Stories

After nearly 60 years in the martial arts - and 20 years of running the Japanese Martial Arts Center - I've started hearing from more and more students that they want to do something good for JMAC and good for the martial arts. At the same time, my personal mission has evolved beyond simply wanting to be better at karate or judo; it's now to pass along the benefits I've gotten from a lifetime in martial arts. The JMAC Foundation is a way not only to give back, it's a way to ensure that our traditions and the benefits we get from them live beyond our lifetimes into perpetuity. I invite you to consider the impact martial arts on your life, and if helping to build a legacy appeals to you, please reach out!

The JMAC Foundation is an extension of a community of remarkable martial artists connected by shared values. At its center is Suino Sensei's relentlessly positive, principled, and pressure-tested approach to traditional Japanese martial arts. That approach sets the tone of our practice, relationships, and the quiet expectations we hold for ourselves and one another.

I began practicing Iaido with Suino Sensei in 2002, drawn by reasons that, in hindsight, were naive. Over time, those early ideas gave way to a love of the simple practice and the honest positive culture. I stayed because I was inspired by Suino Sensei, Holland Sensei, and the broader JMAC community.

On the mat, I try to contribute in simple ways. I focus on being a reliable partner and supporting others' practice in the way Sensei teaches. I show up consistently and I help create the kind of training environment that means so much to me.

Over the past twenty years, I've watched many others come through the dojo doors and undergo a similar transformation. People arrive for their own reasons, but those who stay become inspired to make martial arts part of their lives. They find the value in martial arts practiced in the JMAC way. They find community. They find fulfillment in helping others learn.

The JMAC Foundation provides a way to extend that same spirit beyond the dojo. It allows us to support one another, to create opportunities for future practitioners, and to preserve the culture and values that have shaped our community. It gives structure to something that is otherwise intangible, ensuring that what we've built together can continue to grow and endure.

I am proud and grateful to contribute to that effort.