SEICHOU KARATE INSTRUCTORS
Students come to Seichou Karate for a variety of reasons including self-defense, physical fitness, and because they’re interested in learning about Japanese culture. They rely on Master Karate Instructor and Seichou Karate Founder Richard Romero and his team of instructors to provide quality Japanese martial and cultural arts education in an environment that is characterized by safety, learning and growth and enjoyment.
All of our instructors possess masters degrees or doctorates and can demonstrate and articulate the techniques, concepts, and philosophies of the disciplines they instruct.
SEICHOU LIVE - LAUNCHPAD
Ensure that a Seichou LIVE session is scheduled. You can do so by checking the calendar.
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Current Students
- Four and five-year-olds are entitled to attend 2 karate classes and 2 Story Time classes per week via Seichou LIVE.
- Children six and older are entitled to attend 2 karate classes and 2 Karate Talks each week via Seichou LIVE.
- Current Seichou Karate students will have access to live online classes and recorded content via Seichou Tracker free of charge. We will continue this until we reopen the dojos.
Richard Romero - Master Instructor & Founder
Richard Romero is a Japanologist and former full-contact Kyokushinkai-kan Karate champion with more than 50 years of experience, including 20 years as a disciple of renowned karate master Shigeru Oyama.
In addition to the wealth of practical karate knowledge that Romero Shihan brings to his students, he has a deep respect for the non-violent philosophy that underlies Japanese martial arts, and an intimate understanding of the laws that impact of the lives of martial artists because he is an attorney admitted in New York and Washington, DC. Most importantly, he is a gifted communicator who makes the tenets of bushido relevant, intelligible and exciting for students of all ages by virtue of his remarkable educational background and professional experience.
Romero is a graduate of Columbia University (BA) and Yeshiva University (JD) and possesses certificates in Japan studies from Cornell University and the Inter-university Center for Japan Studies in Yokohama (Stanford Center).
Romero is unique in the U.S. karate world because he is the only non-Japanese to have been selected by Master Shigeru Oyama to teach karate in Japan as his personal representative, and he has five years of other professional teaching experience in Japan, including Public Educational Consultant at the Kani City Board of Education and Lecturer on Japanese martial arts at the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies.
Seichou Karate® Dojo is the culmination of Romero’s fifty years of Japanese martial arts experience earned through sweat, blood and perseverance. In it, Romero has distilled and combined practices and philosophies of various martial arts including the rigor and practicality of Kyokushinkan-kan karate, the ingenuity of Aikido, the philosophy of Kodokan Judo, and the introspection of Kyudo (traditional archery).
Students who wish to learn the most rigorous Japanese karate that is founded upon the highest ethics of the bushido tradition will appreciate the rare opportunity to train under this spirited leader in person at his northern Virginia schools, in live online classes or by utilizing his extensive library of recorded instructional videos.
Romero is a graduate of Columbia University (BA) and Yeshiva University (JD) and possesses certificates in Japan studies from Cornell University and the Inter-university Center for Japan Studies in Yokohama (Stanford Center).
Romero is unique in the U.S. karate world because he is the only non-Japanese to have been selected by Master Shigeru Oyama to teach karate in Japan as his personal representative, and he has five years of other professional teaching experience in Japan, including Public Educational Consultant at the Kani City Board of Education and Lecturer on Japanese martial arts at the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies.
Seichou Karate® Dojo is the culmination of Romero’s 40-plus years of Japanese martial arts experience earned through sweat, blood and perseverance. In it, Romero has distilled and combined practices and philosophies of various martial arts including the rigor and practicality of Kyokushinkan-kan karate, the ingenuity of Aikido, the philosophy of Kodokan Judo, and the introspection of Kyudo (traditional archery).
Students who wish to learn the most rigorous Japanese karate that is founded upon the highest ethics of the bushido tradition will appreciate the rare opportunity to train under this spirited leader.
Jacqueline Moya - Instructor
A retired Senior Chemical Engineer with the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Jacqueline Moya began her karate training in December 1996 and earned her first degree black belt in November 2003. Through perseverance and hard work, she earned her second and third degree black belts in 2007 and 2013, respectively. Moya Sensei taught adult and children’s karate classes at Seichou Karate® up until she and her husband retired and moved to Miami in 2017. Since moving to Florida, she is still very much active with her training and practices on her own at least twice a week, and with two of her daughters, who were also Seichou Karate® students, on Sundays. When she’s not training, Moya Sensei devotes her time to biking, swimming, sewing, traveling, spending time with her family, including two young grandsons, and developing a network marketing business. Ms. Moya speaks Spanish and English.
Georg Hirsch - Assistant Karate Instructor
Georg Hirsch has been studying Seichou Karate® since April 2001. However, his training was interrupted by law school schedule, bar exam studies, and subsequent professional responsibilities. Mr. Hirsch was unwavering in his dedication to becoming an expert martial artist and he succeeded in May 2008 when he became the new first black belt at Seichou Karate®’s Alexandria, Virginia headquarters.
