Timothy Jurgens.

Tim Jurgens a Mankato Native began his training in the early 1980's with the American Taekwondo Association at the Mankato State University Taekwondo club. In 1985 following Marine Corps boot camp he began learning Shorin Ryu Karate under Alan Griffin and Tony Sandovol. In 1987 he travelled to Okinawa Japan where he continued his Karate training in Matsumura Shorin Ryu under first Arakaki Morimasu Sensei and then Kise Fuse Sensei. Tim was also lucky enough to enjoy classes from Odo Sekichi Sensei of Okinawan Kempo. In 1988 he received his Shodan Certificate. Later in 1988 he was able to train in Taekwondo in the village of Uncheon Korea while participating in a 6 month field exercise with the 12th Marine Artillery Regiment. In January 1989 he received his Nidan grading and later in the year established his first Dojo in Budapest Hungary while serving as an embassy guard. Following embassy duty Tim was selected for an educational program at the University of Minnesota where he studied Chemistry and trained with a local fighting gym to maintain fitness. In 1991 Tim reported for duty at Camp Lejeune North Carolina where he trained with Larry Isaic Sensei of Okinawan Kempo. Tim returned to Okinawa in 1994 where he began training in Yoshinkan Aikido and Ryukyu Kobudo. He continued his training in Aikido to Shodan which he received in 1999 from Terada Sensei in Yokohama Japan. In 2000 Tim also received a second Nidan certification in Shorin Ryu in the Embukan organization which does Kobayashi Shorin Ryu from the lineage of Shimpan Gusukuma Sensei. Tim received his Sandan in Shinbukan Shorin Ryu from Akamine Hiroshi Sensei in 2000 and also received his Shodan in Kobudo on the same day. He has since been graded to Karate Godan in 2005 and Kobudo Yondan in 2006. Tim holds instructor's certificates and dojo certificates in both Karate and Kobudo and runs a school in Tokyo where he currently lives with his wife Mikako, daughter Ryuka, and son Ray . He is also working on his Japanese language skills and holds a level 3 language proficiency.

Tim's martial arts have been strongly influenced by his 11 years as a Marine and have been greatly benefited from the availability of excellent teachers both in Okinawa and around Marine Bases. His approach is practical and oriented toward real world usage as opposed to competition or sport fighting. Over the years he has been helped along his way by friends, colleagues, and seniors to include Alan Griffin, Tom O'Brien, Don Shapland, and Robert Rousselot. Tim has participated in seminars with the Ryukyu Kobudo Hozon Shinko Kai in Liverpool, Warsaw, US and Manila. He is always ready to hold out a helping hand and is a pleasure to have around. A great friend.

Tim practiced at the Yashio Park Dojo where he was senior Karate instructor. He is also involved in promoting Kobudo and Karate for the benefit of all, he has established friendly contacts internationally with the hope to visit and introduce these arts to students all over the world.