Alumni of the Week

Layton MalmstromLayton Malmstrom began his Karate career in 2006 and earned the rank of Shodan Black Belt in 2012 before ending his training in 2015. He has always maintained the humble yet fierce attitude that comes with martial arts training to tackle the tribulations of life. Layton is currently studying Business Management at W.P Carey…

Paul Nico LunaPaul Nicolas “Nico” Luna is an investment banking analyst in the California K-14 Education Group at RBC Capital Markets in Los Angeles, California. Born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, Nico started practicing karate at the age of 6. He continued with karate throughout his high school years at Brophy College Preparatory and, as…

Marco De LeonMarco began practicing karate at Mountainside Martial Arts in 2002 and received his Black Belt in 2007 at the age of thirteen. This achievement played a significant role in instilling a strong sense of confidence that he can accomplish anything he sets his mind to. Karate taught him the importance of respect and…

Alec ChavezAlec began training at Mountainside in 2000. He earned his first-degree black belt in 2009 along with his six teammates. Karate taught him not only toughness and grit but the importance of never giving up. A common saying in the dojo was “die going forward” and he tries to live by that every day.…

Alexandra SiegalChildren can be our guides in so many ways and I am particularly grateful for the fact that my oldest son, a child at the time, guided me into the study martial arts. One evening, in 1984, while watching him in his class, it occurred to me that rather than just sit and watch,…

Vinny ParthasarathyVinny first began his training at Mountainside Martial Arts in 2005. He achieved his black belt in the November of 2014 after nine years of intense training. In his thirteen years at Mountainside Martial Arts, Vinny learned focus and discipline and has devoted the dojo’s five precepts to his everyday life. In the summer…

Lydia LaFavorLydia studied Wado-Ryu at Mountainside Martial Arts Center from 1992 until she graduated from Mountain Pointe High School in 2003. She earned her black belt in 1999 and was honored to compete for Team USA at the Wado-Ryu World Cup in Tokyo, Japan in 2002. These years of training were a formative and powerful…

Adam BubenAdam began training in Wado Ryu karate under Sensei Rick Savagian in 1992, while a student at Mountain Pointe High School. Adam always saw karate as a way of life, as something that would inform all of his other activities, both physical and mental. Adam competed in tournaments throughout the US, and in Japan.…

Mike BarlowMichael Barlow started training at the age of 30 and earned his black belt at the age of 40. He has resumed his training at the age of 61. His four children studied under Sensi Rick and now one of his grandchildren is training. Mike has a 36 year career as a Senior Vice…

Joey SnevaJoey began training in Wado Ryu Karate with Sensei Rick Savagian in 1990 at the University of Arizona. She earned her black belt in 1995. Karate instilled many life lessons that have helped Joey throughout her life—dedication, perseverance, confidence, the rewards of hard work. Joey earned her B.S. in Wildlife Biology at the U…