Mr. Steve Gellman M.D., F.A.A.F.P. began his training in 1993 in a Junior class with his children, then 3 1/2 and 4 1/2 years old.  He is a Physician at the Coppell Family Medical Center in Coppell, Texas.  His wife, Robbie, and children, Rosie and Russell, were all students at TIKK.  As a Brown Belt Mr. Gellman earned 2nd place at the 2001 Isshinryu World Karate Association (IWKA) Tournament in Indianapolis, IN.  Mr. Gellman was awarded his Sho-Dan at the 2003 Gasshuku on March 30, 2003 and his Ni-Dan on April 15, 2007 at the Gasshuku and Shiai. At the August 27, 2011 Shiai he was promoted to the rank of San-Dan. He continues his training at the Coppell dojo.

Mr. Kent Kirkpatrick started training as a White Belt in February 2001 at the Plano, Texas Dojo. In April 2003, shortly after earning the rank of Purple Belt, he began training at the Coppell Dojo. Later that same year he was named TIKK "2003 Student of the Year." In June 2005 he won 1st place in kumite at the Isshinryu World Karate Association (IWKA) Tournament in Akron, OH. He earned the rank of Sho-Dan on December 2, 2006 and on the same day received TIKK "2006 Student of the Year." In June 2009 at the Isshinryu World Karate Association Tournament, Mr. Kirkpatrick won 1st in Kumite and was the Grand Champion runner-up. In December 2009 he was promoted to the rank of Ni-Dan. Mr. Kirkpatrick currently trains at the Coppell Dojo and is the Head Instructor at the Plano Dojo.

Mr. Kyle Murray started his training at TIKK in September 1997 as a 7 year old White Belt in the junior class under Renshi Shihan Kristensen. At the 2003 Isshinryu World Karate Association (IWKA) Tournament in Dallas, he won 3rd place in Kata. In April 2006 he was honored as the most outstanding karate-ka at the Gasshuku. He became the first teenager to earn a Sho-Dan in TIKK history on April 15, 2007. He was promoted to Ni-Dan on April 25, 2010 at the Gasshuku. In Auguust 2010 he started the Baylor Isshinryu Karate Club (BIKC) at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. He is the Head Instructor for BIKC and continues to train at the Coppell dojo.

Mr. Michael Strickland began his training in 1985 in Tae Kwon Do.  After a year of training he began searching for a traditional karate school which led to his introduction into Isshinryu in 1993 under the Christian Karate of America.  In 1995 Mr. Strickland began training with TIKK after his previous school was dissolved. After a layoff of 9 years he resumed his training in 2005.  Mr. Strickland earned his Sho-Dan at the Gasshuku on April 13, 2008 and the rank of Ni-Dan on August 27, 2011. He continues his training at the Denton Dojo.

Mr. Mike Harper started his training in the Dallas, Texas area as a White Belt in Isshinryu Karate in November 1999.  He joined TIKK in September 2004 as a San-Kyu on the recommendation of his teacher to learn from Kyoshi Kristensen.  In the Isshinryu World Karate Association (IWKA) Tournament in 2003, he won 3rd place in Kumite, in 2005 he won 2nd place in Kumite and in 2007 he won 1st place in Kumite and 2nd place in Kata.  He has also placed in the top three in Kumite in several North Texas tournaments as well as tournaments in Louisiana.  Mr. Harper earned his Sho-Dan on April 13, 2008 and the rank of Ni-Dan on August 27, 2011 under Kyoshi Kristensen and continues his training at the Plano, Texas dojo.

Mr. Mark Hendrix started training as a White Belt in August 2001 at the TIKK Plano dojo.  He earned his Sho-Dan on April 13, 2008 at the Gasshuku and the rank of Ni-Dan on August 27, 2011. He continues to train at the Plano dojo.  In June 2003, Mr. Hendrix placed 1st in Kata at the Isshinryu World Karate Association (IWKA) Tournament.  He is an Engineering Manager in the telecommunication industry and lives in Richardson, Texas with his wife Peggy and two sons, Chris and Tim.

Mrs. Laura Murray started her martial arts training at TIKK in April 2002 after watching her three sons train at TIKK for nearly five years prior to that. She won 1st place in Kata and 2nd place in Kumite at the 2003 Isshinryu World Karate Association (IWKA) Tournament in Dallas, TX and earned 2nd place in Kata at the 2005 IWKA Tournament in Akron, OH. As an Ik-Kyu, she won 1st place in Kata and 3rd place in Kumite at the 2007 IWKA Tournament in Princeton, NJ. In her first major tournament as a black belt, she earned 2nd place in Kumite and 3rd place in Kata and Weapons at the 2009 IWKA Tournament in Pittsburgh, PA. She was named outstanding karate-ka at the 2006 Gasshuku and also was named 2004 Senior karate-ka of the Year. She earned her Sho-Dan on April 13, 2008 and her Ni-Dan on August 27, 2011. She handles publicity for TIKK and is the editor of TIKK News. She continues to train at the Coppell dojo with her three sons.

