About Goddess Martial Arts
Goddess Martial Arts Inc. offers group and individual coaching in:
Never-ending Self Defense™ and Empowerment
Effective Communication/De-escalation techniques
Kali/Escrima
Shotokan Karate
Shaolin Kung Fu
Tai Chi Chuan
Private, customized coaching for women executives
and entrepreneurs.
Goddess Martial Arts Inc.is affliated to these outstanding
women's federations:
National Women's Martial Arts Federation (NWMAF)
Association of Women Martial Arts Instructors (AWMAI)
Click on these links to learn more, and be sure to check the related
links for other great federations and organizations
The Founders of Goddess Martial Arts are Certified under these Organizations
The Black Belt Institute
Canadian Karate Kung Fu Association
About the Founders
Karen Gray and Heather Turnbull bring
a unique combination of business and martial arts achievements to their
clients. With successful backgrounds in Adult Learning, Human Resources,
Sales and Client Services, they easily relate to their audiences, many
of whom are approaching martial arts for their first time.
Karen Gray
Karen’s first martial art is Tai Chi Chuan (Yang Style), which
she has practiced for about 12 years. While Karen has taught Tai Chi
for a number of years she is continuing her training in Tai Chi through
the distance learning program at Doc
Fai Wong’s school in San Francisco.
Karen started to study Kempo Karate in 1997 with the Black
Belt Institute and is the "closed door" student of
Darrell Couchie (Shihan)
with whom she has experienced desert vision quests and has co-authored many martial arts articles. Ccurrently Karen holds
a Sandan (3nd degree) Black Belt. She has been teaching co-ed classes
for adults and children and has been instructing Women’s Self
Defense courses since 2002.
Through the years Karen has received training from many other Black Belt
Institute instructors, and has attended karate and kick boxing workshop
sessions with
Alex Atkinson (Hanshi); kung fu and weapons sessions
with Sigong David Chong ; and pressure point application sessions
with George
Dillman (Hanshi) , and Evan Panzai (Shihan)
Karen has also taught advanced First Aid courses for more than 15
years and is a CPR Instructor with the Heart And Stroke Foundation
of Ontario.
Member of the Black Belt Institute, National Women’s Martial
Arts Federation and The Association of Women Martial Arts Instructors.
Heather F. Turnbull B.A. Hons
Following
over 25 years of success (and enjoyment) in sales, communication, facilitation,
and career development, Heather co-launched Goddess Martial Arts Inc.,
parlaying a part-time passion into fulfilling a need for celebrating
women’s confidence and personal safety. Her clients consistently
benefit from her extensive experience with Adult Learning principles
and high-impact coaching techniques, developed within the retail, food
and beverage, financial services, management consulting, IT, customer
service, and non-profit sectors. Previous assignments have been with
organizations such as Bain & Co., W.H. Smith (Canada) Ltd., Little
Caesars Corp. , CIBC, Progress Career Planning Institute, Princess Margaret
Hospital Foundation, and Alterna Savings .
Heather began studying the martial arts in 1983, graduating from a
WENDO (Women’s Self-Defense) program in Halifax. Following her
relocation to Toronto she resumed her training with the Black Belt
Institute
, studying Kempo Karate, a unique martial art style incorporating
Chinese Shaolin Chuan Fa Kung Fu and Japanese Shotokan Karate. Heather
currently holds a fourth degree (Yodan) . Additionally, she cross-trains
in Arnis (Philippino Martial Arts), as well as kick-boxing and Savate.
Heather Sensei delivers group and individual martial arts instruction
(with an emphasis on self-defense) at
Bally’s/The Sports Clubs
of Canada , as well as to corporate and non-profit clients. She is an
active member of both the National Women’s Martial Arts Federation
(NWMAF) and the Association of Women Martial Arts Instructors (AWMAI),
regularly participating in their training and certification events
in the United States.
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