Here I am demonstrating tameshigiri (test cutting) at the Evergreen, CO dojo.
Tom looking pretty serious after throwing James.
L>R Brent, Tom, myself, Craig
New dojo construction 2007
Myself, my students Felicia (4th deg.), and Bill (2nd deg.) and Felicia’s student Chris, at his 1st deg. promotion.
UCHI DESHI PROGRAM
Our live-in-student (uchi deshi) program
gives students a rare opportunity to live in a traditional dojo in the mountains for two years, training for black belt rank in Japanese Jujutsu and Aikijutsu. Serious inquiries only.
ABOUT ANDREW
I started martial arts when I was very young, taking Karate lessons at my elementary school. I loved learning and made really great friends.
My family moved to a new home, and I started taking Jujutsu lessons at the youth center near my house at age 10. I earned my black belt in Jujutsu in 1998 under my teacher Lee Fisher. Not long after I started training informally in Aikijutsu with my teacher Tom Doyle, who had brought his son to study at Lee’s Jujutsu school.
In 2002 I started a class at the gym I was working at. I was blessed with a talented and loyal student base there, many who made black belt and beyond. It was there I Brent Yamamoto, who had come to class, and he introduced me to his effective style of Karate he taught at a community center in north Seattle. Not long after, I met his teaching partner Craig Krohn, who taught a complimentary Aikido class.
In 2007 Tom, Brent, Craig and I founded NW Martial Arts (www.nwmartialarts.net), in Bothell, WA. I taught there as the head Jujutsu instructor until 2017, when this venture and climbing took me for a time away from the dojo.
In 2014 I was promoted to 9th degree in Jujutsu, and my teacher Lee Fisher retired from active teaching.
In 2018, I was promoted to 2nd degree black belt in Aikijutsu, and my wife and I founded Off Trail Ventures. Martial arts of course will be a part of that!