Former AIM student Mariah Moore trains in 3 styles of Martial Arts. Japanese - Kyokushinkai kan Karate with Sensei Aaron Bailey Philippine – Arnis Sikaran Jornales System with World Champion and Karate Hall of Fames Grand Master Bong Jornales Indonesian – Silat with finishing coach and Guro Mushtaq Ali. In February Mariah traveled to Walnut California for the U.S. National Championships. Taking the Gold in Weapons and in Full Contact Double Stick Fighting and taking the Silver in Full Contact Single Stick Fighting, she successfully captured 3 seats on the U.S. Team. Representing the United States on the U.S. National Team, Mariah will compete against countries from all over the world at the 10th World Championships in Cebu, Philippines in July 2008. Mariah will be performing at the tournament and you will have a chance to meet her and ask questions about her training and travels. You won’t want to miss this!!!!
September 2002 - Begins Training at Lowell Ro-Ken Karate 8 yrs. old
November 2003 - Earns her first trophy at Great Lakes all Star Open
March 2004 – Nearly swept Young Champions Midwest National Tournament entering 5 events and taking 1st in four events and 2nd in one event.
March 2004 – Invited to join the A. A. U. Amateur Athletics Union.
April 2004 – In her first AAU tournament, qualified for Junior Olympics to be held in New Orleans.
May 2004 - hand picked from nearly 2,000 students nationwide among only 9 other students, Mariah asked to join and perform with the Young Champions FULL FORCE Demonstration Team.
June 2004 - Discovered by & begins training with Grand Master Wu Bin, personal Coach to Jet Li and Jackie Chan.
October 2004 - Receives personal invitation from Grand Master Wu Bin to train with him in China as one of the top athletes in the United Stat
es.
October 2004 - Discovered by Karate Hall of Fame, World Champion and Grand Master Bong Jornales at Western Michigan Karate Championships where he sat as a judge in the weapons competition Mariah entered.
November 2004 - Begins training in Eskrima Kali Arnis (Filipino Martial Arts) with Grand Master Bong 2-3 days per week.
January 2005 – Swept Young Champions Midwest National tournament in Chicago entering 5 events and taking 1st place in all 5 events.
May 2005 - swept tournament to benefit Cancer research in Whitehall Michigan. Though all of her competitors out-ranked her by at-least two belts and though she was the only girl, Mariah remarkably swept her division in this competition taking first in Kobudo(Weapons), Kumite(Fighting), and Kata(Forms).
June 2005 - Travels to Beijing China to train with Grand Master Wu Bin at his world famous Wushu Training Center.
August 2005 - Hosts Thanksgiving in August, a tribute to Grand Master Wu Bin of China. Present were Martial Arts Royalty from China, Grand Master Wu Bin, World Champion Kung Fu Athlete Ma Chao, and from the Philippines, Grand Master Bong Jornales, and 3 time World Champion Wendy Wiggers.
September 2005 – Mariah spearheads Martial Arts Fundraising Campaign “TAKE A KICK AT ANNA’S CANCER” to benefit 8 year old Anna Organek with Non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a life threatening form of Cancer. The event showcased over 25 martial artists from as far away as China and netted over $4,000.00 for Anna and the National Bone Marrow Registry!
September 2005 – Receives another invitation from Grand Master Wu bin to train with him in China at his world famous Wushu Training Center as one of the top athletes in the nation.
October 2005 - Wins Midwest Regional Championships taking Gold in Traditional Multiple Weapons, Silver in Lightweight Single Stick Fighting, and Gold with her team Jornales System. Earns the right to compete in U.S. National Championships.
February 2006 - Wins the U.S. National Championship in Milwaukee Wisconsin taking the Gold in Traditional Multiple Weapons, the Silver in Lightweight Double Stick Fighting, and the Silver with her team, Jornales System. Earns prestigious and highly coveted seat on the US National Team.
May 2006 - Completely Sweeps her division at Kick for Cancer benefit tournament. 1stin Weapons, 1sin Forms, 1st in Fighting.
July 2006 – 12 years old, Representing the United States of America against the World at the 2006 World Stick Fighting and Forms Championships with over 40 countries qualifying competitors at Walt Disney World, Orlando Florida, Mariah brought home 2 Gold Medals for the US National Team. She earned her first gold medal in traditional multiple weapons on July 3rd and went on to earn her second gold medal in Full contact double stick fighting on July 4th.
August 2006 – First Place, Kent County Youth Fair Talent Show.
August 2006 – Keynote and Motivational Speaker and Performer for a group of 200 inner city at risk children.
September 2006 – Grand Marshal, Alto Fall Festival Parade. First Place Fall Festival Talent show among contenders 4-16 yrs.
September/October 2006 – Featured Artist performing at the Midwest’s Premier Haunted House, THE HAUNT which hosts over 36,000 visitors annually…(the equivalent to two Pearl Jam Concerts.)
