Instructors
Sun Dragon’s black belt instructors have been training in martial arts and self defense for a combined total of 57 years.
Sensei Joy Williamson, Head Instructor
Joy Williamson began her martial arts training in 1995, after taking
a self-defense class. She studied with Sensei Suzanne Pinette at Sun
Dragon, earning her black belt in Kyokushin Karate in 2000. Joy soon
began teaching at Sun Dragon, then was requested to take over
leadership of the school when her teacher retired. She has been the
Executive Director and Head Instructor of Sun Dragon since 2004.
Sensei Joy is now a direct student of Jun Shihan Nancy Lanoue and
Kyoshi Sarah Ludden of Thousand Waves in Chicago, Illinois. She also
trains with Kaicho Tadashi Nakamura at the Seido World Headquarters
in New York. She received her Shodan in Seido Karate in 2007.
Senpai KJ Scheib, Instructor
Senpai KJ began studying Kyokushin karate in 1999 under Sun Dragon
founder Sensei Suzanne Pinette. In 2001, KJ reduced her karate
training schedule in order to join the Women’s Profession Football
League (WPFL) and later in 2004 the National Women’s Football
Association. She was still able to earn her Kyokushin black belt in
November 2004. In October 2007, after training with Sensei Joy
Williamson at Sun Dragon, she earned her black belt in Seido Karate
from Jun Shihan Nancy Lanoue of Thousand Waves Martial Arts. Senpai KJ
has also studied Judo, Kajukenbo, and Tai Chi.
Senpai Susan “George” Schorn, Instructor
Senpai George received her black belt in Kyokushin karate in November 2002 from Sun Dragon founder Sensei Suzanne Pinette. In October 2007, after training with Sensei Joy Williamson at Sun Dragon, she received her black belt in Seido Karate from Jun Shihan Nancy Lanoue of Thousand Waves Martial Arts. Senpai George specializes in verbal self defense and workplace relationships. She has four college degrees, one son, one daughter, and one husband of twenty years.
Senpai Denise Szymczak, Instructor
[image coming soon!]
After a lifetime without any particular interest in any kind of
physical activity, Denise Szymczak started training at Sun Dragon
when she was 32, in 1999. She received a black belt in Kyokushin
Karate in June 2004, and another in Seido Karate in October 2007. She
is a speech-language pathologist in the public schools, which means she
has to get up very early in the morning, except in the summertime.
Denise also enjoys writing, cooking, gardening, watching bad TV, and
taking voice lessons. She’s not very good at knitting, but she likes
to do that too. She has a nice husband who plays the bass, and too
many pets to reveal their number to strangers on a website like this
one.
Senpai Amy Jones, Instructor
Senpai Amy Jones received her Kyokushin black belt in June 0f 2006, and her Seido black belt in October of 2007. She enjoys teaching both children and adults, and regularly teaches the Saturday morning all-school class. Senpai Amy is the unofficial Sun Dragon webmaster.
Senpai Chad Petersen, Instructor
Originally raised in Chicago, Chad first studied Judo at the age of ten. Two years later, having dropped his practice of Judo, he began training at Thousand Waves, a Seido Karate school founded by Nancy Lanoue and Sarah Ludden (now Jun-Shihan Nancy and Kyoshi Sarah). Progressing through the kids and teen program into the adult classes, he received his shodan in 2000. While in college he was vice president of the Macalester Asian Martial Arts club, a club that competed in the Diamond National Tournament in Saint Paul, Minnesota and held various campus demonstrations. Chad and other senior member of the group also choreographed and stared in “Kung-fu Hamlet,” a stage production that won “best of the fringe” at the Fringe Festival. This subsequently earned the production a second run in the Twin Cities. Since moving to Austin in 2004, Chad has continued his martial arts training and teaching. He has been training in the Brazilian martial art of capoeira for the last four years as well as recently joining with Sun Dragon this past year to train and instruct Seido karate.
Sensei Suzanne Pinette, Sun Dragon Founder
Sensei Suzanne Pinette opened Sun Dragon Martial Arts in 1989. Since then, thousands of women have benefited from training with her, including her students who currently run the school.
Sensei Pinette has been training in various martial arts styles since 1971. She received her black belt in Kyokushin from Sensei Peg Strain in 1987 in Bloomington, Indiana. She is an active member of the National Women’s Martial Arts Federation and the Association of Women Martial Arts Instructors.