Alumni of the Week

Damien LudwigIn 1992 Damien started training at Mountainside Martial Arts under Sensei Rick. In 1997 Damien earned his first degree black belt. He graduated from Mountain Pointe High School in 1998 and is also a graduate of Arizona State University. While attending ASU Damien earned his second degree black belt. After graduating college he spent…

Elliott TravisI am currently living in NYC working in the film industry as a Gaffer and Director of Photography. I shoot national commercials for clients along with music work for some of the top artists in the industry. Used to live in LA for a couple of years doing the same thing. I can honestly…

Mike DaleyMike started training at Mountainside Martial Arts in January 2000 after watching his daughters Kiera and Alexandra have so much fun at Karate Kamp. Alex went all the the way to brown belt before she decided to commit to swim team. Kiera and Mike went on to achieve their black belts together in 2008,…

Katelyn MiyasakiKatelyn followed in the footsteps of her brother Tyler and began training at MMAC in 2002, earning her first degree black belt in 2009. She graduated from Washington University in St. Louis this May with her BS in biomedical engineering, and will be teaching English in Japan for the next year through the JET…

Sanajana RameshI started training at the dojo at age 5 and received my black belt in November 2010. Karate taught me at a young age that hard work and discipline can help you achieve your goals. Since receiving my black belt, I have graduated from Barrett, The Honors College with a degree in Supply Chain…

Karun RameshI graduated ASU in 2018 with degrees in Industrial Engineering and Economics and currently work at a bank. I received my black belt in the Fall of 2008. One of the most important lessons I’ve learned occurred while at the dojo and it is this: The results of hard work will always be worth…

Sheetal SinghAfter obtaining her black belt, Sheetal went on to college at the University of Arizona where she double majored in Accounting and Finance. She began her career at Google in San Francisco where she spent 4.5 years on the sales/marketing team. She is currently a second year MBA student at the University of Michigan…

Jesse FiferJesse joined the dojo as part of his childhood quest to overcome the emotional trouble he suffered. His training was the ultimate test of his temperament and discipline. After being invited into the Dan program to train for his black belt, Jesse found a new sense of dedication to his training, partnering with his…

David KogutDavid Kogut is currently a mechanical engineering student at Grand Canyon University who is set to graduate in April 2020. Born in Buffalo, New York, David moved to Phoenix, Arizona when he was just one year old and started karate at age seven. From elementary to high school, David thoroughly enjoyed training and made…

Michelle HaebeMichelle enrolled in karate at Mountainside Martial Arts Center with Sensei Rick when she started first grade. At first it was a fun sport for her to be involved with, but as she grew older it quickly developed into much more. Karate was not always easy, and there were many peaks and valleys throughout…