ABOUT CLARA E MINOR
Clara E minor's Hello to Santa Cruz !
Clara E Minor’s work is all about the Members. Her Specialty is empowering Women to feel great in their bodies, and fantastic about their bodies. This helps them develop the ability to make their own choices through Self-Defense Classes and Fitness training.
Sharing what Ms Clara’s learned throughout her life, it’s an honor to share her experience and skills with others. Helping people, and especially Women and Girls, find that power in their bodies, creates a strong foundation for all the training.
Experience has taught Clara E Minor…
Her quote is the most powerful thing she’s learned: the human body is more brilliant than the human mind. Women and Girls can get a brilliant body thru self-defense classes and fitness training.
Women learn to empower their bodies by learning skills used for self-defense. These skills allow them to make empowered choices, and not what is already ‘programmed’ in their bodies. (Those times when you go ‘darn, why didn’t I say anything?!!?’ …or…’ugghhh….wish I had been able to tell him off!’)
The Rest of Her Training Background
The following martial arts are in Clara E Minor’s background: LimaLama (with a heavy dose of American Boxing), Shito-Ryu Karate, American Kenpo, Sil-Lum Kung Fu, Chi-Gung, Wing Chun, and Aikido.
Ms Minor took classes and trainings in Women’s Self-Defense from different groups in the Greater Bay Area, LA, and TX. Several of these were Women’s Martial Arts camps put on by P.A.W.M.A (Pacific Association of Women Martial Artists). Cabrillo College offered semester-long classes (16 weeks/3 hours per class), taught by Gail Groves. Weekend workshops were also a part of her training.
She’s got a joy in all this
Thru all this training, she developed what she teaches today. Her biggest joy comes from seeing smiling faces, sweaty bodies, and happy people, at the end of every class. She’s learned that Self-Defense is one of the most powerful ways to bring out each Woman’s BadassCourage.
Clara E Minor received her certification to teach the system of LIMALAMA Arts of Self-Defense in 1988. Mr. Tino Tuiolosega, Grandmaster and Founder of LimaLama Arts of Self-Defense awarded her the rank.
The name Kemposilama was granted to her many years ago. It differentiated her Studio from the other Black Belts’ studios in the community (all had different names).
Mr. Tino Tuiolosega, GrandMaster
Her teacher, popularly known as ‘Mr. Tino’ in the martial arts world, was quite the challenge. Lots of people quit (40 people whittled down to 6, then 4). They simply weren’t up for dealing with what his personality demanded.
At the end of Ms Clara’s 12-year stint with him, it had become a team of four students. The four worked hard because he wouldn’t accept anything less. He challenged them in different ways because he wanted them to be good—not even good, he wanted great.
She stuck it out because she wanted to learn the magnificence of what she was experiencing, and to learn it well. Experiencing a strong body was her ultimate goal, while at the same time, earning a Black Belt Degree.
A Woman alone
As the only woman in a team of six, and eventually, a team of four, they all worked out hard with each other…and sweat…and pounded. They just did it—because Mr. Tino (‘Pop’ to his top level students) wanted nothing less. And he wanted them to succeed.
Mr. Tino also wanted to give each of his Instructors their own unique name at each of their respective schools, hence the name Kemposilama to her (and her former partner).
Her own way got it’s own name
Since then she’s transitioned the name into MANOLAMA (the hand of wisdom). Her teacher was Samoan, and in his language, LIMALAMA translated to ‘the Hand of Wisdom.’
Clara E Minor is half Mexican and half Italian, so she used the Spanish language version ‘MANO’ ‘hand,’ to create MANOLAMA, the Hand of Wisdom, Spanish version.
This personal information gives you a background of her experience. It also gives her a palette to work from when she’s teaching Women and Girls.
This allows her to help individuals achieve their most powerful badass body ever, and in the process, to find their happiness and freedom.
ACHIEVEMENTS AND EXPERTISE
Conferences, workshops, hands-on seminars, as well as full-contact tournaments (as participant, and as judge), were all a part of her ex[erience. Plus, point tournaments (participant and judge), have all contributed to her ‘expertise’ in the realm of fighting.
How does this benefit you?
Ms Clara’s expertise helps her understand different body types, and how people move (or don’t). She can ‘see’ where energy is stuck and helps people to ‘unstuck’ it, and THAT feels incredible. This release gets individuals closer to their freedom.
