KIAI ACADEMY
MINDFUL BREAKTHROUGH
When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be ~ Lao Tzu
KIAI ACADEMY
MINDFUL BREAKTHROUGH
When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be ~ Lao Tzu
KIAI ACADEMY
KIAI
At KIAI Academy Masters Lobban and Dias create a safe tailored experience for people to awaken their Warrior Spirit and Zest for Life and Create the Possibilities to Generate a Breakthrough - a KIAI!
Kiai, pronounced KIE-UH, is a term used in martial arts for the spirited shout uttered when performing a move. Kiai acts as a declaration of your Indomitable Spirit, your internal desire to prevail, one that makes a person unique and gives them the hope, inner strength. and courage to face each day with a positive attitude.
Masters Derek Lobban & Tina Dias guide you through an exhilarating, energizing and empowering mind and body unique experience using MARTIAL ARTS techniques and cultivating MINDFULNESS ATTITUDES. In these practices your team members will challenge their body and mind getting them ready to break a board.
Start With a Breakthrough
Is your Team Craving a Mindset Shift?
Looking for a UNIQUE Experience for your team?
Want to create an unforgettable team experience?
Search no more!!!
Bring your team to the Dojang, Invite us into your space or meet us at a cool venue for a team mindful breakthrough!
Check out the events section for our Introductory promotional offer.
FOUNDER AND experience facilitator
MASTER Derek Lobban
MASTER Derek Lobban
MASTER Derek Lobban
MASTER DEREK LOBBAN - P. Eng., LSSBB, CCMP, 5th Dan Black Belt
Derek Lobban has been practicing Martial Arts for over 27 years, with a primary focus in Taekwondo and Hapkido. He is a student of the art and has spent the last 15 years inspiring and motivating individuals, families and teams to go beyond, break self-imposed limits and celebrate excellence. He has been teaching, coaching and mentoring students as young as 3.5 years young, from all walks of life, professions and socioeconomic backgrounds.
As a Professional Engineer, for the past 20 years, he applies the tenets of Taekwondo; Honesty, Integrity, Respect, Perseverance and Indomitable Spirit in his business interactions. He has broad cross-functional experience in facilitating, leading and managing projects at executive levels with a focus on developing leaders, high performing teams and improving efficiency. Key to his effectiveness is his ability to provide leadership and effective management of staff and business partners to influence commitment to the organization and deliver results. He has applied critical thinking, facilitation, communication, consultation, and interpersonal skills to build and manage effective stakeholder relationships, resulting in an energized, organized, high performing and focused workforce. He has been acknowledged for his coaching and mentoring talents and has derived tremendous satisfaction from transforming silo-like organizations into collaborative, results-driven entities.
Born in Trinidad and Tobago, Derek's energy, passion and zest for life has been influenced by the Caribbean culture. This upbringing enabled Derek to learn, understand and respect people from diverse cultures.
Master Lobban, an eternal optimist, lives life inspired by his philosophy:
•If I can imagine it , it can be possible…
•If it is possible, I can do it…
•I can do it ,if I truly believe in myself…
•I believe and trust in me…
Derek's goal is to remain a Martial Arts student and apply the benefits of Martial Arts to inspire and motivate people, around the world, to be the best version of themselves. Derek is a father and lives in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
MASTER Tina Dias
MASTER Derek Lobban
MASTER Derek Lobban
TINA DIAS – MA, PCC
Coach – Facilitator - Speaker - Retreat Leader - Artist
Tina has over 25 years of leadership experience in Business Operations and Human Resources and is a recipient of Rio-Tinto-Alcan people award for her work in Strategic Work And Talent (SWAT) teams focusing on business turnarounds.
In 2009, Tina started her leadership development and coaching practice focused on enabling behavior change. A dynamic and extremely artistic, creative and adaptable individual who can custom design and facilitate programs to meet her clients’ needs. As a professional certified coach, she utilizes her determination, passion for excellence, high standards, contagious positive outlook, and high emotional intelligence, to help individuals and teams create their own awareness and insight into the best opportunities and choices available to them.
