User:Steven C Cash

Steven C. Cash Is an Senior Riverine Analyst, currently working on a PhD at the University of Southern Mississippi. The Dissertation topic is "A Multi-Sensor Fusion Analysis of the Pascagoula river Basin"

Steve Cash – 6th Degree Black Belt in Shotokan Karate

I started in karate when I was 14 and earned my black belt when I was 19 years old. In 1970, I won the Southern Regionals in the AAU, and have enjoyed competing and refereeing ever since. I never set out to become a Black Belt, it’s something that just happened and now has become a way of life, starting on 45 years now.

I got into breaking things and examining my Ki for several years. I guess I proved something – or perhaps nothing; and am not interested anymore. My head and hands are of better use in conjunction with my computer. I taught classes at Hinds Community College as a PE credit, have owned several karate schools (Mars Arms Kickboxing in Jackson, MS and the Golden Triangle Shotokan in Columbus, MS and taught classes in other places Olympic Karate in Atlanta, the Bushidokan in Kansas City, as well as local classes in and around Jackson, MS. For many years I was not interested in attaining rank, only in the competition, but in the past 20 years or so have been tested numerous times an have earned rank up to 6th Degree. Once again, I am no longer interested in the rank, just the knowledge.

After working my way through school at the University of Southern Mississippi (BS 1981) and MS in 1992. I worked as a professional scientist for several independent firms including state and federal government jobs and now am an Oceanographer with the US naval Oceanographic Office at Stennis Space Center. Working as a consultant and as a ship riding Oceanographer has made it impossible for me to teach regular classes for the past 15 years.

But on the other hand gave me the opportunity to train with many schools and systems. I am now in a non- traveling billet and began to compete in earnest again after a few just here and there. In 2005 I was inducted into the Mississippi Karate Association “Black Belt Hall of Fame” and was awarded the “Competitor of the Year in Overall Blackbelt divisions after winning 1st place in Sparring, Kata and 1st runner up in Weapons. After Hurricane Katrina I suffered some injuries, and have had to work hard to overcome them, but in 2006 I still managed to win 1st runner up in Weapons and in Kata.