Martial Arts

Chris is a martial artist with more than fifty years of experience. He has been training since 1969 and has trained in Japanese, Korean and Chinese martial systems. His current ranks include an 8th degree black belt in Shinsei Hapkido, 8th degree black belt in Akayama Jujutsu, 6th degree in Judo, 6th degree in USJA Jujutsu, 4th degree in Taekwondo and a 3rd degree in Moo Sul Kwan Hapkido. Although they have no formal ranking system, Chris has also been training in Taiji and Qigong for many years.

Chris has been a national level competitor, coach and referee. He was chair of the United States Judo Association Coach Education Committee for several years, a past USJA Coach of the Year, faculty member of the National School Support Network for the National Association of Professional Martial Artists and a regular columnist for MAPro magazine as well as being inducted into the U.S. Martial Arts Hall of Fame.  During his journey in the martial arts, Chris taught for-credit martial arts classes at Mississippi State University for more than twenty years and owned his own dojo in Mississippi for sixteen years before moving to Wyoming. 

His experience across several martial disciplines has led Chris to write and publish: Coaching martial arts: The masterclass text and Moving and Breathing: Lessons from the Martial Way

Besides teaching in his dojo in Laramie, WY, and teaching community classes in Taiji, Chris teaches a for-credit martial arts class for the Honors College at the University of Wyoming and is currently Chair of the Board of Directors for Shinsei Hapkido. 

Chris teaches Hapkido, Judo and Traditional Jujutsu at the The Laramie Plains Civic Center (room 342), located at 710 Garfield St, Laramie, WY. Classes are at 6:30p.m. on Wednesday evenings and 1:00pm on Sunday afternoons. Classes are open to anyone 14 years old or older. No previous experience is necessary.

As a traditional martial artist, Chris can draw upon a wide range of techniques and principles from multiple disciplines. Skill sets taught include engagement principles, throwing, joint locking, ground work, striking, and weapons (such as the bo, the hanbo, bokken and sword, as well as weapons of opportunity). Chris teaches classes that are both pragmatic and defense oriented, but which also focus on the life lessons that are embedded in the martial way. For Chris, the martial arts are a way of life.

If you wish to chat with Chris about the class, please contact him here. Chris would be happy to chat with you.

Before you step on the mat to begin training, you will be required to fill out and sign the membership form, risk agreement and waiver. You can fill them out ahead of time and bring them to your first class.

If you have a judogi or karategi, please feel free to wear it to class. If you do not, just wear loose, comfortable clothes until you can obtain a uniform. If you have previous rank, you are welcome to wear any earned ranked that you can document, but please bear in mind that you will be learning a new system, and be expected to learn the syllabus accordingly.  

Chris also teaches the Yang style Taiji short form and both the Eight Brocades and the Yi Jin Jing Qigong forms on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturday mornings in Washington Park, close to the band shell at 8:00a.m.