Sensei Doris Sands

Sensei Doris Sands was motivated to investigate the study and practice of martial arts and meditation as a pathway to her spiritual Self. While meditating one day Sands, a stay at home mother of toddler twin girls and a preschool son, had images of herself practicing the “Sai” wearing a white gi. Never having seen a Sai, Sands thought the idea was crazy but soon after joining a health club she met Sensei Robert Heale Mason.  Being true to her meditative image, Sands was assertive in asking Sensei Charles Lewis, the chief weapons instructor, to teach her the Sai until finally he agreed. Sands, who has a degree in design, approached her karate as an art form and the Sai and other weapons Sensei Lewis would teach her became important tools in her expression of this art. Weapons Forms in particular was her medium for self-expression.

Ms. Sands was awarded her Shodan (first-degree black belt) from the University Karate Center under the instruction of Sensei Robert Heale Mason on Friday, November 13, 1987. Sensei Sands trained with an emphasis on self-defense and weapons. She assisted Mr. Mason in teaching women’s self-defense and later became Broward Community College’s women’s self-defense instructor. Sands taught empty hand and weapons classes at the karate schools well as children’s karate classes for private preschools, which included self-defense and stranger safety programs. Ms. Sands shared the spirit of the karate school by performing and demonstrating karate at community events. 

After earning her second Dan black belt, Sensei Sands studied Tai Chi with the well-known and respected Grandmaster Lee Koon Hung. She also competed at top-rated and world competitions from 1994 to 1996. She has received coverage from Florida newspapers and in 1996 won first place in women’s forms in the five-star rated Florida Gold Coast Classic Martial Arts Championship, which Sensei Mason promotes annually, performing her Tai Chi form. It was reported and photographed for the national and well-respected Inside Kung Fu Magazine. Sands competed in World Kung Fu competitions and was second in women’s fighting in 1994-1996, second and third in forms in 1994-1996, and fourth place in sword forms in 1996. Ms. Sands has also judged and refereed at top rated karate tournaments.

 Sensei Sands other interests led her to cross-train with Hatha Yoga many years, and in 1997-1998 she became certified as a yoga instructor after attending teacher training with Joann Evans. While teaching karate Sands worked as a sports massage therapist for Hialeah Race Track and Pompano Harness Track. She also massaged martial artists, rowers, runners as well as chronic pain patients. Sands created “Physical Arts”, a program combining movement, exercise and play and has been teaching this successful program to 2-5 year olds since 1986 at Southwind schools in Broward County. Mr. Mason continues to supervise and teach the Karate classes at all four Southwind locations. 

Ms. Sands always considered the most important aspect of her martial arts training to be that of the spirit. Combining meditation, physical training and ancient knowledge has made Sensei Sands’ journey into martial arts one of vision and self-discovery. In 1995 Sands met and studied with Dr. Chao Chen, a Qi Gong master who deepened her knowledge of internal training and meditation. Dr. Chen, in 2002 established the Light Wisdom Health Society and invited Sands to teach. She happily accepted this invitation to share the knowledge of Qi Gong, which brought health and happiness to her own life.

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