User:Senseiemjay

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Our Program Has two Locations: The program's Headquarters is Located at the The Central Texas School of Performing 104 W. Elms Rd. Suite 600 Killeen TX 76542

We teach and practice Shotokan Karate, it is a Japanese based hard style of karate; but Shotokan Karate's origin is from Okinawa. Michael Jay Jackson Renshi-Sensei was born in the Bronx (New York City) where trouble seemed to be around every corner, and it wasn't hard to find. The streets were not kind to those that could not hold their own. Mr. Jackson started in the Martial Arts in 1972 at the age of 16 years old, under the tutelage of Instructors, Chief Instructor Tokotaro Miyazaki Sensei and Assistant Instructor Georges Aschar Jr. Sensei Top 10 Ranked karateka 1970'-1980's. Mr. Miyazaki was a top ranked kumite and kata competitor of the late 1960's and returned to kata competition in the early 80's. Miyazaki Sensei is truly one of the best instructors of our time. During this time (1970's) Mr. Miyazaki had produced many champion black belts; to include Georges Aschkar Jr. and Donnie Collins to name a few. Mr. Jackson trained under these black belts, which in return enabled him to excel and advance in rank. Aschar Sensei played a very important role in Mr. Jackson's martial arts training. Aschar Sensei provide a way for Mr. Jackson to train when he could not afford to pay his monthly fee. In Mr. Jackson's opinion Aschar Sensei is a Great Martial Artist and one of the best people that he has ever had the pleasure of knowing. In 1974 Mr. Jackson left the Kenkojuku Association and joined The Shotokan Warriors Association under the direction of Errol Bennett Sensei (top ranked competitor in Kumite and Kata of the 1970's, 80's, 90's and into the New Millennium. Bennett Sensei’s Organization is what I would call the school of hard knocks, the atmosphere was like that of a jungle; only the strong would survive. And if you did not have the intestinal fortitude, then the biggest baddest Senior Black Belts in the dojo would devour you. To be a black belt in Bennett Sensei’s Organization was not an easy accomplishment. Class hours were from 7:00 P.M. all the way until 11:00 P.M. Monday, Wednesday and Friday; and if it was sparring night with 20 students then you would spar all 19 other people at least once or twice. We fought at Bennett’s and sometimes dojo kumite was like being in a real street fight. I call it, "The Old Blood & Guts Era". Bennett Sensei is a Karate Icon; he has mastered, "The Way of the Empty Hand", and is now passing it on to the world. Shotokan Warriors 4-life, OSU!.

In 1977 Mr. Jackson joined the U.S Army and completed a tour in the Republic of South Korea where he studied Hapkido and Tae kwon do. From 1979-1982 Mr. Jackson was stationed at Ft. Huachuca Az where he started a Karate team that went on to win both in Kata and Kumite in the West Coast Karate Regionals. In 1982 -1986 Mr Jackson was then sent to Germany where he started a class after his return from Holland. He completed in a 4 day100 mile marching event, which he trained 4 months prior to the competition and marched in an excess of 1100 miles. In 1986-1990 Mr. Jackson was stationed at Fort Bragg, NC where he trained in the same gym as Heavy Weight Champion Bone Crusher Smith. On December 14, 1990 Mr. Jackson was deployed to Desert Storm (The Gulf War). In 1993-1997 Mr. Jackson was assigned to Fort Hood Texas as an Assistant Inspector General for 1st Cavalry Division where he worked for Commanding General's such as General Wesley Clark, General Eric Shinseki and General Leon LaPorte. Mr. Jackson conducted inspections, inquiries and investigations. As one of his additional duties he implemented the physical training program for the 1st Cavalry Division Inspector General's Office. Mr. Jackson incorporated karate exercises into his program to develop strength and flexibility that resulted in the highest overall average during record testing throughout the division headquarters company. Mr Jackson scored 347 points on his physical training test out of a 300 maximum score. In other words he exceeded the standard and was graded on an extended score table. In Mr. Jackson's 20yrs of military service he has always trained, taught self-defense and Shotokan Karate to civilians, soldiers and their military-dependents. In May 1997 upon retirement from the US Army, Mr. Jackson founded the first and only Shotokan Karate program under the Armed Services YMCA Killeen Texas. In 1999 Gregorio Escobar Morales Sensei and Manuel DaCosta Sensei joined forces. After Mr. Jackson and Mr. Escobar met they became friends. Mr. Jackson knew the direction he wanted to take the school to. Mr. Escobar then invited Mr. Jackson to join the San Ten Traditional Karate Federation under the Founder and Chief Instructor, the Late Shihan Lionel Worrell Sr. 7th Dan, which afforded him both personal and professional growth.

Since the passing of Shihan Worrell, Mr. Jackson is now under the leadership and guidence of Master Vincent A. Cruz, the founder and chief instructor of the International San Ten Karate Association (ISKA) and the International San Ten Martial Arts Federation (ISTMAF) with Master Cruz holding the rank of 9th degree black belt. ("San Ten" refers to Cruz's "three heavens" philosophy.)

