Yokoso to my homepage. My name is David.

I began studying Judo at the age of thirteen. My first competition was the Western New York State AAU competition where I took a silver medal. In college, I studied an Okinawa form of karate known as Ishin Ryu.

It wasn't until law school when my interest in the martial arts was rekindled. My law professor and mentor, Elizabeth Spahn encouraged me to learn tai chi. After moving to San Francisco, I began to study the Yang-style, 96-movement long-form Tai Chi Chuan seriously with Master Bill Chin of the Golden Gate Tai Chi class. Later, I began to study Chen-style Tai Chi form with Mr. Frank Soon of the same school.

Currently I am studying Chen Competition Style Tai Chi with Dr. Liang, Xing-Jie. Jason was eight time National and International Taiji champion for China. He is also a very good friend.

In March of 1998, I began to study Aikido with Sensei Frank Doran at Aikido West Dojo in Redwood City, California. I later moved to study with my current school, City Aikido under Sensei Robert Nadeau. Both Senseis Doran and Nadeau are wonderful to learn from.

In June of 1998, I separated my shoulder while visiting a third dojo (which will go un-named). I was unable to return to Aikido until February of 1999. I learned to be more cautious with whom I choose to practice with and will only work-out with those who show their students respect.

While I was living briefly in Manhattan, I studied push hands with former National Push Hands Champion, Rick Barrett. Rick is a fantastic person. Each year he holds a workshop in Sedona, Arizona.

I also studied Yi Jin Jing and Jin Gang Quan with Shi Guolin, who is a 34th generation kungfu monk from the Songsham Shaolin Monastery in Henan, China. I enjoyed studying with Shi Guolin because of his wonderful sense of humor.