Sigung Michelle McVadon

Sigung Michelle McVadon retired from her Co-Chief instructor role in Jan 2025. She continues teaching advanced classes and mentoring her Black belt students. She 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 was promoted to 7th degree black belt by Grand Master Barbara Bones. She also holds a 3rd degree black belt in Aikido, and a black belt in Seido Jiujitsu.

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

Sifu Allyson Riley

Chief Instructor Sifu Allyson Riley has been training at Seven Star since 1993 and holds the rank of 6th degree black belt. She began promoting her own students in 2013, was named Co-Chief Instructor by Sigung Michelle McVadon in 2015 and became Chief Instructor in 2025.

Sifu Al has been an invited instructor at the Pacific Association of Women Martial Artists (PAWMA), the National Women's Martial Arts Federation (NWMAF), and the Association of Women Martial Arts Instructors (AWMAI) annual training camps.

Sifu 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.

In teaching a self defense-based martial art, Sifu Allyson uses compassion, humor and ferocity to show her students that they have the power to stand up for themselves and others.

Sifu Gina Mares Kurtz

Assistant Head Instructor, Sifu Gina, has been training at Seven Star since 2004 and holds the rank of 4th Degree Black Belt. Gina’s goal in teaching is to share and impart the joy that training brings to her life. She finds the most rewarding part of teaching is witnessing the evolution of a student, to watch them gain strength and confidence as they grow and transform as a martial artist. Gina enjoys teaching high energy classes with a focus on basics, fighting skills, sparring, and weapons. Gina runs Seven Star’s self defense program teaching self defense in the broader Seattle community and training Seven Star’s students to become self defense instructors.  She has run Seven Star’s business operations since 2010, first as Business Manager/Director and currently as the school’s Executive Director.  As of 2021, Sifu Gina is Seven Star’s current Active Sifu (all new students at Seven Star are her students),

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 students 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.

Tyler LePard

Tyler has been training at Seven Star since 2011 and holds the rank of 2nd degree black belt. They 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 in American boxing and Tai Chi, but Kajukenbo is their favorite combination of fun, fitness, friendship, and self-defense. Tyler loves to share the joy that training brings them through the classes they teach. They have served on the Steering Committee (board of directors) for Seven Star and other nonprofit organizations

Dawn Monet

Dawn Monet began studying Kajukenbo in 2001, joining Seven Star in 2004, and now holds the rank of black belt. While she loves the physical challenge of Kajukenbo’s depth of material, she focuses her teaching on body mechanics, alignment and strategies for injury prevention/recovery. Dawn began her movement journey as a dancer, holding a BFA in Dance from UCSB; she is a certified Tamalpa Practitioner and certified Movement Ritual instructor.

Judith 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 wants all students who come through Seven Star to use their training and the supportive community of Seven Star to realize their own incredible power.

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 black belt and enjoys exploring how small changes in angles or positioning affect the movement and impact partners. Through her classes, she hopes to help others feel powerful, mentally and physically. She enjoys exploring weapons in martial arts 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 how martial arts teaches you the limits of your body and that Seven Star provides a safe environment to test them! She currently holds a black belt in Kajukenbo and began teaching at Seven Star in 2015. In teaching, Bonnie enjoys piecing together different aspects of the art together around a united theme while balancing a serious workout with occasional bouts of laughter. As a part of the Seven Star community, she has served a term as president of Seven Star's committee, photographed many school events, designed t-shirts, and helped to develop Seven Star's current logo in 2010.

Allison Maine Israel

Allison started training at Seven Star in the spring of 2008 as a way to diversify her martial arts experience and knowledge. She is currently a black belt in Kajukenbo and holds a second degree black belt in Aikido from previous training. She loves the supportive community and committed Sifus as well as the mental and physical training at Seven Star. Allison particularly loves to teach rolling, ukemi (the art of partnering) and sparring.

