Today we’d like to introduce you to Hiroko Hattori Holland.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
After having my two daughters, I had precious things to protect. When my MOPS (Mother Of Preschoolers) group offered a self-defense class, I jumped in and knew right away that this was something I wanted to learn and pursue more. I joined Universal Kempo-Karate Schools and met amazing people who inspired me to be a better human being along with learning how to protect myself and my family. I devoted my time and effort to absorbing everything they were teaching me.
After training in Colorado Springs CO and Yorba Linda CA, I earned my Student Black Belt rank in 2019 and was promoted to my current First Degree Black Belt rank in 2022. Through all of these times, my fellow Kempo training partners and Instructors became my Kempo family and they encouraged me to open up my own branch when I told them I was moving to Hendersonville, TN. With the huge support from them, my husband, and my daughters who also train, I am here to give back to the community and share the love of Kempo-Karate.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely has been a challenging journey so far, and I would not expect any less. I believe it is necessary to struggle and challenge yourself in order to be better at something. And although it has been challenging, I cherish every moment of it because they were necessary for me to grow.
Kempo-Karate trains me physically and mentally, and it has become my lifestyle. My biggest struggle so far was to learn how to take care of myself mentally. I grew up in a competitive society in Japan and it was normal to push myself to beyond the limits to be “successful”. Taking a break was not an option.
I’ve also been involved with competitive sports so I was familiar with the care of physical health, but I had little knowledge of how important mental health is. I’ve learned to allow myself for Self-care and it’s been helping me to lead a well-balanced life.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a Head Instructor at Universal Kempo-Karate Schools Hendersonville Branch. Our school’s main focus is self-defense. Kempo-Karate is an eclectic system that merges the realistic aspects of karate, judo, jujitsu, grappling, weapons, and boxing arts. Our self-defense system is tailored to meet the needs of all individual’s sizes, strengths, and abilities, so anyone in any age and any condition can join us. On top of self-defense safety skills and awareness, we work on character-building, leadership skills, discipline, respect, self-esteem, confidence, and more. We are more than Martial Art School — we share our knowledge of how to live a good life and how to be a good human being in this society. We are family oriented and encourage each other to be better while learning how to protect ourselves and our loved ones.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
Hendersonville Branch is a brand new branch that just opened in November 2022. My vision is to establish this school as a place that has a firm ground of a sense of community and belonging, and a safe place where we can grow together. And I am expecting for us to contribute to creating a wonderful community to live in!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.hattorikempo.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hattorikempo/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hattorikempo/
Image Credits
Chris Buford
