Leadership

Kyoshi Sarah Ludden

Head Instructor and Executive Director

Sarah was first drawn to the martial arts as a form of creative movement. She began training in Kajukenbo Kung Fu in 1981 with the late Professor Coleen Gragen at Hand to Hand Community Self-Defense Center in Oakland, California. She taught Kajukenbo and self-defense to adults and children at Hand to Hand and in outreach programs throughout the Bay area, and ran a Kajukenbo branch program for deaf and hearing students. 

During the 1980’s, in addition to teaching in the community, Sarah and other black belts at Hand to Hand provided security services to community organizations and political exiles from Central America and Chile. She was a founding member of “Streetwise,” an ensemble ofmartial artists that blended music, dance, martial arts, and theatre to create socially relevant performance pieces for progressive causes.  

In 1991, Sarah moved to Chicago to live and work with her partner, Nancy Lanoue. Together they own Thousand Waves Spa, a women’s health and relaxation spa, and are executive directors and head instructors of Thousand WavesMartial Arts & Self-Defense Center. When Sarah first came to Chicago, the dojo was small, housed in the same building as the spa, and offered classes in Seido Karate only. She began training in Seido at that time, while continuing to practice Kajukenbo. During the first decade of their collaboration, Nancy taught Sarah Seido Karate while Sarah taught Nancy Kajukenbo, all while both were teaching most of the classes, plus running the dojo and the spa! 

Since that time, the dojo has grown tremendously, enabling Sarah and Nancy to focus on areas of special interest. Sarah now runs a Kajukenbo program as a second, enrichment art to Thousand Waves students, and has to date promoted 9 students to Kajukenbo black belt. She received her 5th degree black belt in Seido in 2005 and her 5th degree black belt in Kajukenbo in 2002. Sarah loves children and very much enjoys her position as head instructor of the junior karate program, and co-head instructor of the youth program. She continues to teach and perform at national training camps, produced by the Pacific Association of Women Martial Artists and the NationalWomen’sMartial Arts Federation.