Tuition
SENPAI LISA FREE
Nidan Free began her training in karate-do in August of 1992 at the age of 20 under the instruction of Sensei Diana Worthen at Collin County Community College in Plano, Texas. In January of 1993 she joined Worthen Karate Academy (WKA) to further her training in Wado Shinzen Kai karate-do. Nidan Free continued to train under Sensei Diana Worthen until January of 1996 when Sensei Worthen passed her school down to Sensei Darrin Free. At that time the school was renamed Academy of Classical Karate-do and Nidan Free began training under the instruction of Sensei Darrin Free and Sensei Brody Burns. In the fall of 1998, Shodai John Hawk and Shihan Tom Sergent, Founder and Chief Instructor of Wado Shinzen Kai respectively, promoted Nidan Free to black belt. In September of 2001 Nidan Free became a member of Wado International Karate Federation (WIKF) under the head instruction of Suzuki Tatsuo Sensei. In December of 2003 Suzuki Sensei promoted Nidan Free to 2nd Degree black belt (Nidan).
Currently Nidan Free still trains under Sensei Free and Sensei Burns. She is a member of the instructor staff at the Academy of Classical Karate-do and is on staff at Collin County Community College where she teaches Self-defense, Karate, and Cardiokarate. Soon after beginning karate, Nidan Free became an avid competitor at the state level in the Traditional Karate League (TKL). Since 1993 she has won numerous TKL championships. In 2001 Nidan Free competed in two national level competitions for the first time since earning her black belt. At the 2001 AAU National Championship in New Orleans, LA she won two bronze medals in kumite in the kilo and open divisions. At the 2001 USA National Karate-do Federation National Championship and National Team Trials in Houston, TX she won a gold medal in the women’s open kata division and a silver medal in her kilo division in kumite, which earned her a seat on the United States National Team Pool. In the 2002 AAU National Championships she earned the silver medal in kumite in her kilo division, and the bronze medal in open and team kumite.
In 1996 Nidan Free was accepted into the Physical Therapy program and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. In 1998 she graduated and began practicing as a Physical Therapist. Currently she practices physical therapy on a part-time basis.