About

Hi! I’m Aaron, a traditionally trained martial artist from Bainbridge Island, WA. I started practicing Japanese swordsmanship and martial arts at the age of 13, and just kept going. It was wondrous, stepping into that dojo and seeing people physically express power through swordsmanship.

I’ve performed Senbongiri, a unique swordsmanship challenge in the shortest amount of time yet, and produce fight-choreography shorts on YouTube.

On the one hand, one of my earliest martial arts teachers eventually told me that I would never be skilled because I was short. Another another told me that I could never overcome him, and the best I could do was just follow him. These opinions pushed me from the training path I started my career with – but ultimately and painfully forced me to focus on what I wanted.

After studying Japanese in high school and Classical Chinese in College I spent time chatting with, studying under, and getting thrown around by some of the top martial artist in America and Japan. While this gave me a broad view of martial practices, I still felt there was potential for my own self expression that was untapped.

Many of the great people I look up to didn’t ‘climb-their-way’ to the top. They were so passionate and into their art, and it was so different than what everyone else was paying attention to and looking for, they defined themselves to be at the top. And only then did everyone else notice them.

The path forward is rarely as straight, even, or as rewarding as one would wish. But you just keep going, and you find friends and true mentors in the times and places you expect them least.

I have had the opportunity to train with some of the best martial artists in the world. And I love the disparate disciplines of martial arts, conditioning, fighting, and choreography & performance. Currently I focus my energies on my own physical training and making fun videos for YouTube.