A Parade That Kicks

USD students show off their skills. Students of Laguna Beach’s United Studios of Self Defense kicked their way along the Patriot’s Day Parade on March 6, celebrating the studio’s sixth appearance in the event and 16 years teaching kids and adults how to protect themselves through martial arts training.

In a pre-parade warm-up, USSD Laguna Beach owner and chief instructor Jeff Kash invited students to participate in a special seminar instructed by seventh-degree Kempo Master, Jack Turner. Students were taught one of three Chinese broadsword forms, varying in degree of difficulty from beginner to advanced.

Kash has earned the rank of Sandan (third degree black belt) in the practice of Shaolin Kempo, a system derived from China’s famed Shaolin Temple.