Mr. Jackson is extremely grateful for the opportunity of knowing and training with such fine Masters, martial artists and students. Sensei Jackson has gone on to also start up his own organization, "The American Shotokan Karate Academy", and has taken the program to an even higher and professional level with the support of all the students and the Senior Leardership Council of Central Texas. A special thanks goes out to Master Vincent Cruz, Errol Bennett Sensei, Tokotaro Miyazaki Sensei, George Aschkar Sensei, William Pugh Sensei, Donnie Collins Sensei, and my nephew Bill Beason (William A. Beason) Sensei; one of the best Kumite and Katas practitioners that has ever practiced Karate-Do. Last but not least Mr. Mike Warren my Martial Arts Hero. He was a Black man that studied Tae Kwon Do out of Washington DC. In 1972 or 1973 he went all the way over to The Republic of Korea and kicked the Korean National Tae Kwon Do Champion's BUTT! Of course the Korean judges did not award Mr. Warren his just do, but all the Koreans in the stadium booed when the match was over and the win was awarded to the Korean Champ.

Caption1	The reason I started a Karate Program in Killeen Texas is:	I began my Shotokan Karate training in 1972, in The Bronx and Manhattan (New York City). Back in the early 70’s; training was mostly	All blood & guts, meaning that if you did not train hard on a regular basis, then that would determine if you survived in class, or got your
Butt kicked that week. Reading this essay you might think, why not quit? Why would a person go through this? The answer was	Simple, the streets in New York City was, what all the hard training was for. At that time when I was growing up, my neighborhood was	Overrun by gangs, and one gang in particular was “The Black Spades”. The Riley Brothers lived next door to me and they were the local	Gang bangers that I grew up with. Monk was the older of the two, he was 3yrs older than me, and his brother Carlos was the same age
I was. The two brothers recruited all the young boys from around the Hood and drafted them, please note that I said drafted. Most of the	Boys had no choice, if the gang wanted them, then they became the gang’s new soldiers. Some of these young boys felt that the gang	Was their family and they were willing to lay down their lives for families.	I taught karate in the basement of my house to help get some of these kids off the streets. The Riley brothers did not like me messing
With their recruits, but Monk knew that my karate skills were no joke. Monk was one of those self proclaimed street Black Belts. He had	Enough skills to keep the other gang bangers in check, but he had the misfortune to run up on me and force me to fight him in the	Streets. Monk made the mistake of thinking that I was the same little kid he used to beat up on back in the old days. All I have to say is	That Monk was no contest and respect was not only earned that day but demanded, it was a fact of life. Gang Wars was claiming the
Lives of these young men and young women; there was nothing that the police could do to stop it. So I did what I could to change those	Gang bangers around. I provided them a different way to go. I had several other confrontations in the street where I had to defend	Myself. The word that I could fight spread through the hood like wild fire. I never looked for trouble, but I never lost a fight in the street	Since I was practicing karate. I feel that if you are on the side of right, than your spirit to survive, and overcome your enemy is stronger. I
Do not advocate violence or fighting at all; I lived in different place, under different circumstances where fighting was not an option, it	Was a means of survival.	Edenwald Projects was three blocks away from my house and they had their own gang within the project itself; and they were at war	With the Black Spades. The whole community was caught up in a war zone. Drugs also ran through the hood, and if the gangs didn’t
Put claim to our youths, then they became slaves to the drug of the day (Heroin).	Karate kept me from falling into the traps of the city streets. My training in karate gave me the confidence to face any obstacle that came	My way in life. I knew that my training made me different from everyone else. I carried this like a Badge of Honor; and when I joined the	Army it helped me cope with this new life style of rules, laws, regulation and policies. It wasn’t easy, but I knew who I was. Throughout
My life, all my friends were in the martial art or I had trained them at one time or another. I believe that I have a gift to pass on and if you	Are willing to let me share this way of life with you (my student) then the rewards are great. Karate brought me through those means	Streets of New York City, a 20yr Military Career, Desert Storm and now here at the City of Killeen Texas Community Center. I want to	Make Karate accessible to everyone that truly wants to learn in a healthy safe environment. That is why I made the rates so affordable.
This karate program is not here to compete with other schools in the area, because I feel that our program is on a different level; I don’t	Mean better, I just believe different, because my motivations and goals are my own. I know how karate has helped me overcome	Many obstacles throughout my life, and if it can do the same for someone else, than the program is doing exactly what it was intended	To do. I started this program in hopes that this vehicle I call Karate–Do (Way of the Empty Hand) would be able to help someone rise up
And live out their full potential without fear or reservation; and for the students of karate to be	Positive productive participant in our	Community and society. “Building a Better Tomorrow,	One Karate Student at a Time”.
ASKA - 4LIFE, Osu!	Caption2