BASIC FACTS
- NAME: Shi-do-sha Jen91071.
- REAL NAME: Jennifer Goldman-Kasdan.
- REAL NAME AT BIRTH: Jennifer Rachel Goldman.
- DATE OF BIRTH: September 10, 1971.
- PLACE OF BIRTH: Okinawa, Japan.
- FATHER'S NAME: Maj. Benjamin Goldman, USArmy (Ret).
- MOTHER'S NAME: Col. Jane Vermeer-Goldman, USArmy (Ret).
- HAIR COLOR: Honey Blonde.
- EYE COLOR: Grey.
- HEIGHT: 5'6".
- WEIGHT: 135.
- OCCUPATION: Martial Arts Shi-do-sha (Grand Mistress).
- YEARS ACTIVE: 1978-present.
- INSTRUMENT(S) PLAYED: Shamisen (Japanese guitar).
- LANGUAGES SPOKEN: Japanese, Korean, Chinese (Cantonese, Mandarin, Shanxi, Taiwanese [Min Nan] and Lhasan).
- SIBLINGS AND THEIR OCCUPATIONS:
- Brother Mark Goldman (born December 18, 1968), a career officer in the US Navy;
- Brother Shane Goldman (born February 14, 1973), a mystery writer;
- Sister Halley Goldman-Wilkes (born February 14, 1973), a lyric coloratura singer.
- PEOPLE WOULD BE ASTONISHED TO LEARN: That I am descended from Franciscus Vermeer, the eldest son of Dutch master Johannes Vermeer.
- MARITAL STATUS: Married to Sasha Kasdan (SashaK5871) since June 25, 1999.
- CHILDREN:
- Daughter Anastasia Marie (Anya) (born May 6, 2001);
- Son Ilya Alexis (born April 30, 2003);
- Son Peter Marat (Pooka) (born October 5, 2005);
- Daughter Catherine Alexa (Katya) (born October 5, 2005);
- Son Kaya Alexander (born January 3, 2008).
- Daughter Tatiana Ruzena (born December 7, 2010).
- RESIDENCE(S): Three...
- A beachhouse in Malibu, CA.
- A tri-level mountainside home outside New Paltz, NY.
- A retreat (currently rented out) outside Las Vegas, NV.
- PERFUME(S): Anything by Elizabeth Taylor.
- FOOD(S): Anything fat-free; nothing greasy.
- ACTOR(S): My husband, of course...and Casper Van Dien.
- ACTRESS(ES): Julie Andrews, Christina Ricci, Catherine Oxenberg and Elizabeth Taylor.
- BOOK(S): Novels by Stephen and Tabitha King (I love HIS horror novels and HER romance novels).
- CAR(S): 2007 GMC SUV (very roomy and holds all five child safety seats when not holding my martial arts equipment); a slightly-used 2006 Lexus GS300 (given to me by my husband when he purchased a 2011 Bugatti).
- TV SHOW(S): Games Shows, ESPN, Public Broadcasting.
- Okinawa Military Academy (1973-85).
- Miss Brandywine's School for Young Ladies, Manhattan, NY (1985-89) (THIS is where I first met my husband...at a school dance).
- University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL (1989-93).
- Achieved First-degree Black Belt Status (1978).
- Achieved Second-degree Black Belt Status (1981).
- Achieved Third-degree Black Belt Status (1984).
- Achieved Fourth-degree Black Belt Status (1987).
- Achieved Fifth-degree Black Belt Status (1990).
- Achieved Sixth-degree Black Belt Status (1993).
- Achieved Seventh-degree Black Belt Status (1996).
- Achieved Rank of Sensei (1996).
- Achieved Gold Belt Status (1998).
- Achieved Rank of Shi-do-sha (1998).
HOBBIES
- My main hobby is my job as a sensei and shi-do-sha, as well as a loving wife and a caring mother. As soon as our children are old enough, my husband and I intend to begin their training in the martial arts.
- My sole interest was helping my husband achieve his Seventh-degree black belt and, ultimately, his gold belt. Since he has already done so, my main interest now is being the best wife and mother I can be.
- "The man may wear the pants in most households. Not mine. I wear the pants! My husband wear shorts...and you'd better believe he looks great in them!"
- "If your husband ever gives you lip...give HIM a fat one!"
- "When you give your husband an order...tell him to salute and say 'Yes, ma'am!'"
- "If you don't like the way your husband behaves, tell him to hit the floor and give you a hundred push-ups. I love it when my husband does that...whether I tell him to or not!"
STORY #1
- My daughter Anya always asks me how her father and I met. I tell her we met at a school dance when we were both 15. The American Academy of the Dramatic Arts and Miss Brandywine's School for Young Ladies put on a get-together dance. I was the only girl without a date. That was until a very handsome young man approached me and asked me to dance. Proverbially, it was love at first sight. From that moment on, Sasha and I were inseparable...even to the point of getting into trouble for missing each other's curfew. Sasha helped me sneak into my dorm room one night and was caught by the school security. The headmaster at his school was called to pick him up and take him home. Needless to say, we both received very strict punishments...but we didn't care. As soon as our punishments were over, we started dating each other. We went to each other's graduation and went on to do everything together...attending college, sharing an apartment and house (with separate bedrooms, of course), and, finally, our planned future. Our daughter is such a young romantic. She never tires of hearing this story...and I never tire of telling it!
- One day, I was monitoring classes from my office in the center of my former dojo in Florida. In one class, I noticed several students immersed in a conversation. Now, I'm not one to eavesdrop on somebody's conversation, but one student was a well-known Maunchausen. This day, he was telling other students that he knew everything about martial arts. So, I decided to put him to the test. Entering the classroom, I pointed to this braggart and told him to come over to me. I put my hand down and told him to show me just how good he was...by punching me. He retorted by bringing up my sex as a reason not to. I told him that men and women in the Far East do it to each other every day and not to let it be a deterrent. I pointed at my nose and repeated my challenge. The sensei of the class covered his mouth, stifling a smile. The student shrugged, made a fist and swung for my nose. Quickly, I put up my hand a mere two inches from my face and gripped the student's fist. I then proceeded to hold a conversation with the sensei, all the while tightening my grip on the student's hand. The student dropped to his knees in pain, his fist turning a deep shade of purple, perspiration and tears running down his face. He cried out "I give up"...but my grip only tightened. I bent down until my face was a few inches from the student's. "In THIS dojo, we say ma-tay!" I replied, calmly...but with a smile on my face. The student yelled out the magic word...and I released his hand, telling him that no matter how much he knows about martial arts, there is always SOMEBODY else who knows more. I returned to my office while the sensei massaged the student's hand, checking for any broken bones and getting its color back to normal. I leaned back in my chair, listening to the rest of their conversation. When the student asked who I was, the sensei replied: "I'm YOUR sensei. Who do you think is MINE?" When the student's jaw dropped, the sensei went on by telling him that he just got on the wrong side of the grand mistress of the dojo. You have my word on this...he NEVER bragged in class again!
- To be honest...who has the time for one? I mean...working at the dojo full time and working out with my husband both before and after work and weekends makes me one tired lady! After all...if Bruce Lee was still alive, do you think he would have one?
- My Husband's Profile Page (http://sashakspage.blogspot.com/)
- Casper Van Dien's Website (http://caspervandien.com/)
- The Los Angeles Ballet (http://losangelesballet.org/)
- The Los Angeles Opera (http://losangelesopera.com/)
- The Metropolitan Opera (http://metoperafamily.org/)
- You can e-mail me at shidoshajen91071@aol.com.