Born in France to Portuguese parents, her innate ability to adapt to people from all cultures enabled Tina to establish a rapport and connection quickly with those she has supported in many diverse countries. Tina's work spans Asia, Europe, Canada, South America, The United States and Africa.
Tina trained at Coach U towards her PCC certification and holds a Master in Leadership from Royal Roads University. She is certified in Barry Oshry’s Organizational Workshop and Merging Cultures; Weisdbord and Janoff’s Future Search Methodology; Harvard’s Kegan and Lailey’s Immunity to Change; Hogan Assessments and Myers Briggs Type Inventory (MBTI); and a Licensed facilitator for the Corporate Coach U Coaching Clinic as well as EQ Mentor. Recently Tina studied, Leadership in Action and Somatic Transformation, including Trauma and Resilience at STROZZI where she practiced Aikido; Healing Shame at The Argyle Institute; Leadership in Action at The Institute for Generative Leadership; and The Certified Resilience Coach Program at The Leadership Wellness Group.
Tina’s focus is on Coaching, Facilitating, Speaking and Leading Retreats globally. She is fluently bilingual English – French and also speaks Portuguese and some Spanish. Tina lives in Toronto, Ontario Canada.
Testimonials
November, 2022 IMaPP Experience
Hello Master Lobban,
Thank you for facilitating a fantastic team building experience for Deloitte Digital through your IMAPP Breakthrough session in November. As an organization that has b
een around for many years, we have done all sorts of activities when it comes to team building exercises. This time, we were looking for something a little bit different and a little bit more active. The IMAPP session you recommended fit the bill perfectly.
Your session was unique and highly energetic and really helped our team understand just what they are capable of once they put their mind to something. The activity perfectly balanced physical challenge, mental fortitude, and spirited action regardless of the participants fitness or skill level. Our team loved it and could nor stop talking about it for days after the session was completed.
Thank you again and we look forward to doing another session in the future!
Regards,
Sahab Yazdani
Partner, Deloitte Digital, Product Engineering
February, 2022 IMaPP Experience
Hello Master Derek Lobban,
Thank you for playing an integral role in The Rotary Club of Toronto Board Retreat via Kiai Academy's Rotary ImaPP Breathrought session. As custodians, our Board of Directors have ensured the development, implementation and monitoring of our policies and governance that have allowed our Club to thrive for 110 years making a major impact in the community. Our Board Retreat sets up our Directors for success in their new role of service and your Rotary ImaPP session helped set the tone at the beginning of the Rotary year.
Your session was engaging and enjoyable, and brought the team together in a spirit of action. You were able to weave our strategic theme into an action oriented inspirational activity, energizing everyone in attendance. Thank you also for ensuring your session was inclusive which allowed for all abilities to take part in a safe manner.
It was a fun and an uplifting experience, just what we needed to cap off our Board Retreat. Thank you again!
Prince.
Prince Kumar
President, The Rotary Club of Toronto
July, 2021 IMaPP Experience
“The team really enjoyed the Kiai Academy IMaPP Experience with Derek. The positive energy, and opportunity to get up and move during our busy work day was appreciated. I liked how Derek not only taught martial arts but also connected the concepts learned back to the workplace. Derek created an engaging, and welcoming environment where people felt safe and comfortable to share what they learned. The team went back to work feeling refreshed, focused and sweaty :)”
Valerie Trifler
Director, Organization Development, Questrade
June, 2021 IMaPP Experience
" After a very big year, our HR Team was looking for a unique way to come together to connect and collaborate. Derek was able to provide us with just that—martial arts techniques and practices that cultivated mindful and resilient attitudes that were both challenging and energizing. We ended the session feeling incredibly empowered both of body and mind.”
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out. Thank you again!
