Coming to America: Though I was born in the United States, I was raised the first twenty three years of my life in New Zealand, the land of my parents. While studying Philosophy at the University of Auckland I successfully applied for the PhD program at Columbia University in NYC. Here I am at University of Auckland on my last day in New Zealand age twenty three rocking my best 80's haircut and baggy pants My first exposure to Martial arts was watching the great boxers of the 1970's and 80's. I was obsessed with the conflicting styles of Ali and Frazier. Later, with the four kings, Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns, Marvin Haggler and Roberto Duran (also honorable mention to Wilfredo Benitez and Mike McCallum). In college my attention went almost entirely to Mike Tyson. Among kick boxers, Dieselnoi and Samart Payakaroon were my main heroes. The study of these great fighters was my first passion in martial arts. In this time period, grappling was not really taken seriously as a fighting method. I had no idea that day in 1991 as I boarded the plane to the land of my birth that my whole conception of martial arts would soon turn upside down and that an entire new world lay undiscovered before me. To this day I still love to watch those old heroes of mine, but it is done in an entirely different context, with different eyes and for different purposes. Sometimes I wonder if I could travel back in time and talk to this twenty three year old me and tell him what I now believe about martial arts at fifty two, the younger man would think the older man was crazy or even foolish! New environments and perspectives are the greatest catalysts to growth – I am blessed to have lived a life in two nations and lived through different eras of martial arts. Unifying the lessons learned is a big part of my coaching work.
