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Table of Contents: From AWMAI Board of Directors
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Sunny Graff and MyTien Duong performing during their skit Photo: Connie Halporn |
From the AWMAI Board of Directors
From the AWMAI Board of Directors
We left NOLA feeling deeply grateful and energized after our 2026 Teaching the Teacher Conference. It was a time of learning together and connections with both new members our tenured supporters. Many of you shared similar reflections as we created our collective word cloud during the Closing Ceremony. The energy of our teachers … the inspiring Demonstration performances… the presence of new instructing and coaching talent … and the opportunity to spend time together as a community were among the most meaningful parts of our time together. It’s exciting to start thinking forward to more shared times together!
The Board gives a huge Shout Out to our AWMAI folx who embraced our shared Call to Action! We’ve welcomed new Members thanks to your outreach. Several of our Lifetime Members changed their status to Sustaining Donor to help fund our ongoing education, training and advancement programming. We are grateful for the donations made to our scholarship fund, providing an accessible pathway for attending future conferences. And thank you for the amazing content you’ve shared in this newsletter! Your support and our collective work mean so much.
As you may already be aware, we are currently seeking a member to join the board as Executive Director. We’d love to hear from any of you who would like to guide our next chapter of growth and leadership in the martial arts world.
Call for AWMAI Executive Director:
AWMAI is a national organization dedicated to supporting women martial arts instructors through education, networking, and professional development. We are proud to create spaces where women thrive as teachers, leaders, and changemakers - and now, we’re looking for an Executive Director who shares that vision and is ready to help shape our future.
The Executive Director will:
- Provide strategic and administrative leadership for the organization
- Support and collaborate with the Board of Directors
- Oversee membership engagement, communications, and fundraising
- Help produce our annual conference and promote AWMAI’s mission year-round
- Build partnerships and grow our presence in the martial arts and leadership communities
We are looking for someone who is:
- Passionate about empowering women martial artists and instructors
- An excellent communicator and relationship-builder
- Skilled in non-profit management, project planning, and organizational growth
- Comfortable working remotely, with flexible hours, and a collaborative spirit
Please note: As with all AWMAI board positions, this is a volunteer/unpaid role.
Apply for AWMAI Executive Director
If you have questions, please email any of the Board of Directors: Sarah, Parnee, Amelia, and Michele.
Help us lead AWMAI into its next powerful phase — we’d love to hear from you.
As we plan for future conferences, events, and other support we can provide to our members, Your Voice and Vision matter. Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts and suggestions in our short anonymous survey. We would truly love to hear from you!
You can access the survey using one of the following options: Survey
Here is the URL, if you prefer to copy and paste into your browser: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/6XSPBT3
Here’s the QR Code if you prefer to scan with your phone:
Thank you for your ongoing support of one another and of AWMAI!
Dr. Amelia Jones, L. Ac.
Reflections on 2026 Conference
"Tryin' times is what the world is talkin' about
You got confusion all over the land...
The whole thing is gettin' out of hand"*
April is a month of juxtapositions. It is National Poetry month as well as Assault Survivors month. Similarly, New Orleans is also a city of juxtapositions. Existing side by side are decadent opulence and abject poverty, brutality and musical genius, welcome and menace. It is simultaneously whimsical and spooky. Current events are increasingly disturbing, but from all across the land the warrior women prepared to converge.
The array of instructors and topics, including an increased number of classes, is unparalleled in the history of our organization. At the opening ceremony, the energy in the room was palpable. The historic diversity of our location and its subsequent theft was recognized through a land acknowledgement. The spiral ritual called in the spirit of the ancestors, connected through our bodies and transmitted to the future.
Saturday afternoon's program was an emotional and inspirational demonstration of our collective creativity. Music was in the air. Shifu Kore Grate described her home city as "soft and savage," and talked about watching the currents of history. In an act of singing resistance we sang "Hold on, hold on my dear ones. Here comes the dawn,"** in 70 part harmony! Tears were shed. Sensei Jamie Leno Zimron shared the incredible passing and resurrection of her beloved mother. Professor Zahalea Anderson embodied the flow of the divine warrior.
The banquet was moving, as always, celebrating the experience of lifetimes in the martial arts. We honored our colleagues and friends, recognized their achievements, and mourned some of their passing.
In closing, I would like to express a heartfelt thanks to an unsung ally, Sabin Bokus. If you have only one person in your contacts in NOLA, he is the one to have. Several weeks before the conference he facilitated the contact that led to our two exceptional massage therapists. In the days preceding the conference he curated cultural experiences for several members. And in the final hours he arranged for a local school to receive a donation of the mats that had been purchased.
Thanks again, to everyone.
"Up above my head I hear music in the air.