Other Accomplishments and Achievements
I’ve directed and produced martial arts and self-defense demos for numerous events in the Santa Cruz/Monterey area.
Self-Defense Expert & Author
I developed and wrote a Self-Defense Manual for Instructors, one for Women, and one for a Children's Anti-Bully Safety Camp (which was held years ago). I know I don't know everything (wouldn't that be great! lol), but I do know what I'm doing. My experience and training has given me the ability to read people's bodies and know how best to teach them.
How did I train?
Of all my training, the most intense and beneficial involved my LimaLama workouts with my instructor, Mr. Tino Tuiolosega. (As I said earlier, my training spanned 12 years, and it was kick-butt training, no joke.) I put in over 26,000 hours with this man, with its emphasis on full-contact fighting. This provided me with the knowledge I needed about how to best teach Women.
Training Partners
My male Black Belt training partners pushed me to tap into my inner and physical strength. With guidance from Mr. Tino and spiritual support, I gained power and resilience. It was life-changing—I can help you find your #badasscourage too.
Award-Winning Martial Artist
Recipient of the Trailblazers Award (2019) from the Santa Cruz Women’s Commission, with numerous local accolades for martial arts and kickboxing. Dedicated to empowering women, girls, and welcoming all.
Empowering Women & Girls
Recognized among the Best 25 Martial Artists in the San Jose area (2017, 2018), honored with ‘Best of’ awards locally, and celebrated for uplifting women and girls through martial arts and community work.
AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
My Full Professorship was awarded by Grandmaster Tino Tuiolosega in 1988. I’m the only female to receive this level of expertise dirrctly from ‘Mr. Tino.’ I’ve owned a self-defense/fitness studio in Santa Cruz since 1985.
My Fitness Training
My additional training has been in the following Fitness formats: • Fitness Kickboxing (1996)
• Group Fitness Training (1999)
• BodyPump® Certifications (2000 & 2005)
• Pilates Mat Training (2001-2002)
• Zumba® Fitness Training (2007)
• StrongNation (2017)
Creating and developing a Fitness Kickboxing Certification (including manual), has enabled me to certify numerous individuals. They are currently teaching different types of fitness kickboxing classes, from Santa Barbara, to San Francisco, as well as in Santa Cruz.
Individual Programs
In 1988 I developed and created a Women’s Self-Defense Curriculum for day-long, weekend, and extended programs. This evolved into the following:
• Community Self-Defense
• Women’s Self-Defense
• Youth Workshops
• Bully Breakers Workshops
• Specialty Self-Defense Workshops for Groups
I regularly offer my Self-Defense Strategies & Skills Workshops, as well as my Weekend Workshop Course for Women. The Anti-Bully Program, ‘Bully Breakers’ (aptly named for our beautiful coastline in Santa Cruz) was developed to help groups, and schools to combat bullying in our community.
Nutrition Plays a Role Too...
Nutrition and food choices have been a conscious part of my life since 1972. Active studies in nutrition began in 1980. I attended my first nutrition classes in San Francisco. I’d run up to the City every weekend, and teach Macrobiotic Cooking classes (between 1982-1985).
With that being said, I’m a self-proclaimed Chocoholic! I also love to do graphic arts, work on my website, love to dance, play outside, ride Harley’s, and sail on our Monterey Bay! Traveling is a life-long passion and long road trips are nothing to me—I’ll jump on every opportunity. My desire to live a joyous life spills into all my classes.
Cabrillo College in Santa Cruz is where I took various classes, focusing on nutrition, health, wellness, weight loss, and human psychology. My current phase of study is thru Precision Nutrition.
ADVANCEMENTS AND DEVELOPMENT
I’m continually looking to advance all of my skills, personally and professionally. My current program, FighterFit, is constantly evolving as a self-defense method for women in everyday situations. It emphasizes power-generating life skills, boosts confidence, and builds self-esteem through the physical application of combat skills.
People learn to kick-butt, and to do so using their own spiritual guidance in choosing when it’s absolutely necessary. Helping Women cultivate their #BadassCourage,™ so they can fight for the life they want and find their freedom, is my motivation.
I’ll meet you in class, and help you start your journey to your baddest, most powerful self, ever!
You can drop me a note HERE
Would you Like More Info?
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