NovatoSpirit Celbrates 10 Years of Teaching

NovatoSpirit’s kids celebrated Independence Day by participating in our town’s colorful July 4th Parade. Dancing and kicking down Grant Avenue, they were surrounded by cheering crowds, floats and music. Our kids said they felt excited to be connected to the Novato community.

Our teachers make this connection possible. All NovatoSpirit students are given an athletic scholarship for 5 years with skilled teachers, who inspire them to move, think and share.

Now we’re celebrating three who have served the most NovatoSpirit children during the past decade: Mr. Robert Ito of the White Tiger Kempo Karate School, Master Myong O of Kyung Ki Tae Kwon Do, and Tara-Caprice Broadwater of Love2Dance.

Born in Guam and raised there and in California, Mr. Robert Ito has been studying kempo karate since 1968 and is a Grand Master of tai chi chuan. He calls himself a “fortunate student,” having been mentored by many martial-arts luminaries, such as Grand Master Bing Fai Lau, Hanchi Paul Yamaguchi, Grand Master Ming Lum, Professor Imi Okazaki-Mullins, and Grand Master Mike Young. Philosophically, he’s been influenced by Hanchi Thomas Young and Grand Master Al Novak, and his weapons training in Filipino arts began with Grand Master Rene Latosa in 1985. He says, “I never stop learning. It’s also a personal motivation and challenge for me to work with the NovatoSpirit students, who are excited, motivated and anxious to learn and participate. For all my students, I focus on teaching discipline, respect and self-defense. This is a beginning foundation to be successful at changing and adjusting to the realities of life.” For more info, you can see www.itoswhitetiger.com.

Master Myong O was born in Incheon, South Korea, and began practicing tae kwon do at the age of 10, receiving his black belt in 1974. A year later, he moved to the U.S. with his family, and began teaching in the Bay Area in 1990. He’s studied with several tae kwon do masters, including the esteemed Grand Master Soon Lee. Master O established his own school, Kyung Ki Tae Kwon Do, in 1997. He says, “I try to teach all my students good manners and respect, and all the other good things will come. I want each student to be a good person and I want each to be physically fit. You have to keep both your mind and body busy.” He says he studies different martial-arts styles, getting together with other masters weekly to learn and practice. He says that teaching requires heartfelt devotion. “For me, to be an instructor is to have compassion. It has to come from your heart. If it’s not, you shouldn’t be in this business.” Here’s an action-packed video of Master O and his students: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnDBDFuW3N4&feature=youtu.be.

Tara-Caprice Broadwater’s students wear red t-shirts imprinted with four words: “Dance, Eat, Sleep, Repeat.” That’s exactly what they do at Love2Dance, founded in 2002. Tara shares her passion for dance and teaching with students of all ages from Marin and Sonoma Counties. A Novato native and former NBA Golden State Warriors Dancer, Tara has been dancing since she was three. She says she believes in “giving back” to the Marin community she was raised in. So you’ll find her dancers performing at retirement homes, tree lighting ceremonies, art and wine festivals, mentoring programs, and parades. Tara says she’s “proud to be able to include NovatoSpirit students in a dance program that makes them feel special, gives them a platform to perform, and encourages self-expression.” For more info, you can see http://www.love2dance.biz/faculty_new.htm

Our children are grateful for their teachers, and have written hundreds of testimonials over the years. You can read some of them on our website www.NovatoSpirit.org.

NovatoSpirit is thankful for the support from the Novato community that helps us provide excellent teachers. Your generosity enables our children to learn and connect. Thank you.