There must be a god somewhere..."***
*D. Hathaway, L. Hulson
**Heidi Wilson
***Sister Rosetta Tharp
Parnee Poet
Another conference is behind us, and all the lessons we continue to learn from our time at Teaching the Teacher 2026, our classes, training, and life, hopefully inspire us and carry us forward. Training hard and finding the people that support us helps us prepare for hardships. Hopefully your time at our conferences, at our Teachers’ Lounges, and the friendships we gain, and cultivate brings us closer to our goals, and grows our AWMAI community. I hope you can make the time to join us at our next gathering and keep sending your contributions for the newsletter!
You are the reason AWMAI was created, keep showing us your brilliance.
2026 AWMAI Conference Teachers
Founder of Cuong Nhu Martial Arts, used to sing Photo: Connie Halporn
Photo: Connie Halporn |
KImberly Miller receiving rank recognition, with family and friends
Practicing in Didi Goodman’s kata class
Photo: Tih Penfil
Photo: Tih Penfil |
Photo: Connie Halporn |
MyTien Duon and Monica Villanueva working on a partner drill 
Michelle Master G Golino performing her demo
Photo: Connie Halporn |
Photo: Connie Halporn |
Nahid Farzinzad performing her demo
Anne Dysinger performing her demo
AWMAI 2026 attendees
Photo: Steve Nakamura (Thank you, Steve! :)
We hope to see you next year!
Watch for announcements of our next location!
Click here for more AWMAI 2026 Teaching the Teacher highlights
Thank you, Michele Montag, AWMAI Financial Director, for setting this up on our website!
These regional conferences are additional networking, and training opportunities for our organization, and for our collective community of Members, Allies, and Friends. As a community we need to be working to bring NWMAF into the next decade, securing its future for all generations to come. | Sunday, July 19 1 PM Pacific 2 PM Mountain 3 PM Central 4 PM Eastern Please note the starting time in your time zone here.
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From our Membership
Frankfurt Women’s Martial Arts Festival!
Sunny Graff
Photo © 2026, Susanne Beck, Frankfurt
From April 24–26, 2026, the 7th Women’s Martial Arts Festival in Frankfurt brought together 106 women from Germany, the UK, and Austria for a weekend of empowerment, movement, and connection. Organized by Senior Grandmaster Sunny Graff and her school, “Frauen in Bewegung e.V.,” (Women in Movement) the event featured 12 expert instructors leading 36 workshops in self-defense and martial arts.
The festival kicked off Friday with a dynamic group training session, where participants rotated between instructors, sampling different styles while getting to know one another. The atmosphere was energetic and welcoming from the very start.
Each day began with Qi Gong and Yoga, followed by a diverse program of workshops including Taekwondo, Hapkido, Kung Fu, Aikido, Ju-Jutsu, and Panantukan. Participants could deepen their skills or explore something entirely new, training with and without weapons in engaging, high-energy sessions.
A special highlight was a reading by journalist Andrea Böhm from her book Fighting Like a Woman, along with the Saturday evening showcase, where participants and instructors demonstrated their skills. The day ended with a shared Indian buffet in a beautifully decorated space, creating a relaxed, and joyful atmosphere.
After three inspiring days filled with learning, laughter, and connection, participants left motivated and empowered. New friendships were formed, old ones renewed, and the organizing team celebrated another successful festival—made possible with support from the Frankfurt Women’s Office and Sports Office.
It would be great to have a transatlantic exchange of skills and ideas. If any AWMAI teachers are interested in attending or teaching at the next festival in 2028 (proposed dates May 19-21, 2028) contact Grandmaster Sunny.
Rising From the Ashes: Phoenix No Limits Karate
Donna Harris
Empowering youth, adults, and survivors — one kick, one belt, one life at a time.
When Donna Harris co-founded Phoenix No Limits Karate with her husband, Harry, in 2021, she brought with her over two decades of martial arts experience — training since 1999 and having operated other karate schools before planting roots in Auburn, Maine. The non-profit she helped build is not simply a dojo. It is a sanctuary of strength, safety, and community.
Located at 945 Center Street in Auburn, Maine, Phoenix No Limits Karate offers classes for youth as young as two years old, as well as programs specifically designed for children and adults with additional needs. But it is the school's community outreach programs that truly define its mission.
Two Flagship initiatives sit at the heart of Phoenix No Limits Karate's community work: the Black Belts Against Domestic Violence program and the Kids in Control Keep Safe program. These programs extend the reach of the dojo far beyond its walls, equipping children and adults with the tools — physical, emotional, and practical — to recognize danger and protect themselves.
The impact of this mission was recognized in 2026 when Phoenix No Limits Karate was selected by 100+ Women Who Care in Androscoggin County to receive charitable donations in support of these programs. The honor reflects the deep community trust the organization has earned since its founding.