Tina Sharifi (she/her) | Talent Acquisition Partner, Moneris
March, 2021 IMaPP Experience
"Compass's participation in KIAIs academy's Inspired Mental and physical practice was an exhilarating experience for all our corporate and field attendees. With over 200 participants Master Lobban did a fantastic job engaging our associates to use movement and centering to break self-imposed limits. I highly recommend this experience for companies looking to provide their employees with a unique approach to improving wellness and leadership in an organization."
Darlene Dsouza
Vice President Talent & Development
COMPASS Group Canada
February, 2021 IMaPP Experience
Hi Derek!
I wanted to thank you again so much for the excellent virtual session you facilitated for our Brand Partnerships team at Bell Media. As you are aware our organization and industry is in an exciting time of transition. These changes coupled with the current work and life conditions have understandably exacerbated our stress levels. As a leader, I am always on a mission to support my team with tools and methods to positively manage that stress.
Your 45-minute instruction was exactly what we needed to renew our energy, learn tactics to sustain focus, and confirm our strength as individuals. Your course was made even better by your amazing positive energy that leapt through the screen, as well as your warm and nurturing spirit! Our group is comprised of men and women of various physical abilities and personality types, and every single person felt included, motivated and safe.
The class allowed us to seamlessly move out of our comfort zones, push ourselves mentally and physically all while smiling and laughing with you.
Our Brand Partnerships team learned new ways to focus and completed the 45 minutes with a sense of accomplishment and growth.
Thank you again Derek for creating an exciting new way for our team to reenergize and connect at a time that we needed it most. We will be using the techniques that you taught us for years to come! "
Melissa Morris
Director, Brand Partnerships,
Bell Media
January, 2021 IMaPP Experience
“The IMaPP experience was something new our team hadn’t tried before. Exercising both the mind and body throughout the series of meditation and physical practices was a great mid-day energizer. Derek did a great job tailoring the experience to our team’s fitness level, so we were challenged but still laughing and having fun with it the whole time. Derek is kind and energetic, and makes the experience engaging for each participant in the (virtual) room.”
Becca Cambridge
Client Success Coordinator, Wavy
February, 2020 Team Building Experience
"As an HR professional I have had the opportunity to take my past teams through many different development programs. What sets KIAI Academy’s Team Experience apart is that it brings together the energy and focus of martial arts and the inherent soul searching of mindfulness. KIAI Academy’s Tina Dias and Derek Lobban deliver an energetic session that allowed our team to gain critical insights. They took Compass’s talent team through a life changing session on how to channel the focus of martial arts and mindfulness practices to develop resiliency and adaptability in a team setting. It was an energetic session that got our team cheering each other to accomplish a goal no one was sure they could achieve.
The program is dynamic and gets folks out of their comfort zones to achieve something they didn’t think was possible. Highly recommend!"
Darlene Dsouza,
Vice President Talent & Development
COMPASS Group Canada
February, 2020 Team Building Experience
“I had the privilege of taking the Mindful Breakthrough TEAM experience at the KIAI Academy with my coworkers. This experience revitalized our team synergy and cohesion as well as develop our own self-confidence and balance. After this experience, I am more mindful of my surroundings and inner spirit. Regardless of the external forces in life and the workplace, I am confident that I can overcome it with my team. I feel equipped to tackle on whatever life throws at me.
The best part of this experience is that my mental and physical fortitude can turn wooden boards into kindling.”
Atin Sulaiman
Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist
People and Culture
COMPASS Group Canada
January, 2020 PILOT Experience
I loved how martial arts can be more appealing when mindfulness is incorporated. I liked the last mindfulness activity and am definitely looking to explore more of that in my life now.
Breaking the board made me realize I can break barriers anywhere in my life at any time.
Doina Oncel,
CEO/Founder hEr VOLUTION.org
Board breaking - pushing through my fears, a moment of Breakthrough that I will never Forget.
Hazelyn Paul
CEO and Founder Love at First Dance