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What made you get into martial arts?
After graduate school I had met Professor Christian and Professor Cody through my previous job.  I had begun working as a sport psychology consultant and working with some of their fighters.  They encouraged me to pick up training having learned of my experience in wrestling and military martial training.  I quickly fell in love with the physical and intellectual pursuit of martial arts and it became a staple in my life.

Tell us about your journey/background/accomplishments?
I grew up wrestling in Wisconsin and joined the Marine Corps after high school.  During that time I pursued the endurance sports and had trained for an ran several marathons and various long distance races and ran with the Marine Corps running team.  After leaving the Marines I went to grad school for sport and performance psychology at the University of Denver.  I continued to run, qualifying for the Boston Marathon several times and training with semipro and professional running teams.  After a major hamstring injury in 2015 I had to step away from running for a while and pursued other sports but eventually was pulled into martial arts.

What is your goal as a coach?
I aim to provide a foundation for new and current students that will stay with them as they develop their pursuit of martial arts.  I hope to use my knowledge in psychology and Jiu Jitsu to help influence practice, character, and community at High Altitude Martial Arts.

What makes High Altitude Martial Arts special?
The identity of the school is a wonderful balance of quality, character, and community.  It never seems to compromise any of those ideas as it grows.  I have never been to a gym of any kind that can accommodate the  highest caliber of athlete juxtaposed by the casual practitioner and be successful.  There is something special about a place that can engender such a strong identity of community and culture.