Written by: Cutler Bay In the Community Kendall Palmetto Bay Pinecrest South Miami Top News

Kia Kidz Martial Arts Center For Students with Special Needs are at Center Ring at Championship Tournament

April is Autism Awareness Month, and Kia Kidz Martial Arts Center for Students with Special Needs will be playing an important role in our community as they host and sponsor a first ever, “inclusion”, Superstars Open Championship/Expo at the Alper JCC on Sunday, April 27th, 2014 from 8:00 a.m. to 2 p.m.

However, Kia Kidz has been at the forefront and has been hard at work in South Florida for over eight years tirelessly working with children with Autism and other disabilities, in empowering them with critical skills to help each child endure, surpass and conquer challenges in school, home and in the community.

Monday through Sunday, you can see the efforts of Sensei Lana Smirnova-Miranda and Sensei David Miranda working one-on-one or in group settings, teaching the art of Jujitsu “gentle art”, or Kempo martial arts. Their combined talents have made Kia Kidz a success and their success is measurable. Parents sit behind the dojos glass windows and witness the progress of their children, one class at a time. Every month all students regardless of their  challenges submit to the rigors of a military like testing, for a tip or new belt. And each month the cameras capture the progress;
a tip honoring the students hard work, or a new belt, for their memorizations of “katas”, (specific movements or exercises) endurance and having gained new skills.

Kia Kidz Martial Arts Center is unique because of their approach to engaging families in their classes and not loosing sight of the fact that it “takes a village to raise child”. It’s students range in ages from 3 to 42, and fathers along with mothers and their children compete together, test together and together participate in South Florida’s community events such as the Children’s Trust Expo, Autism Walk and the Friendship Circle Walk, among others.

On Sunday April 27, 2014 the South Florida Martial Arts Community will be “fighting for a cause”, and that cause is Autism Awareness. The Superstars Open Championship Expo will be a great opportunity for families to enjoy watching over twenty five martial arts schools who will be showcasing their top champions as they perform their katas, weapons demonstrations, sparring, and self-defense techniques. Kia Kidz students will be at center ring, ready to show off the skills learned due to hard work, perseverance, and dedication.

You are invited to come fight for Autism Awareness and join Kia Kidz Martial Arts Center for Students with Special Needs at the Superstars Open Championship Expo. You will be inspired! The event will also be an opportunity to gather information from community partners such as Miami Dade County Parks Disability Services, University of Miami Card, Florida Diagnostic and Learning Resources System/South (FDLRS) and Friendship Circle of Miami, among others. All wonderful resources in our community who like Kia Kidz support the Special Needs Community.

Doors Open promptly at 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. $5.00 Admission fee, at the Alper JCC , Basketball Gym 11155 SW 112 Avenue, Building 7. Kia Kidz is located at 14417 South Dixie Highway, Miami. Visit the tournament website at www.fightingforacause.com.

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Last modified: April 4, 2014