He is also a superb classical pianist with interest in Beethoven, Chopin, et al. For his black belt research project, he performed and compared a complicated Rachmaninoff piece with an advanced Seichou Karate® kata (movement pattern).
Throughout his Seichou Karate® career, Mr. Hirsch has been a powerful model of karate spirit, determination, good manners by generously supporting the growth of our dojo and junior students. Now a 2nd degree black belt, Mr. Hirsch pursues his diversified business as tax lawyer, translator and editor specializing in tax law, and music journalist for German public radio.
Georg Hirsch - Assistant Instructor
Georg Hirsch began studying Seichou Karate® in April 2001, achieving the rank of first degree black belt in May 2008 and second degree black belt in May 2013. Hirsch Senpai has an eye for detail, and he trains and teaches our students with passion and dedication because he cares deeply about their personal development. Outside the dojo, he has his own tax law practice, which focuses on U.S. taxpayers with ties to other countries, especially Germany. Hirsch Senpai is a superb pianist and, in his free time, enjoys playing for family and friends. Hirsch Senpai is also an accomplished chess player and has taught Seichou children the fine points of this game. He speaks German, English and is learning Vietnamese.
Mark Amberg - Assistant Instructor
Mark Amberg first began studying Seichou Karate® in September 2002 and he achieved his first degree black belt in May 2007 and second degree black belt in May 2015. Since then, Amberg Senpai has energized our students with his positive mental outlook and enthusiasm for karatedo. Through his teaching, students learn to add power and speed to their technique. Outside the dojo, Amberg Senpai is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and retiree from the Air National Guard. He currently works as a Certified Private Wealth Advisor and Certified Financial Planner at Merrill Lynch. He is a devoted husband and father of two boys, who are both active Seichou Karate® students.
Georges Gautherin - Uchideshi
As a high school student in Connecticut, Georges Gautherin was smitten with Japanese karatedo when he trained under Kenji Fujiwara Shihan, who was a student of Romero Shihan’s instructor, Oyama Soshu. Although Gautherin Senpai was unable to train regularly during college, when he moved to Washington, DC for graduate school, he sought a dojo that was part of the Oyama karatedo lineage. Thus, when he found Seichou Karate® in September 2012, he had a solid foundation on which to build. While pursuing graduate studies in international affairs at George Washington University, Gautherin Senpai poured himself into his Seichou Karate® training and, in 2015, he requested that Romero Shihan accept him as an Uchideshi (apprentice instructor). After careful consideration and lengthy discussions, Shihan agreed and Gautherin Senpai began his apprenticeship in January 2016. Very happily, he continued to train hard and achieved his shodan in November 2016. Since then, he has steadily improved as karateka (karate practitioner) and instructor.
A juggernaut of enthusiasm, from Monday to Saturday, Gautherin Senpai inspires our students with superb karate skills, and exciting, insightful teaching. Most importantly, he has an exceptional human connection with our students who understand that he is deeply committed to their personal growth and appreciate his warm personality. For these reasons, Gautherin Senpai is on track to become an outstanding leader in the martial arts world. Outside the dojo, he is a loving husband who enjoys spoiling his lovely wife, Mary, and joining her in marathon running events. At all other times, the Gautherins are busy spoiling their beloved hound, Odin. Gautherin Senpai speaks English and German.
Kiemi Langlois - Language and Abacus Instructor
Kiemi Watabe Langlois is a native of Yokkaichi, Mie, Japan. She was a top-level student of Japanese Abacus (Soroban) growing up. Her primary field of study was music and, in 1995, she graduated from the Musashino Conservatory of Music in Tokyo with a BA in music. Her area of emphasis was piano. Ms. Langlois has taught piano to students of all ages and has served as a rehearsal pianist for a local opera company as well as an accompanist for several local choral groups. She has also performed in several concerts, including a performance with the Krakow State Philharmonic Orchestra in her hometown of Yokkaichi. Ms. Langlois holds licenses from the Japanese government to teach middle and high school. She speaks English and native Japanese.
Kanae Varga - Abacus, Calligraphy, & Language Instructor
A native of Tottori, Japan, Varga Sensei has practiced Japanese calligraphy and abacus since the age of seven. As a student, she won many calligraphy competitions and was the captain of her high school calligraphy club. In fact, calligraphy was so important to her that she aspired to become a calligraphy instructor. However, as an adult, she studied nursing and gained extensive professional experience in pediatric, neurosurgery, and geriatric nursing at the Red Cross and other organizations. After marrying and moving to the U.S., Varga Sensei sought to achieve her goal of teaching U.S. children about Japanese culture. As a calligraphy and abacus instructor at Seichou Karate® Dojo since 2012, she has inspired children to learn Japanese language, calligraphy and abacus, all of which provide significant life-long benefits. Varga Sensei is married with two daughters, the oldest of whom is a current Seichou Karate® student. She speaks Japanese and English.
