Catherine Miller Cimato

“Precision” is perhaps a fitting word for Ms. Cathrine Cimato’s award-winning style. A graduate and former instructor of the National Karate School, (formerly Jhoon Rhee Institute), in Minnesota, “Ms. Cat,” as she is often called by her students and fellow instructors, embodies the highest standards of form, technique, and character.

Her prowess is well known to the “Father of American Taekwondo” himself, Jhoon Rhee. During the "Cactus Classic" tournament in Phoenix, Arizona in 1997, “[Grand-Master Rhee] made the tournament judges hold my division until he returned from a morning breakfast so he could watch me do my form. He wanted me to run a school for him in Arizona. I was also privileged to meet, hang out with, and take a couple of classes from his son, Chun, who owns schools in Virginia.”

Ms. Cat is a former student of Mr. Mark Schindler, who was among the top ranked fighters in the late 80’s. Other instructors at the National Karate School were world light-middleweight kickboxing champion (1986), John Longstreet and inductee into the “Black-Belt Hall of Fame” and “Who’s Who in Martial Arts,” John Worley. (Among the panel members who awarded Master Worley his First Degree Black Belt in 1968 was Chuck Norris, another great pioneer of martial arts in this country.) Another owner and instructor at Ms. Cat’s former school, National Karate, is Larry Carnahan, president of N.A.S.K.A. (North American Sport Karate Association). Both John Worley and Larry Carnahan were students of Jhoon Rhee in Texas and Washington D.C.

Like the consummate, humble martial artist, Ms. Cat is very reluctant to discuss her own accolades and association with some of the great masters in the world of Karate and Taekwondo. A testament to her calling as an instructor, what she is most proud of are her students. “I helped train and made a form for Jenny Johnson-Blanchard who has been the top ranked junior and now woman competitor since 1998. Many of the students I sent to tournaments received first place awards. But the most impressive thing about that is they never brag about how well they did.”

Here is some additional information regarding Ms. Cat’s education, martial arts, and teaching background:

 n      Education 

¨     Bachelor of Arts, Wittenberg University, Springfield, OH 1990 – 1994

n      Martial Arts History

¨     Fourth Degree Black Belt, December 2000

¨      #3 18-29 year old Female Black Belt N.A.S.K.A. World Ratings, 1998

¨     Third Degree Black Belt, March 1998

¨     #1 18-29 year old Female Black Belt N.A.S.K.A. National Ratings, 1997

¨     Second Degree Black Belt, September 1995

¨     First Degree Black Belt, March 1990

n      Teaching Experience

¨     NEDITA (now NETA) Certified Group Fitness Instructor May 2004

¨     Assistant Instructor 1987 -1990

¨     Turbo Kick Gold Certified Instructor February 2002

¨     Head Instructor, National Karate School, St Paul Location 1999 – 2001

¨     Director, National Karate School, West Bloomington and Crystal Locations 1996 – 1998

¨     Instructor, National Karate School, Eden Prairie Location 1994-1995

¨     Instructor, Stars & Stripes Defensive Arts, September 2001 - Present

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Last updated on 01/18/05.