Odette Russell
Odette Russell is a Grand Master (8th Degree Black Belt) under the SWAM Martial Arts Academy. She is a native New Yorker and is...
Reza Ghasry From Top Competitor to Coach
Master Reza Ghasry, 7th degree Black Belt, began practicing martial arts at the age of nine in Tehran, Iran. As a child, his father...
The Life Exploits of Vincente Carin
Vicente Carin was born in Dalaguete, which is in Cebu, and its approximately 40 miles away from Cebu City.
At the time of his birth...
Restita DeJesus
Sifu Restita DeJesus has been practicing martial arts for over 30 years and has a list of impressive teaching certifications:
Butokukan Karate: 2nd degree
Kajukenbo-Wun Hop...
Koichi Tohei: Aikido
Koichi Tohei was born on January 20, 1920 in Shitaya ward, presently Taitō, in Tokyo. He was a 10th Dan aikidoka and founder of...
Dojo Medicine
Dan Harden's Dojo Medicine: Management of Dojo Injuries
As martial arts instructors we will all face the occasional student training injury and we should be...
Kanryo Higaonna – Naha-te
Kanryo Higaonna was born on March 10, 1853 in the district of Nishimura in the city of Naha, Okinawa. Son of Kanryo and Makomado....
Vince Palumbo
Master Vince Palumbo commenced training in 1974 as a junior boxing and gymnastics student at the Semaphore Youth Club in Adelaide, and after winning...
Joe Souza Kensujitsu
Professor Joe Souza has over 50 years of experience in the martial arts. He began his martial arts studies in 1957 under the late Prof. John...
Feliciano Ferreira Kempo-Jutsu
Feliciano Ferreira, known as Kimo, founder of Kempo-Jutsu, was born on November 20, 1949 in Oakland, California. Three months after he was born, the family...
James Lew The Man With A Heart
Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Steven Seagal, Jean Claude Van Damme, Mel Gibson, Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, The Rock, David Carradine, Chuck Norris, Dennis Quaid,...
Chuck Coker
At the age of 19 (1968), Chuck Coker walked into his first DoJang, knees wobbly, not knowing what to expect. During the next half...
Fariborz Azhakh Hapkido
Every Black Belt remembers the time when martial arts became a passion. It happened to Fariborz Azhakh at age eight. His brother took him to...
Thomas “Lapuppet” Carroll
Thomas "Lapuppet" Carroll was a pioneering African-American martial artist and a member of both the USA Karate Hall of Fame and the Black Belt...
David DiQuollo
David Diquollo has been involved in the martial arts for 31 years. The first time he entered a ring was in Don "The Dragon"...
James K. Roberts, Sr.
In 1947 James K. Roberts, Sr. joined a boxing club at Kaimuki Park, and judo at the famous Henry Okazaki's dojo in downtown Honolulu....
