Lauren Kearney has been involved in the martial arts for over 16 years. At the young age of five, she began training under Master Greg Silva and Kai Blackstar in Coral Springs, Florida at East West Karate. Lauren, although not naturally skilled, worked hard to become among one of the top students in her karate school of over 1200. Lauren worked her way up with Master Silva in the ranks to acquire a black belt in American Kenpo and eventually move on to become one of the elite seven members of the Superstar Team, a traveling demonstration team.

In 1995 when the new owner and head instructor of East West Karate, Roger Krahl, introduced Lauren to local competitions it would eventually lead to her pursuit of something greater in the competitive sport martial arts industry. Lauren excelled almost immediately in the local circuits dominating Weapons and Forms competition, but it would be in July of 1995 that she would get the true taste of reality. Lauren attended the US Open to participate in one of the countries largest tournaments. After trying her luck and walking home with a finalist award in sparring, it would be the Night of Champions Finals show that would help Lauren to realize she had much to learn about competition. It was there she would for the first time see her one day mentor and weapon’s coach, Casey Marks, and declared that she too would too would one day be on stage at the US Open competing in the Night of Champions Finals show.

Lauren continued to compete locally doing the regional and state circuits until 1998. In the first few years following her visit to the US Open, Lauren only competed in a few nationally rated competitions, the most in one year never exceeding five events. It wouldn’t be until the summer of 1999 were she would finally get her big break and follow the NASKA tournament circuit full time to following year. After four years of attempting but falling short of her dream, Lauren finally had made it to the US Open Night of Champions Finals show as a competitor in the girls’ weapons competition.

She has since won numerous titles in both Forms and Weapons and was the first person ever to win seven NASKA world titles in one year. In 2002 Lauren was asked to be a part of yet, another of her dreams, Team Paul Mitchell. Lauren has excelled every year in competition and has continued to find new ways to surprise even herself in the competitive world. Lauren now competes with and against her teammate and mentor Casey Marks-Nash on a regular basis and has grown quite a bit since her first attempt at competition in the ten and under division in 1995.