Co-Chief Instructor Sigung Michelle McVadon started training at Seven Star Women’s Kung Fu in 1983. She received her first-degree black belt in 1989 from Sifu Anne Moon, the school’s founder, and became co-head instructor the following year. Sigung McVadon became head instructor in 1995, when Sifu Moon retired from teaching. She continued her own Kajukenbo training under Grand Master Barbara Bones. Grand Master Bones is a 9th degree black belt promoted by Grand Master Rich Mainenti. She is a gifted instructor who still brings her inspiring teaching to Seven Star with annual workshops.

Sigung Michelle McVadon holds the rank of 7th degree black belt in Kajukenbo, a 3rd degree black belt in Aikido, and a black belt in Seido Jiujitsu. She creates a positive, encouraging atmosphere for learning. Sigung Michelle constantly strives to find the most effective methods to facilitate individual student growth and help students find joy in the martial arts. Sigung uses students as mentors and models for other students. She insists upon students respecting themselves, their teachers, their peers, and their training space.

Sigung Michelle was inspired to begin teaching self defense early on in her training. She has built a strong self defense program at Seven Star and has made countless adults teens, and kids feel safer in their lives. She is working to train more self defense teachers at the school.

Sifu Gina Mares Kurtz

Gina has been training at Seven Star Women’s Kung Fu since 2004 and holds the rank of 3rd Degree Black Belt. Gina’s goal in teaching is to share and impart the joy that training brings to her life. She finds that the most rewarding part of teaching is witnessing the evolution of a student, to see them gain strength and confidence as they grows as a martial artist. Gina enjoys teaching high energy classes with a focus on basics, fighting skills, and sparring. Gina is one of Seven Star’s self defense instructors, teaching self defense in the community in schools and for nonprofit and corporate groups. Gina is Seven Star’s current Active Sifu and also serves as the school’s Executive Director and Assistant Head Instructor.

Dawn Monet

Dawn Monet began studying Kajukenbo with Michelle Miller in 2001 at Velocity Dance Center as a way of developing physical self-defense skills. She transitioned to Seven Star in 2004, attaining her black belt in 2016. Dawn credits the study of Kajukenbo to building her outward confidence that catapulted her corporate career. She now integrates martial arts concepts in her private career coaching and consulting practice. Dawn holds a BFA in Dance from UCSB and is now earning her certification in movement-based expressive arts therapy.

Sigung Allyson Riley

Co-Chief Instructor Sigung Allyson Riley has been training at Seven Star since 1992 and holds the rank of 6th degree black belt. She was named Assistant Head Instructor in 2009, and began promoting her own students in 2013. She was named Co-Chief Instructor by Sigung Michelle McVadon in 2015.

Sigung Allyson started her journey in martial arts by taking a self defense class offered by Seven Star. She didn’t realize she would also be learning kung fu and quickly became hooked by the beauty and efficient fighting style of kajukenbo.

Since 2014, Sigung Allyson has worked with the WAVE (Women Against Violence Everywhere) Foundation’s Discover Your Power program (formerly known as Fight the Fear Campaign). Working with other Seattle area self defense instructors and educators, she develops and teaches empowerment self defense classes to take into public schools and the community at large. Sigung Al has also shared her teaching skills as an invited instructor at the Pacific Association of Women Martial Artists (PAWMA) and the National Women’s Martial Arts Federation (NWMAF) annual training camps.

In working with diverse populations teaching self defense and a self defense-based martial art, Sigung Allyson uses humor, compassion and ferocity to teach her students that they have the power and responsibility to stand up for themselves and others.

Esther Howard

Esther Howard was promoted to 4th degree black belt in June 2019. She has been teaching at Seven Star since 1995 and is committed to the school for how it helps women to become physically fit, find and develop their power, and enjoy a sense of community. Esther’s involvement in the martial arts extends beyond the walls of Seven Star. She has served as board president of the Pacific Association of Women Martial Artists and is a member of the Association of Women Martial Arts Instructors.

Justine Simkins

Justine began training in Kajukenbo at Seven Star in 2006 but this was not her first introduction to the Martial Arts. Inspired by the Ninja Turtles, she started training in Kenpo at the age of 8 and has tried many other styles since, including Jeet Kune Do, Brazilian Jujitsu and Eskrima. At Seven Star she found her Martial Arts home. She loves sparring, weapons, rolling around on the floor and training with a community of women who are way cooler than Ninja Turtles.

Judith Pile

By great fortune, Judith Pile found martial arts and Seven Star in 2009 with her daughter, and once she started she was hooked. Judith now holds the rank of black belt. The combined emphasis on fighting and taking care of one’s partners and oneself resonated, and she found the practice helping her both physically and mentally. Her favorite part of teaching is seeing people move from being unsure and timid to developing skills, tools, and most importantly the knowledge that they are worth defending and able to do it. She teaches both Kajukenbo and self defense, and wants all women who come through Seven Star to use their training and the supportive community of Seven Star to realize their own incredible power.

Tyler LePard

Tyler has been training at Seven Star Women’s Kung Fu since 2011 and holds the rank of black belt. She started because of a curiosity about martial arts and stayed because of the wonderful community and the opportunities to kick and punch each other. Tyler was a dancer growing up, played ultimate frisbee in college, and dabbled a bit in American boxing, but Kajukenbo is her favorite combination of fun, fitness, friendship, and self-defense. She also trains in Tai Chi with Sifu Michelle Pleasant at Fusion Kung Fu.

Sunniva Zaratkiewicz

Sunniva has been training at Seven Star since 2005. Thriving on the cultivation of strength through kindness to self and others, she embraces how Seven Star promotes the physical and mental growth of its students in a supportive atmosphere. Sunniva sees martial arts as a way of life that doesn’t end when one leaves their training space and she enjoys integrating the lessons she learns through her training into her everyday life. Creating an environment that is inclusive of all, fun, and powerful is what she strives for in her classes. She is deeply grateful for her training partners and takes great pleasure in witnessing others gain confidence, strength, and happiness through their practice.

Shana Reiss de Reyes

Shana started training at Seven Star in 2011, thinking that it might be a good place to get some exercise for a few months. She quickly realized that training in Kajukenbo is much more than that, finding an inclusive community and empowerment through mutual support. Shana now holds the rank of brown belt. Through her classes, she enjoys helping other women to feel their own power and strength, mentally and physically. Her favorite parts of training are learning new things every time, especially the small details, and having a place where yelling and kicking things is encouraged.

Bonnie Loshbaugh

In 2008, Bonnie Loshbaugh won a place in a Seven Star beginners’ cycle during a fundraising auction–a bit of luck which has paid off immensely. Bonnie loves the way that martial arts teaches you the limits of your body and the way that Seven Star provides a safe environment to test them! She earned her green belt in 2015 and began teaching soon after. As a teacher, Bonnie aims to balance a serious workout with occasional bouts of laughter. Bonnie has also served as Seven Star's unofficial official photographer and been invited to photograph the Pacific Association of Women Martial Artists (PAWMA) camp several times.

Allison Maine Israel