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Dynamic Dojo Talkradio: With special guest, Malia Bernal

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Sunday July 24, 2016. 6:00 pm Pacific Time

Join Restita And Robert as they welcome Malia Bernal!

Malia Bernal began studying Wun Hop Kuen Do at the age of 22. She trained in Wun Hop Kuen Do under WHKD founder Grandmaster Al Dacascos. Malia loved the martial arts and was a forms champion during the 1970’s.

“I knew it was for me the minute I knew I could compete and I had the opportunity to be #1.” She says.

Although not allowed to participate in sports as a young girl, Malia says her school teachers encouraged her to excel in whatever she wanted to do. Malia says she was born a fighter, competitor. She would fight for anything that was a challenge.

Malia Bernal not only broke boundaries for gender, but she insisted on competing with male martial artists as their equal. She was the woman who transformed the movement and look of competitive forms. She pushed the softer Kung Fu style to the forefront, designing uniforms that emphasized grace and line. When she performed, she was captivating. She would catch the attention of  the entire room and everyone would stop to watch her. She is one of the few, if only, competitor asked to break down her forms for the judges’ panel.

In September 1974, Malia Bernal made history as the first woman on the cover of Black Belt Magazine. A pioneer of women in the martial arts, Sigung Malia dominated the tournament circuit in the late 1960s and early 70s. She reigned as the Number One Woman Fighter and Number One Woman in Kata (forms) in the United States for five consecutive years. She would eventually earn almost 400 awards and titles, including Best All-Around Competitor. She is the only female three-time recipient of the coveted Golden Fist Award, and she made a name for herself in a predominately male sport She become a Kung Fu legend and an internationally recognized champion.

 

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