OHANA MARTIAL ARTS ASSOCIATION
Ohana Board of Directors
Gene Braden President
Mike Stephens Vice President
Lee Braden Communications
Mr. Braden believes the knowledge available in the Kenpo system is endless. The more you learn about Senior Master of the Arts (SMA) Edmund Parker’s American Kenpo, the more you realize there is so much you don’t know.
As a child, Mr. Braden loved to watch Kung Fu Theater on Saturday mornings. After viewing his first episode, he was determined to learn a martial art. In 1989 he stumbled upon an American Kenpo Karate Academies (AKKA) affiliated school owned and run by 5th degree . . .
Mike Stephens began his journey in Kenpo in 2000 in New Bedford, Massachusetts under 6th Degree black belt Leo Lacerte, a pioneer in the art of Kenpo in New England.
At the end of the third year of training, Mike and his family moved to Colorado and continued his training with Mr. Lacerte with in-person training, as well as video training. During the next three years, Mr. Stephens helped Mr. Lacerte produce the "Ed Parker's Basic Fundamentals" book, which was published in 2010.
At age 18, the day following her high school graduation, Lee Braden transplanted with her family from coastal North Carolina to rural Missouri. This relocation caused her to spend quite a bit of time at the local library where she discovered a flier on the bulletin board advertising karate lessons at a nearby community center.
In the summer of 2011 Lee along with her partner, Gene Braden, embarked on a new chapter and decided they should consider opening a school of their own.
Ohana Representatives
Helio Greca Brazil
Helio Greca began his studies in Martial Arts in 1988 practicing Judo and actively participating in the state competitive circuit of the early 90’s. An unconditional martial arts enthusiast, he experimented with all forms of combat that arose in his path (even participating in a world Sumo championship!).