Kobujitsu practice, 1998

Michael first became interested in martial arts during Elementary school. Often the target of bulllies, both he and his grandparents desired him to learn self-defense, and enrolled him in a Karate class being taught after hours at his school. The club changed location within a few months, and Michael was unable to continue his training, but the lessons learned stayed with him, as did his interest in martial arts. Michael practiced what little he had learned on his own, with the hope of continuing his studies in the future.

When his grandparents moved to Millersville, Michael found himself in a new High School. Wishing to avoid the bullying treatment he had been subjected to in previous years, he became determined to further his martial arts pursuits. Without the means to attend a martial arts class, he decided to begin a course of self-study, and began to train with various martial arts weapons, including the nunchaku, the bo staff, and various thrown weapons, such as knives and shiruken.

In his early twenties, Michael became interested in Shaolin Chin-na, and joined a group based in Glen Burnie, Maryland, where he would train for the next five years, during which time he befriended one of the top instructors, who worked at a local custom home building company as a project manager. The instructor took Michael under his wing in the dojo, and employed him first as his assistant. It was during lunch one day on the job, sitting in the instructor's truck, that he commented that Michael should grow his hair. "Is that what happened to you?" he asked, looking at his instructor's waist-long ponytail, "some mystic inner voice said 'take martial arts and grow your hair?" His teacher looked at him seriously and replied, "something like that." Thinking upon his teacher's answer made Michael realize that while the belt came off after class, the hair did not, and was a symbol of the man's dedication to his art. Michael vowed then to do the same, and has not cut his hair since.

Kyoshi F.D.R. Hargrove, 8th Dan

When Michael was twenty-seven, he began training in Kobayashi Shorin-Ryu, and Shorinkan Kobujitsu. The training under this style included training in the water during the winter months, severe conditioning, and full contact sparring. He eventually had the good fortune to be able to train under some of the premiere teachers of this style, Kyoshi F.D.R Hargrove and Kyoshi Arnold Mitchell. He attained his first Dan level in Shorin-Ryu in 1996, and in Shorinkan Kobujitsu (weaponry) in 1998. Although not a regular competitor, Michael has performed at taken trophies in almost every event in which he as performed, including 3rd place in weapons at the Battle for Hampton Roads, and 1st place for weapons at the Frederick Karate Open, both in 1992.

Kyoshi Arnold Mitchell, 7th Dan

Although his training was interrupted by a near-fatal automobile accident in 2002 (see the Strange Events page), Michael continues to pursue his martial training, expanding both his weaponry skills and knowledge of open hand techniques, continually expanding his interest in traditional forms.

SHORINKAN KOBUJITSU (literal translation - "killing with weapons") is the traditional weaponry system of Okinawin Shorinkan/Shorin-Ryu. The system consists of in-depth training in bo staff, nunchaku, tonfa, sai, Eku (paddle), and kama, and involves learning to use each of the weapons in the system against all the rest of the weapons in turn, and against the sword, the traditional weapon of opposition in historical Okinawa. The tradional system usually consists of twenty-four or more weapon forms, including Hama Higa No Kama, Sakagawa No Kun, Nakazato No Towada No Sai, and many more. Kyoshi Hargrove and Kyoshi Mitchell normally teach weaponry students Iaido (art of the Japanese sword) as a companion course. Other weapons, such as the Techu, may also be taught, depending on the instructor.

Hanshi Shuguro Nakazato, 10th Dan

SHORIN-RYU is a traditional form of Okinawin Karate, and its lineage includes Anko Itosu, and Chosin Chibana. Chibana used the kanji "small" and "forest" to describe his style, using the Okinawin pronounciation of 'Shaolin', which becomes 'shorin', in honor of the system's origins. Chibana taught this style of karate until his death in 1969. Each of his top students added their own interpretation, each creating their own style: Yuchoku Higa created Kyudokan, Katsuya Miyahira created Shido-kan, Nakama Chozo created Shubokan, and Shugoro Nakazato created Shorinkan. This style can have twenty-four or more forms, or kata, including Passai Dai, Kusanku, Gojushiho and others. It is a both a broad and in-depth system, and mastering the forms and their Bunkai (applications) can take a lifetime.

Chosin Chibana, founder of Shorin-Ryu

SHAOLIN CHIN-NA is a Chinese art, that has its origins in Shaolin White Crane. It is a grappling art, dealing with manipulation of the human body, including grabs, locks, holds, and pressure points. It is the forefather of such arts as Ju-Jitsu and Aikido, and contains many similar techniques.