for 8 years and I have earned my Jr. Black Belt. I am currently in 7th grade and have been doing karate since I was in kindergarten. I study martial arts to learn self defense, and to get stronger, physically and mentally. Karate also helps me to focus for longer periods of time.
In middle school, l enjoy math, science and playing the trumpet in the band. I play travel baseball for AYRA 13u. I feel that karate has helped me in baseball as well, it improves my balance, strength, form and hand eye coordination. One of my favorite baseball memories was competing at Cooperstown Dreams Park against 103 other teams across the country.
My other hobbies include skiing, jumping waves at the beach and roller coasters. I have been on one of the tallest roller coasters in the world called KingDa Ka with a height of 456ft tall!

Cameron Parker:

I am 12 years old and in the 6th grade at Resurrection St. Paul School.
My favorite subjects are Language Arts and Math.
I play travel baseball for HCYP Raiders. I go to almost all of the Ravens home games and some Orioles games with my dad. I like to play street hockey as well as play soccer at recess. I also like to draw or read when I have downtime.
I have an awesome greyhound named Calypso after the Titan Atlas’s daughter in Greek Mythology. It is the 5th greyhound I have known and my parents’ 7th .
I have been doing Karate since August of 2017 and am currently a Brown Belt.
My favorite thing to do at the dojo is expand my knowledge through karate. It helps me learn day-to-day life skills and helps me further evolve as an adolescent youth. These are a few things about me.

Tristan Tran:

I am 11 years old.
I love reading and math.
I have been going to the Okinawa Karate Dojo since 2013.
I enjoy karate because it teaches me respect, discipline, and patience. It also builds self- confidence and character.
I am grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the STORM program and look forward to be a part of this team.

Emmanuel Vasquez:

Guadalupe Vasquez:

I was born December 19, 2007 and I am currently 13 years old.
I am in the 7th grade, and I go to Burleigh Manor Middle School.
My favorite subjects in school are math and science.
I have been going to Okinawa Karate Dojo around 2014.
Other than karate my favorite pastimes are listening to music, reading books, drawing.
One of the reasons I wanted to join the STORM team was because I want to be able to help my family and to build up my confidence.

Nico Salvia

Bryce Ringgold

Has been with the dojo for 5 years, is a 1st degree junior black belt, and an 8th grader
Dad wanted him to do wrestling, but he wanted to do karate instead
He likes talking to his friends at the dojo, working hard (even when he doesn’t feel like going) knowing that his hard work at commitment will make him stronger in the end.
His favorite aspects about the dojo are the flexibility and availability of classes, and the Ninja Warrior course
His favorite hobbies are playing video games, practicing the violin, and doing karate with his friends

Amanda Caudle

Sariah Davis

Alex Peters

OUR GRADUATED S.T.O.R.M MEMBERS

Liza Roseman

I have been practicing karate for almost nine years. I am a freshman at McDonogh School, and my favorite subject is fine art.
Outside of school and the dojo, I enjoy playing club lacrosse and drawing.
I’ve found that my study of karate has helped greatly in supplying the self discipline needed to excel at those hobbies, and I’m excited to dive deeper into everything karate can bring.
I am currently the dojo’s youngest Shodan (first-degree black belt) and assistant instructor.