Kazuko Kano - Calligraphy and Language Instructor
A native of Tottori, Japan, Kano Sensei began studying Japanese calligraphy (“shodo”) in elementary school, and she began teaching Japanese calligraphy and language at Seichou Karate® in 2003. With more than thirty years of practice and teaching experience, Kano Sensei is a licensed member of the Japan Calligraphy Education Foundation (JCEF). She has won numerous calligraphy awards from the JCEF and, under its auspices, is authorized to teach and submit students’ work for promotion and competition. She inspires our students to apply their karate skills in calligraphy class and to develop aesthetic sensitivity and an appreciation for beauty.
Kano Sensei holds a B.A. in literature from Kobe Women’s University, an M.A. in videographic arts from American University, and a high school teaching license from the Japanese government. She and her husband have three children who are current Seichou Karate® students. Kano Sensei has recently begun practicing Seichou Karate®. She speaks Japanese, English and is learning Turkish, her husband’s native language.
MALIK K. CUTLAR - Assistant Karate Instructor
Malik K. Cutlar has been studying Seichou Karate® since June 2004. A 3rd degree black belt, he is a pillar at our dojo who holds himself to an extremely high standard of technical expertise. In teaching and supporting many dojo events, Cutlar Senpai inspires our students with kindness and a positive mental attitude. He is a fierce fighter who also deeply appreciates kata (karate movement patterns). Thus, he gives credence to both the “yin” and “yang” sides of his personality. When he’s not teaching or training at Seichou Karate®, Cutlar Senpai has enjoyed a successful career in the law.
Dr. Patricia Smith - Assistant Karate Instructor
Dr. Patricia Smith is a board-certified OB/GYN and clinical assistant professor at The George Washington University School of Medicine. She originally hails from Seattle, where she earned both her undergraduate degree in Psychology and her medical degree at the University of Washington. She completed her OB/GYN residency at Harbor-UCLA, then moved to Houston for her Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgical Fellowship training at the Women’s Hospital of Texas. Dr. Smith was in private practice in Houston for several years, then joined the faculty at the Baylor College of Medicine as a specialist in general OB/GYN.
She and her family moved to the DC area in 2010, where she has been on faculty at the George Washington University. One of her passions is resident and medical student education, for which she has won a number of resident and medical student teaching awards.
Senpai Smith began training at Seichou Karate® with her two children in July 2012. She earned her black belt in October 2018. A powerful fighter with deep personal warmth, Senpai Smith is both a role model to girls and women at Seichou Karate® and a leader as Chairperson of our Seichou Community Council.
Senpai Smith lives in Alexandria with her husband Christopher, teen children Andrew and Amanda and their rescue greyhound Ginger. Andrew continues his karate training along with his mother.
Cristina Moya – Assistant Instructor
Cristina Moya is a biomedical engineer and manager at Miami, Florida company that designs and manufactures simulators for health care education. She has a Bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from Florida International University. Moya Senpai began her martial arts training at Seichou Karate® in 1999 at the age of 7 and earned her black belt in 2006. She continued training up until high school graduation when she moved to Miami. During her time at Seichou Karate® she assisted Shihan teaching both children and adults. More recently, she trains weekly with her mother, Jacqueline Moya Sensei. Moya Senpai continues to challenge herself physically and mentally through karate, incorporating new katas and fine tuning techniques. In her free time, she enjoys reading, running, baking, cooking, and spending time with her family. She speaks English and Spanish.
Rob Burns – Assistant Instructor
Rob Burns began his Seichou Karate® training in October 2009 and he earned his shodan in November 2016. A patent attorney with the United States Department of Energy, Burns Senpai is a deeply committed karateka who inspires our students by providing a sterling example of fair play and dedication. In particular, when the dojo needs help with a special event, Burns Senpai is often the first to volunteer. When not at the Dojo, he is often busy doing the Nation’s work as an officer in the Navy Reserves. He is a loving husband and, in their spare time, he and his wife are active in church activities and community events.
Aki Tsuda – Assistant Instructor
In 1994, Aki Tsuda began his study of Japanese Kyokushinkai-kan Karatedo in his native Kyoto, Japan and he earned his shodan in March 1998 from Koichi Kawabata Shihan. A former diplomat for the Japanese government, he began training at Seichou Karate® in June 2013 after beginning his career at the World Bank where he is a Senior Social Development Specialist. In his current role, Tsuda Senpai works with developing countries in Asia and Africa to manage environmental and social risks in investment projects. He personifies strength, humility and perseverance, which are the finest attributes of Japanese karatedo. Thus, through his strong fighting skills and personal example, Tsuda Senpai is making a powerful contribution to Seichou Karate® students. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, reading, visiting museums and horseback riding. He speaks Japanese, English, German and French.