(Soolmaz Abooali) I was born in Iran, in a small town in the south. Yes, I am a "small town" girl. I left Iran with my parents soon after the Islamic Revolution. From that point, we moved to various countries including Pakistan, Bangladesh (and were dirt poor), until we were granted refugee status in Canada. So, we settled in one of the coldest places in Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba... my parents sacrificed a lot for our future. 
 
Long story short, I moved to the US with my family a while later. I recently graduated with my Master's degree in Peace Operations Policy at George Mason University and am in pursuit of a Ph.D. in Conflict Analysis and Resolution.

(DL)  How long have you been practicing karate?

(SA) I've been doing karate for 14 years now. I started in Canada. My father had practiced Shotokan Karate back in Iran, so I think my interest stemmed from this. I just remember wanting to watch "action" or "ninja" movies all the time from the age of 4 or 5. 
 
My father was forced to restart his electrical engineering education while in Canada because none of the credits from Iran or Bangladesh were accepted. At this university, he found a karate club, which was for adults only, meaning that at the age of 12, I wasn't allowed to train. So, for a month, I showed up to every class (twice a week) with my dad and watched from the back of the dojo (training area), while my dad would ask at the end of every class if I could now join the training. Finally, as you can imagine, my instructor said, "The hell with it!" and ushered me to join the line. I still remember that moment. I was in disbelief; my dream had finally come true. I could almost hear music when I stepped onto the dojo. So corny. But true.

In the United States, I continued my Traditional Karate training with my current instructor, Sensei Michael Tabassi, who is a direct student of Sensei Hidetaka Nishiyama. This is when I truly began training and competing at another level. With guidance and opportunities presented to me, I began training 5-6 days a week and did lifting or calisthenics outside of class. In high school and undergrad, this schedule was much easier to keep up. [Right now, being married, in school, working full time and traveling, it's a little challenging to make the same routine work.] No matter what though, karate is so much a part of who I am, who I want to be, and how strong it makes me feel that I'm thinking about it all the time, always sacrificing.

(DL)  What skills have you learned from karate, apart from athletic ones?

(SA) I've learned that consistent practice, dreaming, setting goals and visualizing that I'm achieving them are applicable to every aspect of life. Further, karate has given me the physical and emotional confidence to believe in myself, to stand up for what I think is right or to simply say what's on my mind when I need to. These lessons go a long way. 

Silver Medalist, World Cup Championship
Poland 2009

(DL) What does it take to become a world-class athlete?

(SA)  Practice and the right attitude. And talent.

(DL) Traditional karate is a very popular sport in many parts of Europe and South America. However, the numbers of Americans doing traditional karate seem to dwindle every year. Why do you think that is?

(SA)  My opinion is that government support, geographic proximity and values are the reasons for this dwindling number. The government in those countries pays athletes thousands of dollars for placing in competition, and when in world history has money never been an incentive? Second, the countries in South America and in Europe are so close to one another that there are fewer travel costs and less time needed to get together for competitions where you can test your skills. Third, American values differ greatly from those of Europeans and South Americans. We are very time-centric, ambition-driven, multi-tasking people. Time is short for us. If we dedicate an entire day, much less a weekend for example, this means that we have sacrificed many other things to be able to train. This is not the case in Europe and South America, where things are much more relaxed.

I hope to be an example for American athletes in Traditional Karate. It is not impossible to do many things and be successful at each - it's just not easy.

Soolmaz Abooali, World Cup Championship
Poland, 2009

(DL) In competing with your European and South American counterparts, have you noticed any differences worth mentioning?

(SA) I was pretty amazed at what I encountered at the World Cup. Fierceness, intensity and and camaraderie were among the top. This is an interesting combination because outside the ring or training area, we were laughing and getting to know one another (despite the language barriers) but inside the ring, we were all business! It can be very hard for fighters to be this way because it's difficult to fight people you like. The challenge is to click it on or off at any given moment - and that takes skill.

(DL) You were recently interview on Voice of America, Farsi with an audience of 20 million viewers. Can you tell us what kinds of questions you were asked?

