Sensei Dean

Background:

I first became interested in the martial arts after seeing the Karate Kid movie when I was about 7 years old. At the age of 9 or 10, I started taking Tae Kwon Do lessons with Sensei Joe Zangara, in his dojo then located near Main Avenue in Clifton. After a year or so, Sensei Joe had to move his school across town, sharing a dojo with another school. (The other "karate" school actually turned out to be a Hapkido school -- that's when I first met Sensei Doc.) Anyway, at some point in the next few months, after around 2 years of training, I decided to hang up my Orange Belt in favor of other sports and activities that I was involved with at the time.

As I grew older, I always regretted the fact that I had quit taking karate classes. At the age of 22, while working full-time and taking classes for my Masters Degree part-time, I decided that I would find the time to return to the martial arts. I wasn't interested in competitive tournament fighting, nor was I interested in learning the "flash and dance" techniques popularized by TV and the movies. My main goal was simply to find a school where I could learn self-defense. That's when I decided to give Sensei Doc a call. By the time we finished our conversation, I was convinced that Hapkido was exactly what I was looking for. I started classes later that week and before long I was hooked. At that time, I promised myself that I would stick with it for the long haul, no matter how much time and hard work were required - no quitting, no regrets...

As I traveled the long, sometimes winding road from white belt to yellow belt and beyond, I learned a tremendous amount through Sensei Doc's wisdom and guidance. Most importantly, I learned to never underestimate the powers of dedication, self-confidence, and inner strength.

I earned my 1st Degree Black Belt in October of 2004.

Education:

BS in Computer Science, Stevens Institute of Technology, 1999

MS in Telecommunications Management, Stevens Institute of Technology, 2002

[ Home ] [ Up ]