Honoring Lisa and Jenny Bailey
In a powerful act of remembrance and advocacy, Phoenix No Limits Karate recently held its Second Annual Jenny's Run Against Domestic Violence — a 5K run dedicated to the memory of Lisa and Jenny Bailey, a mother and daughter killed in a domestic violence homicide on October 6, 2024. The event transforms grief into action, raising awareness and funds while keeping their names alive in the hearts of the community.
A Growing Voice in Martial Arts Leadership
Donna Harris continues to expand her leadership footprint in the martial arts world. She is a relatively new and proud member of the Association of Women Martial Arts Instructors (AWMAI), joining a national network of women dedicated to elevating the role of female instructors and practitioners in the martial arts community. With a black belt mindset, a nonprofit heart, and a community behind her, Donna Harris and Phoenix No Limits Karate are proof that the most powerful kicks aren't thrown in competition — they're thrown in service.
Best Karate School in Maine — 2025
Also in 2025, Phoenix No Limits Karate was recognized as the best karate school in the State of Maine based on Google Reviews — a testament to the dedication of its instructors, students, and community partners.
Tih Penfil and her fellow candidates after successfully completing their promotional test
Congratulations to Guro Tih Penfil for achieving her rank of Dayang Tatlo (3rd Degree Black Belt) in Modern Arnis on March 29, 2026! Tih’s promotional test was held at Mejishi Martial Arts Dojo with Sensei Jaye Spiro, Shinshii Janet Aalf, and Professor Dan Anderson on the testing board. Tih told us, “It was an elevated 4-hour test where each of us demonstrated six skills of our choosing along with those skills that Sensei Jaye chose for us to demonstrate. Between the seven of us, there was a lot for the testing board and our family/friends to see.” We’re proud to celebrate this achievement with you, Tih!
Photo left to right: Celebrating with Karen Brown (AWMAI Hall of Fame [HOF]), Wendy Lathrop (AWMAI HOF), Su Ferrari; Janet Aalfs (AWMAI HOF), Tih Penfil
Reflections on Martial Arts Practice in Retirement:
Our Next Steps as Martial Artists and Citizens of the World
Sarah Ludden
We all know that our martial arts practice brings us countless gifts and opportunities. It is a mind, body, spirit practice for our health and empowerment, a source of community support and guidance, a connection to international history and culture, and a fun time with our training buddies. But what I didn’t realize until I retired from teaching and directing our center, Thousand Waves in Chicago, was that the skills I gained over decades of training would allow me to take on new challenges and serve community in a new way, activities that have expanded my vision and understanding of today’s crazy world, and for which I am deeply grateful.
The first challenge as I approached retirement was studying Spanish, in my 60s…! I wanted to learn Spanish in order to volunteer in my community and communicate with my Spanish speaking neighbors, access the rich literature, and learn more about the history and culture of our neighbors to the south. My training gave me the patience with myself that I needed, the focus on enjoying the process of learning, and the discipline to keep going when I got frustrated with my halting progress.
I soon realized that I would never be fluent. After 8 years, I still struggle to carry on a simple conversation. But my martial arts discipline reminds me of the purpose of my study, and does not judge my performance. It helps me to set realistic expectations of myself at age 73, and to cherish what I can do, how I can communicate, not how I can’t.
And of course, it tells me to keep going, and not give up!
When I retired, I had the good fortune to have good health and sufficient personal resources to consider international volunteering. Off I went to Costa Rica for 6 weeks, volunteering in a pre-school, to Peru for 5 weeks, helping school teachers with their English, to Palestine on a peace delegation, and most recently, with my partner, Nancy Lanoue, to Guatemala for 5 weeks to develop a martial arts program for elementary school girls.
On these trips I was grateful every day for my training, for the skills and qualities I honed as a student and a teacher. Martial arts teaches us to be present, flexible, assertive, aware, calm, patient, respectful, brave. Being able to cope with physical discomfort, being physically strong, having strong self-defense fighting skills, knowing how to de-escalate and calm others, focusing on the positive---these martial arts gifts also reassured me and kept me going during some difficult times.
Nancy and my volunteer project in Guatemala earlier this year was another great opportunity to continue our practice as retired teachers. We traveled to Santa Lucia Milpas Altas, a village outside of Antigua, to create a martial arts program for Hope Academy school for girls. The school, sponsored by the not-for-profit organizationTree4Hope, serves 130 girls from preschool through 6th grade, many of whom are the first in their family to complete 6th grade.
