The beginning.

Boxing, wrestling, stickplay and rock throwing were my introduction to martial arts (can't forget a game called " pic'em up mess'em up" ) . In my early teens I began the study and practice of Shotokan Karate-Do. Shotokan and later American as well a Shorinji Kempo would provide me with an excellent platform to study other martial arts. The focus on body mechanics in Karate provided a sound understanding of kinetics while the study of Shorinji Kempo and American Kempo provided more open hand and an introduction to the animal totems, having also studied Aikido formally blending, leading, etc.. became part of my tool box. Unlike most of my contemporaries rather than looking at the differences of the arts I studied, I always sought to find the similarities and foundation principles of the arts. Once the consolidation process began of putting it all together I would meet a Master of the African Martial Art training methodology. I call it that because at the school, various arts are practiced however the African Art with it's unique approach to anything I had experienced was the rule, with the other arts acting as points of reference. I would find there all of the principles I had studied in my years of training were presented all at once. I knew I was home.