Martial Arts:

I am a full instructor certified by the Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do Grappling Association. I was one of Sifu Larry Hartsell's last private students before his untimely death in August of 2007. I not only research, train, and teaach the methods handed to me by Sifu Larry, but the essence and methodology of research and development in to the Martial Arts that both he and Guro Dan Inosanto have taught me. I am available for private instruction (one to one or small group).

My professional life took be back to Los Angeles in 1999. After recovering from a back injury and wanting to get back into martial arts in 2005, I realized that I lived just up the street from the Inosanto Academy of Martial Arts. To my great surprise, Sifu Larry Hartsell also taught at the Academy. What better luck than to get to train with two amazing instructors who are also legends in the martial arts community.  I was lucky to be able to train privately with Sifu Hartsell for the last two years of his life.  These will always be some of my fondest memories. Today I am still a student of Guru Inosanto at the Inosanto Academy. I am also a student of the many other great instructors who teach at the Academy as well as the other legendary instructors that Guru Inosanto brings to the Academy for us to have the opportunity to train with such as Sifu Francis Fong, Ajarn Chai Sirisute, Professor Jean-Jaques Machado, and Dr. Maung Gyi.  I find martial arts to be one of my most joyous passtimes. It not only provides for good health, a means of personal protection, but involves me in a social network of amazing people that I enjoy spending time with.

I began my training in Shorin-Ryu Karate in 1982 under Sensei Ulysses Owens (pictured here center with myself (r) and John Ackeberg (l) in 1987). Sensei Owens is a living example of the two things he taught us make a good Karateka: patience and humility. I have Sensei Owens to thank for such a good foundation in the attitude a good martial artist should have.

I began my training in Jeet Kune Do, Jun Fan Gung Fu, Kali, and Muay Thai in Tampa Florida in the early 1990's with Loren Bookbinder. I was fortunate enough to be able to train many hours with Loren (who trained with Guru Dan and many of the early Los Angeles JKD people at the Aspen Colorado training camps in the early 1980's). I got a great solid foundation in the JKD principles and the concept of training progressions. Loren is still a best friend to this day and teaches in the Boston area. If you are looking for great martial arts instruction in the Boston area, you should look him up. (here we are pictured below at a seminar in Orlando Florida around 1996: Loren is on the left, I'm on the far right in the yellow shirt and standing next to Loren is one of his Aspen instructors and JKD legend, Sifu Tim Tackett)