This beautiful trilingual (Spanish, Kaqchikel and English) school, and the sponsoring organizationTree4Hope, are the accomplishment, and immense labor of love, of Jennifer and David Hope-Tringali, in collaboration with local educators and social service providers. Jennifer and David are lifelong martial artists and current students of our dear friends, Jaye Spiro and Su Ferrari, of Mejishi Martial Arts. They believe deeply in the capacity of martial arts and empowerment self-defense to boost confidence and self-esteem, enhance educational outcomes, and help prepare their girls for the challenges life presents after their graduation from Hope Academy.
Knowing we are interested in international volunteering, especially in Spanish speaking countries, Jaye and Su connected us with David and Jennifer. Our offer to volunteer at the school evolved into a proposal to collaborate with the current physical education teacher, Olga Escobar, to develop a comprehensive, skill-building, values-based martial arts program. So off we went, with 130 white belts in our suitcase, love in our hearts, and only a very vague idea of how to accomplish this request.
Our month’s stay was a challenging, heartwarming and ultimately successful experience. The principle challenge we faced was creating a comprehensive martial arts program specifically suited for the school, envisioning what could be taught in the 6-year, one class a week program, and outlining a ranking/reward system that Sensei Olga could manage on her own.
We taught classes with Sensei Olga, and worked with her to flesh out a karate curriculum for 7 belt levels, with basics, block and counter one-steps, sparring exercises, kata and a code of ethics for each rank. Once we outlined the entire curriculum, we wrote a manual (in Spanish) detailing all the material, and recorded videos of everything, also in Spanish, for Sensei Olga to use to master the material after we left.
Our last week was busy collaborating with the school principal, Glenda Duarte, to create a mobile spirit center/altar for the new dojo space (the sport patio for all outside school activities) with special objects relevant to the school’s mission, and the culture and history of Guatemala. We sized and named each girls’ white belt, and in our last class together, with great joy and ceremony, awarded each student their belt and welcomed them to Hope Academy Martial Arts.
In addition to teaching karate and developing the program, we discussed with Glenda and the school social worker the possibility of providing empowerment self-defense workshops to the older girls. They thought our 5 Fingers of Self-Defense and Rights and Responsibilities of a Self-Defender content, and our trauma-informed teaching method, were appropriate and relevant to the safety issues faced by the girls.
Nancy then outlined three 45-minute workshops, I worked with my Spanish teacher online to fine tune the translation, and in our last week we taught empowerment self-defense to the 4th, 5th and 6th graders and their teachers. For our last week in Guatemala, we met up with a NYC Seido karate colleague, Dr. Joan Boccino, in Panajachel, a town on Lake Atitlán, west of Antigua. Joan is a Chinese medical doctor who has been running clinics in the villages of Lake Atitlán, twice a year for 15 years. Her team of US doctors and local practitioners donate needed supplies and medications, and host day-long clinics serving the primarily Mayan community in the area. Local clinics also have been established and receive ongoing support and training from Dr. Boccino.
Nancy and I volunteered in the clinics, helping with registration and pre-treatment measuring of vital signs, and met many wonderful people. From these personal connections, we were able to schedule two empowerment self-defense programs for the women from the clinics. What an amazing experience!
I am deeply grateful for these opportunities to volunteer in a variety of communities, from Palestine to my local food pantry, and I see our martial art and ESD training as fundamental to my ability to pursue them. Thank you to all my teachers, students and this wonderful extended training community!
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| Join theMartial Arts Movement!AWMAI, our community, and our website are here to support you as an instructor, and allow you to offer support to others.
AWMAIBoard of DirectorsEvents Director Administrative Director Newsletter Editor Parnee Poet Certification Director Amelia Jones Financial Director |
Our Mission:
We provide high-quality education, training, and support, as well as opportunities for networking, advancement, and professional recognition, to women instructors and business owners in the fields of martial arts and self-defense.
Our Vision
We strive to be leaders in the communities we serve; to be partners in helping each other achieve recognition and excellence in our respective pursuits; and to take pride in elevating the performance and reputation of all our members’ schools and classes.
Our Values
These values are at the heart of our organization.
Integrity - We maintain the highest standards of personal and business ethics in all our interactions, continually strengthening relationships through honesty, trustworthiness and reliability.
Respect - We respect the unique contributions of every teacher and student, valuing the diversity of their experiences, ideas and initiatives. We ensure that everyone has the opportunity to learn and contribute in a way that enriches their personal development.
Inclusivity - We welcome all women, including individuals who are transgender, non-binary or self-identify as women and who believe a space reserved for women martial artists is a home.
The Association of Women Martial Arts Instructors welcomes female martial arts instructors, assistant instructors, and aspiring instructors of all martial arts styles hard and soft to become Members. As a Member you will have the opportunity to meet and collaborate with other women who have trail-blazed the path you are now pursuing. Tangible membership benefits include an Association patch for new members, an E-Link for your school to our website plus posting of your upcoming events, E-Newsletter, and unlimited networking possibilities.