February 2007 - Where Warriors Dare Tournament of Champions Grand Champion against over a dozen 1st place competitors aged 6-30 using Jornales System Sickles performing Sagasa Singot.
June 2007 – Teaches Stranger Danger/Safety Awareness and performs for Cherry Valley Girlscouts. Over 200 in attendance.
June/July 2007- featured artist/performer at west Michigan WOTV Partk Parties with Maranda before an average of 5,000 people.
July 4th 2007 – WOOD TV 8/WOTV 4 Featured performer at July 4th Celebration Downtown Grand Rapids before a crowd of over 20,000 people.
July 2007- Finalist Lowell Showboat Amateur Talent Competition after 2 rounds of competition.
July 2007- one of only 15 youth selected Nationally to perform at the 2007 “Live to Perform, Perform to Live” Talent Revue for the National Association of County Agriculture Agents conference at Devos Hall, Grand Rapids, Michigan. 2,000 in attendance.
August 2007 – Spearheads and drives “Take a Kick at Parker’s Cancer” fundraiser setting a goal of $5,000.00. The event showcased local talent Next II None, Innovative Martial Arts School, American Idol contestant Ryder Jones and his sister Marina, U.S. national Champions Cole Van Harn, World Champion Steve Van Harn, Juggler Steve Flohr and more.
August 2007 – Performs at Lowell Showboat 75th Anniversary, one of only 6 chosen after months of auditions.
September 2007 – Sulong Tournament in Chicago. 1st in Women’s Division Padded Knife fighting. 1st in Weapons. 3rd in Open Men’s Division of Knife Fighting, 5th Men’s Division Padded Stick Fighting.
October 2007 - Sweeps Great Lakes all Star Open Karate Tournament. 1st Weapons, 1st Open Hand Forms, 1st Sparring.
November 2007 – Sweeps W.E.K.A.F. Midwest Regional Tournament. 1st Traditional Multiple Weapons, 1st Full Contact Stingle Stick Fighting, 1st Full Contact Double Stick Fighting.
November 2007 – West Michigan Karate Championships, Holland. 1st Weapons, 1st Open Hand Forms.
February 2008 – Representing all Midwest Regional States, Competes for seat on W.E.K.A.F. U.S. National Team in Walnut California. Gold in Traditional Multiple Weapons, Gold in Full Contact Double Stick Fighting, Silver in Full Contact Single Stick Fighting.
March 2008 – Double Grand Champion. “Where Warriors Dare Tournament of Champions” 1st in under black belt Weapons, 1st in Open hand Forms. Grand Champion-Under blackbelt Weapons performing “Sayow” with Talibong, Grand Champion-Under blackbelt Open hand Forms performing “Mayon.”
Quotes and Comments
Grand Master Bong Jornales-Arnis Sikaran Sandatahan Jornales System, 3 Time World Champion, Karate Hall of Fame “It’s very unusual to find someone like her. I call her the Golden Child” From WOTV Gerry Barnaby Interview
“For Mariah, martial arts is an extension of her core being - an expression of her passion in life. She contains the focus needed to achieve the goals and dreams she has set out for herself. She possesses the discipline and willingness to learn to become a true artist and athlete. Her spirit blends with her passion, which allows her to not only be good in the martial arts, but also shines through in the fun and love she has for the art and sport. She has the right mix of ingredients. Mariah leads by example and has the potential to be an inspiration to other young people. And, perhaps one day, she will be a Master Instructor in her own right.”
Guru Mushtaq Ali Al Ansari, Senior Instructor of Silat Zulfikari
She’s a martial arts prodigy, and her age and gender make her exceptionally rare. Mariah’s gifts actually border on physical genius, we’re only seeing the beginning here, not the end result. You almost can’t imagine what she’ll be like in 10 or 15 years.”
Bobbe Edmonds, Chief Instructor of the Edmonds Martial Arts Academy, and the mainland USA representative for Pendekar Bambang Suwanda
“The kid has coordination, fluidity and grace. Mariah can rock the house on command.” “Focused” is too tame a word to describe Mariah. “Driven” almost doesn’t cover it either. Mariah has the chops. I want to see what she can do at age 24, I bet she'll have a title close to "Master". It's not terribly easy to impress me. I have been around some pretty amazing people and sat at the feet of some of the best Martial Arts teachers of the last century. It's impossible if I have already decided you’re going NOWHERE with me. How ironic is it that a 13 year old girl has succeeded where several adult "Masters" have not.
Steven Barnes, Writer, lecturer, creative consultant, and human performance technician. Black Belt in Kenpo Karate and Kodokan Judo. Instructor in Wu Ming Ta, and has an instructor candidate ranking in Filipino Kali stick and knife fighting. Mariah, a leggy blonde Cornhusker type, is so all-American girl it hurts. Gorgeous, smart, a little shy, and an absolute animal in the ring. LOVES fighting, and is damned good at it. Explosive, loose, flexible, aggressive…wow. She’s pretty close to a total package. …..I’m telling you…the girl is amazing.
