Biography
J.J. has been a competitive karate-ka since age 5. He is a 3rd degree black belt who enjoys training, teaching, and coaching kata, kumite, and conditioning. J.J. also played high school football, began Olympic weightlifting in college, and enjoys pick-up basketball.
After winning his first world championship at age 13, J.J. competed internationally for several years and won an average of six gold and silver medals in six U.S. national championships between 2015 and 2021 but (to his dismay) only two international bronze medals. J.J. reinvented his eating and training regimen to gain size and speed and won one Gold and 3 Silver medals at the World Union Karate Federation world championships in 2022 after years of self-training and innovating new kumite drills in addition to regular dojo training. As a second year student at University of North Carolina, Charlotte, J.J. trains at his home dojo (TBK), South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, and Illinois.
