My 1st Degree Black Belt:

My name is Jen Wills and Im 41 yrs old, married to Bob of almost 6 years, and have a stepdaughter named Hailey. I was born in Los Angeles and grew up in the San Fernando Valley. I graduated from El Camino Real High School and then went to CSUN and received a BA degree in Child Development/Psychology.
Im going to share how I got into Martial Arts. It started when my stepdaughter Hailey was in Tae Kwon Do. Bob and I were watching her yellow belt test and we were fascinated by the art. We spoke to Haileys teacher who had mentioned that Zelia was testing for her black belt at Team Karate Centers. As fate would have it, Hailey was going to her sons birthday party that same afternoon. I reminded Bob many times to talk to Zelia about getting information on Team Karate Centers. He did get the information and Bob and I started together on June 21st, 2005. I did Karate for about a month and realized that I was more of a gym girl and that the timing wasnt right for me back then. Bob continued his journey as I watched and supported him all the way through his Black Belt Spectacular which was Oct 20, 2007. When I saw the Spectacular I was so impressed, emotional, proud, and excited that I was ready to sign up again and start my own journey. I started Nov 1, 2007, ten days later after Bobs graduation and I couldnt wait. The timing couldnt have been better!
As for my experiences on my journey at Team Karate Centers, they have been nothing but positive. Team Karate Centers has opened my mind about life, to be more respectful of others, always be ready for change, think outside the box, believe in yourself, and never give up your dreams and goals. To me, Karate is not just about kicking and punching, its a way of life. Its about passion, commitment, confidence, and dedication. I have seen a change in myself, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Im stronger than I ever was before in these four categories. My relationships with my family and friends I feel are more solid and deeper. I would not change the life I have right now. Im very blessed!
I would like to thank all of my instructors, Mr Patrick, Mr Amir, Mr Lief, Mr Terry, Mr Bill, and Master Fariborz for guiding me along this awesome journey. Your guidance and support mean A LOT to me. Im very grateful! I could not have done this alone. I would like to thank my wonderful husband Bob who has supported me all the way and guided me through my journey and Im extremely grateful that I got to experience this journey with Hailey and watch her grow. I also want to thank my incredible team,TEAM MAKOTO for making my candidacy such a fun experience. You all rock and Im so lucky to have these memories of us all. I will never forget you.
Today my journey has not ended, it is just the beginning! I play to WIN and I can do anything! BRING IT ON!

My Red and Black (Qualification) Belt:

My Red Belt:

My Brown Belt:

My Blue Belt:

My Green Belt:

My Yellow Belt:

My Orange Belt:

My Mission Statement

I will live life to the fullest. Live everyday like its my last. I will only allow positive energy into my life and do my best on not letting any negative energy cross my path. I will surround myself with positive influences and not let anyone bring me down. I will take care of ME and my family and be there for my friends by listening more effectively. I will open myself more to forgive and not hold onto to negative grudges. I will work on patience before I let anger take over.
Victories of 2009:
1. Great annual review at work
2. Learned to let go..i.e negative people out of my life and focus more on the positive
3. Trained hard to pass my Qualifier for BB Candidacy.
4. Ran my lowest time in training and pushing myself..8 min/7 seconds
5 Climbed a rope first time ever
6. Rocked climbed first time ever
7. Read a whole book and finished it.
8. Did every assignment I was assigned through BB Candidacy
9. Earned my Black Belt of 1st degree on Sept 26, 2009
10. Joined S.W.A.T
Goals for 2010
Physical - to keep myself in the best shape, eat right, train hard, inside and outside the studio, go to the gym, get my yearly checkups as always, and run so I can be ready for the following years" candidacy for 2nd degree. Learn all the forms, hopefully by mid year of 2010.
Emotional - Work on not letting people get to me where the anger stays with me for a while. I plan on reading more, joining more women"s networking/social groups through Meetup.com which I actually have started back in October but only attended 1 meeting. I plan on attending a lot more this coming year now that my schedule has lightened up.
Mental - ties in with my emotional goals where I plan to have more of a positive atmosphere of people in my life. I"ve already started eliminating a few and at first felt sad about it but I know I did the right thing and I know I will meet better people along the way, especially through network/social groups of people that share the same interests as I do.
Spiritual - I plan on starting to take Yoga classes at my gym, focus more on meditation(finding the time to sit down and actually do this), listen to motivational CD"s like Tony Robbins and much more.
I will live life to the fullest. Live everyday like its my last. I will only allow positive energy into my life and do my best on not letting any negative energy cross my path. I will try not to focus on the past and pay more attention to the now and my future.

