Alumni of the Week

Kiera DaleyKiera Daley is a graduate from Arizona State University with a major in Urban Planning and a minor in Sustainability. She saves the world every day, one rebate at a time, as an Energy Analyst for Schneider Electric and is currently pursuing a career as an Energy Engineer. She is the Executive Vice President…

Tyler MiyasakiTyler began training at MMAC in 1999 and went on to complete his first degree in 2007 and his second degree in 2011. Since then he has earned his Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from ASU and is currently working on a Master’s in Food Science at the University of California Davis. Practicing martial…

Erik Braunstein Erik began training at Mountainside Martial Arts Center in 2004. In 2010, he earned his 1st degree black belt and in 2014 he achieved the rank of 2nd degree black belt. Through Mountainside, he learned many important skills such as discipline, perseverance, focus, teamwork, leadership, and the importance of physical wellness. Erik has…

Jason BerbaumJason began his training under Sensei Rick Savagian in 1985 and earned his black belt in 1991. He has fond memories of his time there and remembers it being like a family to him. Currently, Jason works for a medical device company. He oversees the state of Hawaii for Arthrex/SportsTek Medical, which specializes in…

Kira Hart NunemakerIn 1985 you could find all of the Hart family at the dojo, day in and day out. I was only a year old when my brother started training. By age 5 it was my turn to start my journey in martial arts;. I trained hard, competed hard, and grew up with some…

Samual PetersonI was born and raised in Ahwatukee and started karate at Mountainside Martial Arts at the age of 5 years. I graduated from Desert Vista and then attended both Northern Arizona and Arizona Stat for Criminal justice. I currently am employed with Foothills Pool Service and work for Sensei Damien Ludwig who also trains…

Samantha ArceSamantha Arce started karate at Mountainside Martial Arts Center in early 1998. Studying karate and being guided by strong personalities turned this once shy child into a confident, capable adult. Who knew that testing for her black belt in 2003 would lead to another of the great passions in her life: teaching! Samantha graduated…

Abhinav GoyalAbhinav Goyal was born and raised in Phoenix, AZ. He earned his first degree black belt in 2007, and 4 years later received his second degree black belt. In 2008, Abhinav was awarded the Dojo Spirit Award that he was honored to share with Sensei Tyler Miyasaki. Throughout his time at the dojo Abhinav…

Anshu GoyalAnshu Goyal is a PhD student at the University of Southern California in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. He received his Bachelor’s of Science in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology with a Minor in Computer Science from the University of Arizona. He received his black belt in the Fall of 2011. Through karate, Anshu learned…

James “Jamie” AlexanderJamie began his Wado Ryu Karate training under Sensei Rick Savagian in 1986. For Jamie, Karate was more than just a sport, it was a way of life. Facing adversity at a young age, and needing a foundation to build from, Jamie embraced the principles of Wado Ryu as a way of life.…