KAA President Kelly Gaylord McCormick honored at Texas Kajukenbo Memorial Tournament
By RAUL GARCIA JR
The Texas Kajukenbo Gaylord Method School of Karate celebrated its 50th Anniversary at its 12th Annual Texas Kajukenbo Memorial Tournament in honor of the founder of the karate school, Juan “Johnny” Valdivia.
Mercedes Mayor Oscar Montoya and Commissioners Ruben Saldana and Joe Martinez were there to announce the City Proclamation in honor of the school’s milestone, its founder, and its mission to help fight cancer by raising funds to help families dealing with the life threatening disease.
Montoya also recognized President Kelly Gaylord McCormick of the Kajukenbo Association of America, Gaylord Method (KAA) for her outstanding contributions to the martial arts community and her exemplary leadership of the association.
Gaylord McCormick traveled to Mercedes from California to participate with the school and celebrate Great Grandmaster Charles H. Gaylord Day. Her Father, Charles H. Gaylord was honored in April 2007, with a Mercedes City Proclamation declaring April 21st to be Great Grandmaster Charles H. Gaylord Day. Gaylord also was given the key to the city during his visit to Mercedes in 1994.
“I’m so honored and privileged to receive this award at the 12th annual Texas Kajukenbo Memorial Karate Tournament held in Mercedes, Texas from the mayor of Mercedes,” said Gaylord McCormick during the presentation. “I was surprised and a little emotional thinking about how my father may have felt when he received the key to the City from the mayor years before.”
Leading up to a tournament on Saturday, April 20th, Gaylord McCormick worked with the students at the Texas Kajukenbo school. She showed the students first-hand fundamentals of Gaylord Method Kajukenbo and helped many of the students perfect their forms for the competition.
More than 10 schools and more than 100 karate students participated in the event and showed off their skills. Many performed weapon demonstrations, karate forms, and tested their might fighting one another.
At the tournament Montoya proclaimed the third Saturday of April, when the tournament is annually held, to be Juan “Johnny” Valdivia Day.
According to the School’s Grandmaster, Armando Saldana, Valdivia asked him to raise money for those with cancer. Valdivia died after a short bout with cancer in 2008, but was assisted by The Light of Hope, a nonprofit organization with a mission to assist families with travel, room, and board when traveling for cancer treatment.
Also attending the tournament and its festivities were Sigung Lonnie Wright of the Kajukenbo Institute of Self Defense in Washington State. Wright has attended the last two tournaments and helped train students at the school both times.
Sigung Mark Cantu attended as well to honor both his uncle, Grandmaster Valdivia, and Great Grandmaster Gaylord. Cantu also traveled from California where he regularly trains. He earned his black belt from Valdivia in 2005.
