Blog

In early 2012, my journey into martial arts began unexpectedly. I was looking for a place for my kids to train, but what I found was Danzan Ryu, a kata-based martial art that deeply resonated with me. Rooted in Hawaiian tradition, it uniquely combines Japanese martial arts with many traditional eastern healing arts, which struck a chord with me at the time.

The philosophy of "If you break it, you fix it" stood out to me during my training. It wasn’t just about mastering techniques; it was about learning how to heal and care for your body as well as others. This mindset sparked a deep appreciation for the human body and its movements, which inspired me to want to learn more about it.

For over five years, I trained diligently, committing 5 to 6 days a week of hard work and discipline. But as life progressed—my kids grew older, and my work became more demanding—I took a step back from martial arts. However, the desire to return never left, and when I came back to training, I discovered Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), a grappling-based martial art that posed new challenges.

By the time I found BJJ, my body had already taken a beating. Years of intense physical activity without proper self-care had left me with chronic pain, especially in my knees and hips. My knees were bone on bone, and at night after training, they throbbed like a jackhammer. The demands of BJJ only worsened the wear and tear, and I quickly realized that my recovery practices weren’t enough. The pain kept me from being consistent, and my body was telling me that something had to change. That's when massage therapy entered my life. I found a massage therapist who became a game-changer. Massage therapy wasn’t just a way to recover—it gave me a way to manage the pain I was experiencing every day. While my knees and hips couldn’t be fully healed, massage allowed me to manage the chronic pain. These experiences inspired me to pursue massage therapy myself, to help others find the same relief and healing I had discovered.

While pursuing massage therapy, I developed a deep passion for and understanding of human anatomy and movement. In my martial arts practice, I can now visualize the bones and joints as we manipulate them, and I see muscles as they stretch and compress. I use this same visualization when working on someone—thinking not just about how their muscles and joints are responding, but also where they are and how to access them effectively. I believe my healing art has greatly improved my martial art, and my martial art has laid an extremely strong foundation for my healing arts. Even now, I continue to face the challenges of my past physical activity. The effects of martial arts and years of construction work still weigh on me, as well as my struggle with weight gain. But through massage therapy and rediscovering martial arts, I’m actively working on strengthening my body and improving my overall wellness. Becoming a massage therapist wasn’t something I initially planned, but it felt like the next natural step. I wanted to deepen my understanding of the body—not only to help myself but to help others find relief from pain, improve movement, and regain mobility. Today, that’s exactly what I do: help others care for their bodies, just as I continue to strive to do better for myself.