Senpai Mike
I spent much of my youth wrestling for my Junior High and High Schools. In college I missed the sport and began training in Aiki Jiu Jitsu and tried some Judo classes. Unfortunately a serious injury in Law School halted my training and the rigors of education and starting a career kept me off the mat far longer than I would have liked.
Eventually, I rediscovered Martial Arts, first by training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and eventually finding my dojo home at Shoshinkan. Over the last several years I have trained regularly with an emphasis on Judo.
I have taken great pride in my journey and believe that I have benefited greatly from more inspiring teachers, coaches and mentors than I can name. I also believe that the challenge of martial arts has helped me to overcome many great challenges in my life and reminded me of the importance of striving for excellence.
I believe that a martial arts class should challenge the mind and body, while also providing an opportunity to realize you own inner strength. I try to bring an energy to classes to remind those around me of the importance of self-defense, self-motivation and self-accountability.