My Essays

I want to begin by sharing how I got into Martial Arts. It started when my stepdaughter Hailey was in Tae Kwon Do. Bob, my husband, and I were watching her yellow belt test and we were fascinated by the art. We spoke to Haileys teacher who had mentioned that Zelia was testing for her black belt at TKC. As fate would have it, Hailey was going to her sons birthday party that same afternoon. I reminded Bob about 8 times to talk to Zelia about getting information on TKC. He did get the information and Bob and I started together on June 21st, 2005. I did Karate for about a month and realized that I was more of a gym girl and that the timing wasnt right for me back then. Bob continued his journey as I watched and supported him all the way through his Black Belt Spectacular which was Oct 20, 2007. When I saw the Spectacular I was so impressed, emotional, proud, and excited that I was ready to sign up again and start my own journey. I started Nov 1, 2007, 10 days later after Bobs graduation and I couldnt wait. The timing couldnt have been better!
As for my experiences at TKC , they have been nothing but positive. TKC has opened my mind about life, to be more respectful, always be ready for change, think outside the box, believe in yourself, and never give up your dreams and goals. My instructors have been beyond amazing, Mr Amir, Mr Patrick, Mr Robert, Mr Bill, Mr Lief, Mr Terry, and Kyoshi Fariborz. For example, if I do something incorrect like a form, a kick, or a hold with a takedown whether its in class or on an exam, these instructors will not make it look like I did something wrong, they will advise and show me the correct way on how to do something and make me feel more confident in that moment of time. Training at TKC approximately 4 days a week with all my instructors and the wonderful people and new friends I have met throughout my journey has changed me as a person, a friend, a wife, a sister, and a stepmom. I get so much love and support from everyone! Im much stronger physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually on how to handle different situations. As I have gone through my journey of each ranking through my exams Ive learned that if you make a mistake, learn from it, keep on going, dont compare yourself to others, keep your head up high and give it your all. Go at your own pace. My journey is my own!
Becoming a black belt means a lot to me. Its a journey of dedication, commitment, hard work and strength. I want to become a black belt not just to have a black belt around my waist but to show the hard work, commitment, and time to get to where I am today, have the knowledge of self defense and countless hours of training under my belt, being able to cope and handle being under pressure emotionally, mentally, and physically and know that I accomplished something extraordinary in my life. A black belt is a white belt that never gives up
I will never forget what Martial Arts, my instructors, my peers, and my teammates have given me which is strength, confidence, endurance, and power which will always be a part of my life. Thank you TKC!