(SA) The interview was about my achievements in karate and my work at the United States Institute of Peace on sports and peacebuilding. Primarily, I was asked about how my how and when I began karate, what my competition experience has been like, how karate can be used for building peace, what my education is in and what I do at work.

After the interview, I received many Facebook messages from Iranian men and women around the world - messages of support and encouragement in my karate endeavors and my sports and peacebuilding efforts. It was so heartwarming to know that people I don't even know took the time to reach out to me and express their thoughts.

(DL) You spar against both men and women in your karate training. Are there differences in the give and take of energy when sparring with other women or the other gender?

(SA) Yes, there are energy differences. Men are very good at being in the moment when they fight (maybe in life too). In terms of energy, it is much more focused and directed. Women, on the other hand, have many things going on in their minds at any one moment, and in terms of energy this makes it wilder, sometimes harder for an opponent to stabilize and control. It's good for a fighter to get a little bit of both, because as the philosopher Thomas Paine stated, "Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful."

Soolmaz Abooali, Enbu Competition

(DL) You train and spar with men who are much bigger than you. What do you learn from that experience?

(SA) There are not many people who are not bigger than me. But it's great to fight with men who are much bigger. For one, I can hit them without worrying that they took offense and second, they teach me how to work with stronger, more overwhelming opponents. As a result, I go full on. You always learn more when you go 200%.

The reality is that everyone, beginner or advanced, man or woman has something to offer.

(DL)  Talk to us about injuries.

(SA)  I think any athlete you talk to would say that injuries are the worst. It's just another annoying obstacle. Yes, I have been injured before. I've fractured my nose, I've been hit all over. I've never stopped training during these times. I view karate as a way of life, so why would I stop living life? Training is a part of karate as a way of life, so again, why would I stop training?? Yes, there may be times when it is smarter to let things heal before continuing training, but what I do is very light training in those situations.

(DL) What kind of energy awareness have you learned through karate? We're thinking about good energy vs. bad energy, neutral energy, antagonistic energy, etc. Is there an emotional energetic awareness (rage, loss of control, etc.) in competition and training?

(SA) I've learned to recognize these different kinds of energies and trust what I feel. Something I'm working on now is recognizing and trusting these energies when I feel them from a distance. This is when prevention truly takes place and what martial arts is about.

(DL)  Karate has obviously been a big part of your life, but outside of training and competition, has it actually changed or shaped your life in any way?

(SA)  Absolutely it has. I'm a very tiny person: 5' and small framed. So, it's very important for me to feel that I can protect myself. Emotionally, it has helped me learn how to be calm when I need to be. So, it's taught me how to get a handle on my emotions... for the most part. No one's perfect! Spiritually, karate fills me up inside, makes me feel whole, and heightens my sensitivity to things that are not visible but are very much around us - I love it. I crave it. So these combined benefits create a complete circle for me, with karate as the center. Having said the above, you might be able to see how I could never be the same person without karate in my life.

(DL) In terms of your own personal healthcare, are you pro-active in managing your own health or do you rely on doctors?

(SA)  I usually do a lot of research on my own: reading, speaking to people practicing holistic medicine or Eastern medicine. But I don't discount doctors practicing Western medicine either. I use the best of both worlds. I also read and pay attention to centenarians' advice, the ones who are extremely healthy and active - they have great tips on what to eat and what not to eat, what rules to live by, etc. 

(DL) Tell us about your diet, what vitamins, minerals and supplements you take.

(SA) I drink a lot of water and herbal teas throughout the day. And I try not to eat after 9 pm. In terms of vitamins, I don't take too many: one fish oil, one calcium, vitamins C and B complex.

(DL) Persian culture is remarkable, but sadly little known in the West. Any Persian remedies you can share?


(DL) Soolmaz, thanks so much for this opportunity to speak with you and may we wish you all the best for the future! Newsletter readers, we enthusiastically recommend the links below to learn more about Soolmaz, her training, and her work.