Mr. Glenn Gibbs began his Karate training in high school at a Shotokan Dojo in Waco, TX.  After a nearly 20 year break, he began training at TIKK in April 2002 at the Coppell, Texas dojo.  At the 2007 Isshinryu World Karate Association (IWKA) Tournament, he placed 1st in Kata and 2nd in Kumite.  Mr. Gibbs earned his Sho-Dan in April 2008 and the rank of Ni-Dan on August 27, 2011.  He continues to train at the Coppell dojo.

Mrs. Margaret Myers began her training as a White Belt at TIKK on May 28, 2002.  She trained at the Coppell, Texas dojo and competed at the Isshinryu World Karate Association (IWKA) Tournament in 2003, 2005, and 2007, taking 1st in Kata in her respective divisions all 3 years, as well as 2nd in Kumite in 2005.  Mrs. Myers received her Sho-Dan on April 13, 2008 at the Gasshuku and Shiai.  This was the first time 6 people were tested at one time.  She was also voted Most Outstanding Female karate-ka of the Gasshuku in 2008. At the August 27, 2011 Shiai, she was promoted to the rank of Ni-Dan. She continues to train at the Coppell, Texas dojo.

Mr. Tyler Murray received his Sho-Dan on August 23, 2008.  He continues to train at the Coppell dojo.

Mr. Greg Midkiff started training at the Denton, Texas dojo in October 2002 in Sensei Tina Palos' self defense class just prior to her testing for Black Belt.  Mr. Midkiff achieved Sho-Dan on August 23, 2008 after training in the Denton Dojo for almost 6 years with Sensei Tony Palos and Sensei Tina Palos.  Mr. Midkiff is the first person to go from White Belt to Sho-Dan at the Denton Dojo.  Although he has moved 300 miles south to Seguin, Texas where he teaches, Mr. Midkiff continues training on his own, as well as meeting with his Sensei's and with Kyoshi Kristensen once a month in Denton and Coppell.  Mr. Midkiff placed 1st in Kata at the 2003 and 2005 IWKA World Championships.  In 2008 Mr. Midkiff was also awarded the "Spirit of Isshinryu Award" and Most Outstanding Male karate-ka at the Spring Gasshuku.  He was also nominated for the "Spirit of Isshinryu" at the 2008 Isshinryu Hall of Fame (IHOF) in Tennessee.

Mrs. Jennifer Wiederkehr started training in Goju-Ryu before moving to Texas and beginning her training in Isshinryu in March 2003 after the delivery of her first set of twins.  She has continued to train in Coppell and Flower Mound with only brief interruptions to deliver three more children. At the Isshinryu World Karate Association (IWKA) Tournament in 2003, she took 2nd in Kumite and in 2006 she took 1st in Kumite at the Texas State Championships.  At the 2007 Gasshuku she was voted Most Outstanding Karate-ka.  Later that year she was honored as Senior Karate-ka of the Year.  In 2008 she shared the honor of karate-ka of the Year with Mrs. Tracy Dickey.  She earned the rank of Sho-Dan on March 29, 2009.

Mrs. Tracy Dickey began her Martial Arts training at TIKK on June 3, 2003 at the Plano dojo.  She earned her Sho-Dan on March 29, 2009.  At the Isshinryu World Karate Association (IWKA) Tournament, she placed 1st in Kata and 3rd in Kumite in 2005, and 3rd in Kata and 2nd in Kumite in 2007.  At the 2006 Gasshuku she was awarded Outstanding Female karate-ka with Mrs. Laura Murray.  She was also named Outstanding Karate-ka of the Year in 2008 with Mrs. Jennifer Wiederkehr.  Mrs. Dickey continues to train in Plano and Coppell with her husband and two sons.

Mr. Andrew Black began his martial arts training with TIKK in June of 2003. He proudly shares the honor of being named the 2009 Outstanding Male Gasshuku Participant with Mr. Blommaert. Mr. Black competed in the 2009 Isshinryu Hall of Fame (IHOF) Tournament in Knoxville, Tennessee, where he earned first in Kata. Mr. Black achieved the rank of Sho-Dan on August 29, 2009.