I believe I deserve a Black Belt because I am the type of person who will start something and finish it till the end. I am a very hard worker, especially when I have tasks given to me. Im not a procrastinator. I like to get things done and out of the way so I can move onto new things in life. I like challenges because I want to see how far I can push myself and see what I am capable of. I have had quite a few challenges in my life which has made me the strong woman I am today. I am proud of myself for getting this far in my journey. I feel I have proven my hard work in Martial arts through all the hours, training inside and outside the studio and classes I have put into TKC. I started training to run back in January, 2008 when I was a yellow belt knowing I would have to run an 8 minute mile or under by the Qualification exam. Ive had several people tell me to start running at yellow belt/green belt level so I took it upon myself and have been training to run ever since. It has helped me tremendously on strength and endurance. When I started I could only do a mile in 13 minutes back then. Now I am almost to 8 minutes. I also belong to a gym and have been training many years with weights, cardio, and machines which has made me very strong, physically. This has been proven by doing four 50 mile bike rides and climbing the rope at TKC. I have never climbed a rope in my life but I knew I had to do it so I took the initiative and asked one of the TKC black belts to show me how until I got up there and now I make it look easy. Ive accomplished so much since I started at TKC and I dont plan to give it up. Ive invested a lot of time, energy, training, and even re-arranged schedules just so I could live and enjoy my journey. Im looking forward to the next 5 months ahead of me with the Qualification, Pre-tests 1, 2, and 3 and the Black Belt Spectacular with my teammates.

My Letters of Recommendations

To whom this may concern:
I am writing this letter to you to tell you about my dear friend Jen Enrich-Wills. I have known Jen for nearly 10 years and will fill you in about her. I can only say that weve had a lot of endeavors together and have grown from those experiences.
Jens journey thru life has been a challenging one.. By age 30 she had already lost her father to stroke complications. He was a young man as she a young woman. Soon after Jen and I met and our friendship was developing, Jens mother was now battling cancer. As I sat on the side lines and supported my friend I watch Jen sustained the hardship of her mothers chemo therapy which included continuous visits to her mothers home, daily visits to the hospital, emotional support and being available at all times. Her mother went into remission soon after.
Less than a year later Jens mother got cancer again and this time the battle was tougher. Thru Jens support and dedication to her mother she was able to help her mom feel better. In turn this kept Jen strong so she could continue her life, keep up with her good work at her job and maintain a healthy relationship with her boyfriend Bob Wills. I remember those days when Jen was running from hospital to work then back to the hospital every single dayit was taking a toll on her but she remained focused and positive. Unfortunately her mother didnt win the battle, cancer did and sad to say she passed. On a more positive noteJen and Bob got married. By age 35 she had no parents but she did gain a husband and daughter.
Watching my friend go thru the death of a parent was not easy. Jen had to draw reserve energy from her inner being in order to remain as strong and resilient as she did during this unpleasant trying time. Jen handled this event in life with complete commitment to her family, courage to stay strong and strength to move forward no matter what the ending was. Jen stayed dedicated and loyal to all her friends during this time never losing touch with anyone.
I consider Jen to be a strong individual, motivated, dedicated, committed, honest, respected and a well liked person. I feel honored to be her friend and to be a part of her life. To my dear friend, may you succeed in everything you embrace..
Love always,
Roni Hollander

Dear Mr. Fariborz,
I have had the privilege of knowing Jen for 7+ years and being married to her for 5+ years. Without Jen, I would never have embarked on the black belt journey and I am so proud that she is about the start the journey herself. She was very supportive during my journey and I hope that I have been as supportive without spoiling her journey by telling her anything beforehand.
Jen will make an awesome black belt candidate and will be an even better Black Belt for years to come. She will definitely earn her black belt. It may be a biased opinion, but she is probably the hardest working person that I have seen in the studio. From day one, she has worked really hard to learn the curriculum at each belt level. Some things have come very easy for her on the mat and other things have taken time for her to grasp. The exciting thing is that she kept trying and trying and trying until she eventually grasped it. Whether it was spending time with the instructors after class or spending time working on things at home in our living room, she did whatever it took to learn and improve.
I am looking forward to watching her grow and progress over the next 4 months; it is going to be exciting to watch!
All the best,
Bob Wills

Jen Wills is married to my son Robert, and I was acquainted with her even before their marriage. I have been in her home on many occasions and she in mine. I have met various members of her family. She has never given me any reason to doubt her honesty, sincerity or generous nature. She has the calm and thoughtful nature that would, in my opinion, make her an excellent martial arts candidate. Furthermore, she is willing to do the hard work necessary to succeed.
Robert R. Wills