Karate clan - Mom, son and daughter get their kicks together

Members of the Kaufmann demonstrate some of the skills that earned them black belts in karate. Chronicle photo CURTIS CLEGG

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DeKALB - Some families play board games or watch baseball together. But the Kaufmann family spends their quality time blocking each other's kicks and punches. Barbara, 51, and her children, Rachel, 22, and Joe, 19, each have their black belts in karate. Rachel and Joe are at the fifth level for black belt, and Barbara is at the fourth. There are 10 black-belt levels. &#8220They're unique,” said Herman Kussro, who taught the family karate. &#8220You don't often see a mom, daughter and son all with blackbelts. And Barbara's terrific. She's an assistant instructor and has come a long way.” Since Rachel and Joe were children, every Tuesday and Thursday nights were for family and karate. They still take classes those nights and now also teach younger students karate at the Kishwaukee YMCA. Despite living apart or how busy the family gets, &#8220we always have Tuesday and Thursdays,” Barbara said. Rachel will graduate in May from Northern Illinois University, where she's studied public health. Joe attends Kishwaukee College, and Barbara works in NIU's career services department. Rachel and Joe started taking karate in August 1993 while at their father's home in Florida, because &#8220it looked fun,” Rachel said. Barbara said she encouraged their interest because she wanted them to be involved in a sport, but &#8220I didn't want to be a soccer mom.” Their concentration and balance improved after starting karate, Barbara said. Joe said the lessons helped him become more outgoing and self-assured. Rachel said she gained a better awareness of her surroundings. &#8220There's an awareness, like when I walk into a place, I'm aware of where everyone and everything in it,” she said. A few years ago, she lived in Philadelphia amid a string of daytime muggings. A friend who approached her from behind and put his fingers in her back as though they were a gun and demanded money. Without thinking, she reacted, dropping him to the ground. In 2000, Barbara took a woman's self defense class and loved it. She wanted to learn more self-defense moves. Her children encouraged her to take karate and she &#8220got hooked.” &#8220It's the best exercise,” she said. &#8220It doesn't matter how bad your day was, because when you're here, you focus and forget it all.” She said she's received a sense of accomplishment in setting goals for belts and then achieving those. Karate students earn new belts when they learn a series of moves, almost like a dance, that they perform for the instructor. They also learn to apply the moves, so that if ever they were attacked, they could defend themselves. To receive higher belts, students also must teach less-advanced students and pass written tests. &#8220You learn better as you teach,” Barbara said, adding that when teaching the children in the school, she has to break down moves that she's used to simply doing. For Rachel, getting her black belt was &#8220kind of spiritual” because she had to set goals, work hard and learn more about herself. Joe agrees. &#8220People change when they go from brown belt to black belt,” he said. &#8220They become examples for others and take on responsibility.” They have to teacher the less advanced students the code of their karate school, such as to always show courtesy and respect, solve problems through logic and reason and use karate only in self-defense. &#8220When people learn I have a black belt, they say, ‘So, you can kick my ass,'” Rachel said. &#8220I probably could, but it's not about beating people up.” Instead, its about challenging herself, spending time with friends and family and keeping in shape, she said. Knowing she could kick butt is just a bonus. Renee Messacar can be reached at rmessacar@daily-chronicle.com.