This week marks the 50th year training in Martial Arts. Having started my training in 1965 as a birthday present from my father. The Ishikawa Judo Dojo was on Broad Street in downtown Philadelphia just a few doors down from my families health club. I would take the bus from my home in Broomall to the 69th Street Station and transfer to the Elevated Train to Broad Street. After class my dad would take me to lunch on Saturdays before again taking the 1 hour commute back home. I would attend class several nights a week along with Saturdays. This continued for 4 years until my enlistment in the Military. During that time I competed in the Junior AAU getting a Bronze Metal, did numerous demonstrations for the Dojo as well as my High School. Martial Arts was already starting to define my life.

After my time in the Military where I boxed as an amateur and moving to Florida I began training with Master BC Chin in Northern Kung Fu and Yang Tai Chi Chuan. After about a year of training I started fighting full contact professionally in the Florida local circut. At that time there was no weight class and I would often compete against guys 50 pounds or heavier more than my scawny 145 pounds. I was in the best shape of my life and trained at least three hours at the studio 4 times a week and practice for several more at home each day.

Rather than go into my whole martial arts history at this time, let it sufice to say, Martial Arts became my life regardles of what else I was doing to earn a living. I would say that my travels to Japan and throughout the US training contributed to several failed relationships and marrages.

Now I run a small school in New Hampshire and am trying to figure out how to retire from the business world and earn a living with the Dojo. This blog and website is one of the steps needed along with multimedia ad campains and to market myself as one of the most senior high ranking masters of Tradition Japanese Martial Arts in the Western World.

I will continue to add to this blog with details and stories during my 5 decades of training and teaching Martial Arts.