Koga Hai Lung Ryu Ninjitsu :: The Brotherhood

I moved to Placedo, Texas in 1984 where I grew up!! During my childhood, I went to Elementary School in Placedo, Texas and got into playing Sports such as Baseball, Football, Weightlifting, and Basketball. I then, by the time I was in the 5th Grade in 1989, was introduced to the Martial Arts by my good friend Paul Moses in the Art of Shotokan Karate. We trained everyday after school for a couple of years. Later in Junior High School in 1993, I was introduced to the Art of Tae-Kwon-Do by 8th Degree Black belt Master Larry Shelton. I trained with him up until 1995 when he shut down. I earned an orange belt under him at that time. Later that year, I was introduced to Sensei Ralph Jaschke , who was a 7th Degree Blackbelt in Tae-Kwon-Do and Shotokan Karate. I trained with him until late 1996 when I recieved my Blue-Belt in Tae-Kwon-Do. In March of 1997, I was introduced to the art of Kyushin Ryu Aikijujitsu from Sensei Pat McGuire. Pat was a Nidan in this art and also a multiple time Sport Judo Champion. After Pat shut down in 1998 and after graduating from Bloomington High School, I joined his Sensei's school. His Sensei was Mr. Chris Garcia who is a 5th Degree Black belt in Kyushin Ryu and Judo. Sensei Garcia is also a Head Sheriff Officer at the Victoria Sheriff's Department in Victoria, Texas. As well as a great friend and teacher of mine!! I was then awarded orange belt in 2000 from Garcia-Sensei. Also in 2000, I met up with Kung-Fu practitioner and Wu-Shu expert Sifu Michael Thomas. I had trained a few lessons with him in Wing Tsun, Chin-Na, and Basic Wu-Shu. Actually in September of 1999 though was when my goal training started!! I started training in Ninjutsu and Japanese Budo!! I originally started in the art of Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu under Shihan Richard Van Donk's Black Belt Home Study Course. I then earned a 9th kyu in this art. In 2000, I started contacting and getting to know Grandmaster Ashida Kim of the Koga Hai-Lung Ryu Ninjitsu system. I today in 2008 am still incontact with him and he has become like a great teacher and great friend!! He has seen me in several of Ninjitsu demonstration videos and has graded me by belts in his style also. In March of 2008, I was awarded my 4th Degree Blackbelt in Koga Hai-Lung Ryu from Grandmaster Kim himself!! Also, in 2003, I got in touch with Sensei Rodolfo Turolla and Soke Shunichiro Yunoki of the Koka-Ryu Ninjutsu system from Shiga, Japan. They also have been in contact with me many times and also have seen me on videos and so on!! They then gave me an association in their ryu in 2005. Today I'm still in contact with these great friends as well!! Kim-Sensei and Yunoki-Sensei have both taught me the most important lesson in Ninjutsu. That you really have to search within yourself to find all of the answers you're looking for and that no one can really teach another Ninjutsu. It has to be found by one alone, because everybody has their own things that works best for them!! This is the philosophy that I intend to go by always!! In 2007, I founded the system of Kenji-Ryu Ninjitsu. It has roots from my experience in Koga Hai-Lung Ryu, Bujinkan, and Koka-Ryu Ninjutsu, and even some of my other martial arts as well!! It is a modern Ninjitsu system with no direct lineage. Sensei Kim once told me that lineage shouldn't matter, it's all about what works and what does not work!! I also now am an instructor of Ninjutsu in Victoria, Texas at Sensei Ralph Jaschke's American Karate Institute. I've been teaching there for about 4 years and I love it!! I have some great students that are on their way to good progress!! I also hope to see Ninjitsu become of good use for good mankind in the future!!