Biography

BIOGRAPHY

My interest in the martial arts began as a young boy watching Bruce Lee play Kato in the TV series The Green Hornet. I was in total awe of his fighting skills. I swore to myself that one day, I would become a black belt

Until I was 8 years old we lived in military housing and it seemed that I was always getting picked on. To make matters worse, my father drank to excess and my parents constantly fought. By the time I was 12 my parents split up and suddenly I found myself homeless, living in cars and empty buildings. I started "borrowing" things to survive and started hanging around with the wrong kind of people.

"Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words."

I was still trying to go to school and thankfully my involvement in cross-country and wrestling probably saved me the fate of some of my "friends" who are now either dead from drug involvement or in prison.

Two of the guys I used to hang around with are now on death row! I won a varsity cross-country CIF championship and learned that with discipline and hard work you can succeed.

"Do not be afraid to go out on a limb, that’s where the fruit is."

After high school I got a job in the shipyards. The workdays were long and hard, but I developed a strong sense of responsibility, knowing that what I did could mean life or death to our efforts in Vietnam.

But after work, the men played and drank hard and I found myself once again getting in trouble with the law. I needed a different direction. I wanted to be a champ, not a chump.

"The more you sweat, the less you bleed."

Remembering my goal to become a martial artist, I started taking lessons in 1973 and by 1981 I had finally achieved my goal. Along the way, my life was significantly changed forever.

I have managed and owned my own studios and have taught hundreds of students of all ages and abilities. I have written a book about my experiences, which I hope will serve as a lesson to those less fortunate, and today I am deeply involved in my training videos, helping people around the world.

"A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches,
and loving favor rather than silver and gold."