When I was young, I had many interests.  Everything from baseball with heroes like Johnny Bench, to firemen and policemen.  All sorts of reading and learning always piqued my interests as well.  Like most young children, I really had no idea how the world worked, what I wanted to do when I grew up, or where (or when) I would find my place in it.

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My understanding of Martial Arts at the time was limited to watching with wide eyes the occasional movie with what I thought was a really bad soundtrack...had to be, right?...the lip movements never matched the words that were spoken.

In my formative years I formed a healthy respect and romance for Martial Arts.  The fluidity and grace of how it was presented onscreen was mesmerizing.  The character words like "respect", "power", and "honor" that were used when someone wrote or spoke about Martial Arts was inspiring.

For just about the entirety of my youth and most of my adulthood I always had the idea in the back of my mind that "someday" I would take the time to study a Martial Art.  When I learned what a "Bucket List" was, "Learn a Martial Art" was quickly placed on that list.  It was always a long way off, however.  I found myself in the traditional rut of, "Have to work to try to give my wife everything she deserves"...which eventually changed to, "Have to work to support my family and provide my kids with a brighter future."  In short, life happened...

Then, one day, the proverbial blind was lifted from my eyesight.  I was literally sitting and watching my youngest son train in his latest interest of "Kenpo Karate".  I wasn't paying particular attention, dividing my attentions between what was going on in the class and a book that I had brought with me to pass the time, when it dawned on me..."What the hell are you doing?  You're almost 41 years old...you've always wanted to study a Martial Art...Get your ass off the bench and do this training with your son."  Soon, I was the newest white-belt in class with my youngest son out-ranking me by about 3 belts.  But, I was finally doing it...living the dream...learning about everything that I had previously romanticized about...power, grace, respect, honor...

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After only a few months of training together, my son lost his interest, partially, I'm afraid, due to having his "uncool father" train with him.  But, I managed to stick it out and came to befriend those in the class that were both ahead of and behind me in rank.  I quickly found that we shared the same interest in developing and learning the values, benefits, and principles that learning a Martial Art has to offer.

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I realized early on that when one starts studying a Martial Art only a few months short of one's 41st Birthday, one will not someday ascend to the ranks of Superstardom in the Martial Arts world.  I was OK with that.  I knew that training, to me, was not about what anyone else thought of me.  It truly was a development of what I thought of myself...and that was legitimately going to be a long Journey.

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They say that studying a Martial Art is a deeply intimate and personal Journey, and I can attest the truth in that statement.  After a little more than 7 years, I completed what I now consider to be only the first leg of that Journey.  I earned a Black Belt in American Kenpo with the A.K.K.I.  While I know that society has its views about someone having a "Black Belt" as a "Strong" figure having "Mastery" and "Discipline", I've come to believe society wrong in this view.  I was the student that never tied his ego to his belt rank.  I realized in my training that I, at any rank, was no better or worse of a person than anyone else I trained with.  As they say, the only person I was in competition with was my own self.  My only goal was to be a better person than I was the day before.  I thought that when I earned my Black it would be just another step on the road to becoming a better me...after all, I was never in it for my Black Belt...I was in it for words like "grace", "power", "respect", "honor"...all those attributes that I had idolized when I was a young boy. 

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While I still believe that my Black is indeed just another small step in my Journey, I will also confide that the day that I strapped on my Black for the first time I felt some very strong emotions that I was unprepared for.  The realization that I had done something that, for most of my life, I had always wanted to do but procrastinated because I always thought that I had more urgent things to accomplish and other people to provide for...well, the sense of accomplishment and sense of self-worth was new and overwhelming.  These emotions, combined with gratefulness, respect, and the desire to inspire pride in my support system that had gone with me on this Journey was, in the truest sense of the word, Awesome.  It still is when I think about it...
 

With life's intricate twists and turns it came about that the best way for me to continue my training was to begin training others.  Hopefully, helping others to undertake a similar Journey to the one I began so many years ago and still find myself on.  So Mojo Kenpo was born.  Not a goal I ever had for myself, but a significant happenstance on my continuing Journey.

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My goal with Mojo Kenpo is simply to continue to travel on my Journey while teaching others what I can, and learning from others when I can.  There is no "Mastery" at any level...at least not that I can perceive.  There is only the desire to continue to learn and improve...as a Kenpoist, a Father, a Husband, a Business Owner, and a "Luminous Being" as Master Yoda would say.  I sincerely hope to bring Honor and Respect to my instructor, Associate Professor Mr. Sean Carey, all of my fellow students that shared any part of my Journey, as well as Senior Master of the Arts Mr. Paul Mills and the American Kenpo Karate International.

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Watching the ranking members of the A.K.K.I. over the years has proven, not only beneficial for aspects of my own Journey, but absolutely incredible and inspiring.  The way that they move and strike is absolutely beyond compare and I can only hope someday to present a reasonable facsimile of the style, grace, power, and focus that they demonstrate constantly.  I liken it to learning to play guitar, and being what you think is pretty good...and then you go to a concert to watch Clapton, or Hendrix, or Beck...and you come to the realization, "I can play the guitar...but I'll never be able to do that!"  The ranking members of the A.K.K.I. are absolutely amazing...and true gentlemen and women in the finest sense of the word. 

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I have come to respect and endeavor to honor all Kenpoists that I have worked with, both within the A.K.K.I. and without, as they have each, in some major or minor way, had an impact on my Journey.  I have come to believe that, as a general rule, Kenpoists are truly some of the Best People out there.  It's an honor to continue to learn with and from them and share our Kenpo at every opportunity.

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My family, business partners, Instructor, training partners, and mostly my beautiful and amazing wife of many years, have earned more gratefulness and thanks than I could ever give or demonstrate to them.  Their support and the influence they've had on my Journey, though sometimes difficult to see, is unmistakable and irreplaceable.  Thank you.

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At the end of March, in 2021, I provisionally received a bump in rank to Associate Instructor (2nd Degree Black Belt) from my Instructor, Associate Professor Sean Carey, and Associate Master of the Art Herb Padigimus.  I continue to be honored, humbled, and amazed with the generosity of spirit, kindness, and true humanity and generosity that is shared with me and my students by these individuals and the organization that they represent, the A.K.K.I.  Their faith in each of us combined with their willingness to help us each along on our individual Journey is representative of what genuine and impeccable Martial Artists and Human Beings should be.  Sharing their own stories and their Kenpo make each opportunity to meet and train with them so special and appreciated.  I'm so humbled...