Shelley Smith

Shelly began training at Seven Star in 2009 and currently holds the rank of black belt. She originally began studying martial arts because she is a big fan of kung fu movies and wanted to learn the skills she admired in cinema. She loves Kajukenbo for its practical fighting skills and versatility. She has also studied Chen Tai Chi Sword and Eskrima. Shelly has been teaching for over 10 years and likes seeing students gain confidence through learning fighting techniques. She also enjoys teaching bladed weapons.

Chaya Klarnet

Chaya started training at Seven Star in 2018 and currently holds the rank of brown belt. They signed up for the beginners cycle to gain some basic self defense skills, and fell in love with the art. Through Kajukenbo, Chaya learned to reconnect with their body and own their power. Chaya especially loves teaching classes on sparring and Kaj basics. They believe that none of us are free until everyone is free.

Elia Grenier

Elia started training in early 2017 while living nearby in the Central District. Their Kajukenbo practice gave them the confidence to solo travel to Europe and to walk in cities alone at night. After assisting and co-teaching in self defense and beginners cycles, Elia started solo teaching as a green belt in 2024, attended the AWMAI martial arts instructors’ conference in 2026, and currently holds the rank of brown belt.  She enjoys weight lifting, dancing, and being able to help others feel strong and confident in their body and spirit.

Catrina Cuevas

Cat (she/her) took the beginner cycle in the winter of 2016 wanting to fight off the winter blues, and feeling a desire to be stronger - physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. As a competitive athlete and dancer, she loves the intersections, structure and creativity that parallel her Kajukenbo training. Cat is currently a green belt and loves bringing her joy of life and teaching to this martial art. She is continually inspired by the community, our amazing potlucks, and our lineage of martial artists who believe they and our communities are worth protecting.

Mitch A.

Mitch started training at Seven Star in 2016 and currently holds the rank of green belt. After a childhood as a short, bookish kid who hated sports, they are continuously shocked and delighted by the feeling of generating power on the training floor. They love the pragmatic, intuition-driven creativity of kajukenbo, especially sparring and street fighting. Mitch also studies Qigong and Master Su Zifang’s mixed style of Sun Taijiquan, Xingyiquan, and Baguazhang. They believe deeply in the transformative experience of training in martial arts, practicing mental and physical self-regulation, and learning community-based self defense skills.

Narisa Spaulding

Narisa began training in March 2016 after attending a “Try class” with a friend, wanting practical self-defense skills, and staying for fighting - both fancy, and brutal. Turns out, having a competition- and judgement-free space for physical and mental challenge, plus individual creative expression, is good for your mental health and flows into all aspects of your life. She now holds the rank of green belt, and serves as mentor to white belts, focusing on helping beginners feel connected to their bodies, and tap into their power. Her teaching draws inspiration from cross-training in Sun style tai chi, horseback archery, and yoga, which shape how she approaches movement and body awareness.

Chris Landingin / Tugboat

Tugboat came to the school in January 2015 looking for community in Seattle. Not only did he find fun and fascinating people who throw a delicious potluck, he found a martial art practice that helps him develop a joyful and compassionate relationship with his own body. He currently holds the rank of green belt. Tugboat enjoys the many facets of the kaj curriculum from forms to street fighting and our confidence-building self defense program. He relishes opportunities to teach both.  Learning that his trans body and life are worth defending has been transformative for Tugboat and he hopes to keep passing this message along to all who come to the school and take self defense classes. You are worth defending.

Susan Chin

Josie Lundquist
Administrative Director

Josie joined the staff at Seven Star as the Business Manager in January 2022. After 3 years of expanding her skillset while tending to the needs of the school, she transitioned into the role of Administrative Director in January 2025. Her duties in database management, regulatory compliance, issuing weekly newsletters, handling space rentals, purchasing, accounting, payroll, and various discretionary tasks are instrumental to the successful functioning of the organization. She values being a part of the community and is excited to continue learning and growing within the non-profit environment.