Back to Instructors

What made you get into martial arts?
I did cardio kickboxing in college and got hooked pretty quickly. I hit bags for 4 years before I went to a gym with opportunities to spar. Once I got into sparring, competing quickly followed and martial arts went from hobby to lifestyle.

Tell us about your journey/background/accomplishments?
I’ve trained at several gyms over the years, ultimately finding my home at HAMA. In total, I’ve been training for about 13 years and coaching for 7. I’ve competed and trained primarily in Muay Thai but also had a boxing match for SoCal Battle of the Badges. I finally dipped my toes into BJJ recently and am really loving that as well.

What is your goal as a coach?
In class, we teach violence and technique…but there’s this sneaky development of respect, confidence and self-awareness that inevitably happens in martial arts. That’s one of my favorite parts. My goal as a coach is to provide students with an encouraging environment where they’re challenged to grow not only as athletes but also as people.

What makes High Altitude Martial Arts special?
HAMA is a great place to develop skills and make quality friends. There’s a special bond you form with people who you get to choke out, punch in the face and hug after. It’s a mixed bag of experience levels that caters to wherever you’re at in your journey. Looking around on a Saturday morning, we’ll have kids practicing arm bars, a first day adult learning how to wrap their hands and UFC pros training all at the same time and no one ever feels intimidated or out of place.