Gail Mason – Head Instructor

I am married to Ron Mason. We have three grown up children, two of whom attained Black Belt status in Martial Arts training during their young adult years. We also have one very young grandchild attending class and another very keen to get started.

My earliest experience of Martial Arts was attending the Milford School of Ju Jitsu as a young teenager for approximately one year. I really enjoyed the art and only stopped attending as my transport arrangements through a family friend came to an end.

As an adult I learnt and practiced a variation of Chen style Tai Chi for 10 Years in Dargaville before taking up instruction with Malisa Ng in Auckland (and with whom I currently train). Malisa is a most highly ranked and much respected teacher and exponent of the Chen Style Art of Tai Chi (Chen Style is the most strenuous and physically hardest style of Tai Chi). Malisa’s instructor is Master Zhu Tian Cai, a Chen of the Chen family) from Chen Village in China who travels the world instructing in Chen Style Tai Chi. Also over those years I also was immersed in the world of the hard style Martial Arts through Ron and my children’s involvement with a certain amount of home training of myself thrown in.

I am now an instructor of the Northland Kenpo Karate Self Defence School, having at this point in time achieved the level of First Black Belt (2010). I am also heavily involved with the behind the scenes administration work involved in the running of such a school.

On our recent Trip to California I had the honour of training with Master Larry Tatum and also his wife Jill. All the training was an amazing experience and with Jill Tatum the aspects of training as a women in such an art were highlighted.

The art of American Kenpo is very exciting and for women the attainment of self defence skills along with the boost in self confidence which that brings is very rewarding. As women we train alongside and against men in a serious and dedicated but safe, controlled and fun way.

2018 UPDATE

Firstly I would like to record how proud I am to now be a 3rd Dan Black Belt Instructor in our school. This is for me a wonderful personal achievement. Unfortunately, due to a serious health issue I am currently receiving treatment for, I have not been able to attend classes during most of 2018. I have however continued to undertake administration matters from home. I have also been practising many of the Kenpo Forms and Sets at home as a form of physical and mental therapy. I look forward to being able to return to classes in 2019.

In my original Bio on this site, I mentioned our very young grandchild who was training with us. That grandchild, Courtney, is now 15 years old and has her own bio on this site. Apart from being a great Kenpo exponent in her own right, she is also invaluable in instructing our junior students with patience and skill.

Gail Mason