Godan Helen Stone has long been one of the main stays of our club. Anytime there is an event or tournament she is always there helping to make it a success. At 76 she is our oldest member still actively training. Helen trains in two classes three times a week, week after week- that is when she isn’t substitute teaching for Senpai Maria Hrabec.
Helen came to New Orleans in 1982 specifically to study with Sensei Takayuki Mikami. When asked what influenced her most about Sensei’s teaching she said, “His emphasis on basic technique and constant repetition.”
“Karate is an art that can be practiced for a lifetime,” Helen says. And of the 40 years she has trained in karate, “It keeps the body in good shape and promotes excellent health. It reduces stress by stimulating endorphins in the brain and slows down the aging process.”
And along the way she has made friends and forged relationships that have stood the test of time, “My relationship with my karate friends is second only to my relationship with my family. Karate has given me the strength to overcome adversity in my life and to appreciate the simple joys of life.”