Happy Birthday Sensei Mac!
Tribe,
Today, please join me in wishing Sensei Mackenzie Meyers a happy 18th birthday!
We are proud of and grateful for her, and know that she is ready for amazing success in life!
She’s a KMMA Blackbelt Leader!
Mackenzie has been my student since she was 4 years old.
She was a great student and earned her first Blackbelt at like 7 years old!
We used to call her “Big Mac” by the way. 🙂
She earned her Shodan, 1st Degree Blackbelt, at 8; and then took a break…
you may also notice little Sensei Winston (now 3rd degree), Sensei Ben (testing for his 4th degree in March), Shihan Diego (4th degree), teen Shihan Harley (now 5th degree) and younger Shihan Carolyn (now 4th degree) and Shihan Bond (testing for 5th degree in March) in the photo. 🙂
While Sensei Mac mentioned her 6 year break as a mistake and one of her greater regrets in her 2nd Degree speech a few years ago, she also taught a great lesson with her return.
It’s never too late to come home again; and it’s never too late to start again on a dream.
Some live with regrets; others take actions to turn them into success stories, like Sensei Mackenzie did!
She’s been back training now for over 5 years- not only growing as a martial artist, person and leader; but also helping us sow into the next generation of Blackbelt Leaders here too!
and, as she prepares for her next training evolution, and her first as an adult, she is testing for her 3rd Degree Blackbelt in March!
I am so proud of and grateful for her, and all the amazing Blackbelt Leaders who have grown up at KMMA.
And proud and grateful for those we are building today!
They are the product of our product, and the why and the reason that we do what we do.
I’m grateful for them and I’m grateful for you.
Students, thank you!
And if you make it to class tonight, you get to give Sensei Mac her birthday kicks. 🙂
Parents, thank you!
If it weren’t for you trusting us with your kids, we couldn;t do the good work that we do!
This to those of you on the benches, and those of you training too!
FInally, if you aren’t a part of our KMMA Family yet, I hope you’ll join us soon.
I can’t wait to serve you!
Prepare To Live; Empower To Lead!
Grand Master Stephen J. Del Castillo
Founding Master Instructor, Krav Maga Martial Arts
TampaKravMaga.com StephenDelCastillo.com
p.s. speaking of birthdays…
got one?
Want to let us throw your party here for free?
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About Grandmaster Stephen J. Del Castillo: Grandmaster Del Castillo is the founding Master Instructor of Krav Maga Martial Arts and has been empowering lives in Pasco and Hillsborough Counties since October of 2000. He is a 7th degree Blackbelt, MBA, author, mentor and success coach, a US Army Veteran and a proud father and grandfather. He is married to Ms. Barbara Del Castillo who helps him run the school. Grand Master Del Castillo began his training in the early 80’s and has high level blackbelts in Tae Kwon Do, Karate, Premier Martial Arts and Krav Maga Martial Arts as well as experience in kickboxing, Jeet Kune Do and Jiujitsu. He has high level instructor certifications from BBSI, IKMF, and KMG and has been featured in numerous Martial Arts publications and also Success magazine. He was a competitive sport karate and American Kickboxing instructor until he enlisted in the US Army where he served in the 82nd Airborne Division, where he won an Army Green to Gold scholarship and proceeded to ROTC and the University of Tampa. He was commissioned in 1992 and went on to serve in Germany with the 3rd Infantry Division and then in several other posts in the US until he left military service to pursue his dream of creating KMMA in 2000.
The Krav MagaMartial Arts Headquarters is in Lutz, FL at 1900 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., 33549. Krav Maga Martial Arts serves Lutz, Land O’ Lakes, Wesley Chapel, and surrounding areas.
See stephendelcastillo.com for more information and to order my book, Developing Your Superpower, Meditations on Mastery, Volume 1.
Also, check us out on Fun4TampaKids & on Go2Karate.com