Sensei Stacee | 4th Dan

Sensei Stacee Kopastsis has been training in Seido karate since 1995. Her love for martial arts started at the young age of eight, when she would sit and watch her older brother practice his kata and break wood. Having been told that ballet was more practical for girls, she didn’t start her own karate journey until 20 years later when she happened to be walking down 23rd Street and heard the familiar, thundering kiais ringing out from the open windows of Honbu.

She has regularly competed in Seido’s inter-dojo and Annual & Benefit tournaments, experiences that she says gave her and her training partners the opportunity to elevate their practice in a more targeted way than general classes. She was awarded the Sogo (all-around) Champion title in 2002 and 2004, an honor that she credits to the inspiration and wisdom gained from her seniors and peers.

During several of her earlier years at Seido, Sensei Stacee also studied Krav Maga and taught street self defense to teenage girls, as well as at women's self defense seminars at Honbu. She is now honored to be teaching two white belt classes at Honbu, an experience that she says has deepened her understanding of the benefits of training beyond the physical. Teaching foundational basics is also a healthy reminder for her of the importance of remaining a white belt at heart while she wears her black belt.