Mr. Daniel Midkiff's introduction to the martial arts was through a self-defense class taught by Mrs. Sensei Palos. He started his formal training immediately after on November 26, 2002. In 2003, he won the Texas States Champions in Kata. On June 26, 2004, he earned a spot on the Junior Demo Team. 6 months later on December 4, 2004, he was awarded Junior Karate-ka of the year, an honor rarely given. He was Texas State Champion of 2007 in Kata, and took second place in both Kata and Kumite at the Isshinryu World Karate Association (IWKA) Tournament later that year. He earned his Sho-Dan on August 29,l 2009, the first student of Mr. and Mrs. Sensei Palos to go from junior white belt to black belt. He currently trains in Seguin, Texas.

Mr. Charles Blommaert started his training in the Martial Arts at the age of 4 in Shorin-ryu. After moving to Canton, Michigan he began his training in Isshinryu at the age of 5, where he received his brown belt. After moving back to Texas, he had a hard time finding another Isshinryu school and took off 5 years. During the Summer of 2006 he joined TIKK. He received, along with Mr. Andrew Black, Most Outstanding Male Karate-ka of the 2009 Gasshuku. He received his Sho-dan at the age of 18 on August 29, 2009. He continues to train at the Denton and Coppell dojo's.

Mr. Shane Murray started his training at the age of 5 in December 1999 under Renshi Shihan Kristensen in the junior class. He earned second place in both Kata and Kumite at the 2005 Isshinryu World Karate Association (IWKA)Tournament in Akron, OH. In 2009, he won first place in Kumite and third place in Kata at the IWKA Tournament in Pittsburgh, PA in his brown belt division. On August 29, 2009 at the age of 15 he earned the rank of Sho-Dan Ho. Later that year, Mr. Murray was named TIKK's "Junior Karate-ka of the Year." In 2010, the Isshinryu Hall of Fame (IHOF) honored him as a runner-up for "Young Male Karate-ka of the Year" for 13 to 17 year olds. He earned his Sho-Dan on August 28, 2010 at the age of 16 and became only the second student in TIKK history to go through all the ranks through Sho-Dan. Mr. Murray continues to train at the Coppell dojo with his Mom and two older brothers.

Mr. Steven Kroll started training with TIKK at the Richardson/Plano dojo in January 2002 at the age of 44 with his then first grade son. He began training at the Coppell dojo as a Ni-Kyu in order to train regularly with Kyoshi Kristensen. He earned his Sho-Dan on August 28, 2010 at the Summer Shiai and continues to train in Coppell, Texas. Mr. Kroll works for the Alzeheimer's Association and maintains a home in Richardson, Texas with his wife and two sons.

Mr. Luke Hutchinson Bio coming soon.

Ms. Taylor Casale began her training in New Jersey in September 2001 with Jersey Judo Karate Academy and achieved the rank of Brown Belt. She moved to Plano, Texas in October 2006. She soon joined Texas Isshinryu Karate Kai and began her training with Kyoshi Kristensen. Ms. Casale received her Sho-Dan on April 10, 2011 at the Gasshuku and Shiai. She also received Most Outstanding Female Karate-Ka of the 2011 Gasshuku. Ms. Casale continues to train in Plano and Coppell, TX.

Mr. Johannes Kroll started training with TIKK at the Richardson / Plano dojo in January 2002 at the age of six. He was an original member of the junior Demo Team "In-Focus" along with Mr. T. Murray, Mr. D. Midkiff and Mr. S. Murray (pictured above). He competed and placed in the 2003, 2005, and 2007 IWKA Tournaments and the 2011 Isshinryu Hall of Fame Tournament. On April 25, 2010, Mr. Kroll earned the rank of Sho-Dan Ho (on his 15th birthday). Mr. Kroll went on to earn his Sho-Dan on August 27, 2011 and is only the third student in TIKK's 20 year history to go through all the ranks to Sho-Dan. He continues to train with Kyoshi Kristensen at the Coppell, Texas dojo with his Father.

Mr. Joey Marcella began his karate training in September 2004 with his son, at the age of 40. During his training as a Brown Belt, he placed in the top three in 2010 and 2011 in the Men's advanced ranks for Kata. Mr. Marcella was selected as the outstanding Male Karate-ka for the 2011 Gasshuku as well. He and his son, Mr. Garrett Marcella were the first Father and Son combination to earn their Sho-Dan ranks in TIKK history at the Summer Shiai on August 27, 2011. Mr. Marcella continues to train at the Denton, Texas dojo under Mr. and Mrs. Sensei Palos.

Mr. Garrett Marcella Mr. Garrett Marcella began his training in September of 2004. He recently placed 2nd in Kata and 4th in Kumite at the 2011 Isshinryu Hall of Fame. He earned his Sho-dan August 27, 2011. He and Mr. Joey Marcella were the first to earn Sho-Dan as Father and Son together in TIKK history. Mr. Marcella continues to train at the Denton dojo.