Steve Montgomery, 7th Dan

Mr. Montgomery began training in karate at the age of 20 years (1977) at the Drexel University Karate Club in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. This dojo was affiliated with the International Shotokan Karate Federation headed by Sensi T. Okazaki. Mr. Montgomery also trained at the South Jersey Karate Club in Collingswood, NJ during summer breaks. The training regime followed the standard JKA teachings, and was a tremendous form of mental discipline, physical fitness, and sport which he followed with a passion.

In December 1982 Mr. Montgomery received his shodan from Okazaki Sensei. Having graduated college in 1983, he then began training full time at the South Jersey Club because of the proximity to home. The chief instructor was Les Safar Senei. About late 1984, Safar and Ray Dalke Sensei (located on the West Coast in Riverside, California) left the JKA and formed the American JKA. Mr. Montgomery was awarded his nidan and sandan grades in 1985 and 1988, respectively, from the AJKA.

During these times Mr. Montgomery competed continually on the club teams and the university teams, earning honors at all levels. He also graduated from instructor training program at Long Island University College of Sports Medicine, where the study of training methods, body mechanics and body dynamics was emphasized. These teachings were derived from the original JKA instructor training programs, with added emphasis on sport karate and athletic development. In 1987, Mr. Montgomery became part owner of the South Jersey Karate Club.

Mr. Montgomery began teaching karate almost everyday from this point forward. He also continued to compete and hone his skills in the competitive arena during this time. He highlighted his achievements with a birth on the USA team that competed in the WSKA championships in Calgary, Canada in 1991. He was also invited to compete against the British National Squad in 1992 at their championships held in Birmingham, UK. This was a memorable event because the Brits were then world champs, and competition was against the best in the world.

In 1993 thge dojo affiliated with the Traditional Karate International Confederation (TKIC) headed by the late Osamu Ozawa. It was Ozawa Sensei who awarded Mr. Montgomery his yondan rank in 1994 and godan rank in 1996. He served as a member of the technical committee for the TKIC. Ozawa Sensei earned respect from the Southern NJ club for his ability to bring together so many quality martial artists of varying backgrounds and systems, with little or no political gamesmanship. The annual tournament in Las Vegas is one of the best in the world. His contribution to the martial arts community and the world will long be remembered.

After the competitive days were over an as maturity set in, a deeper understanding of art of karate was sought. Mr. Montgomery's own research led to discovery of the work of Vince Morris. In 1998, Mr. Montgomery received his first tape from Vince; One Strike, One Kill. He was astonished to see what information was being presented. Mr. Morris was invited to come and be a guest instructor at the annual training camp in the USA.

Sensei Vince obliged and has since been a regular guest at the dojo. The Southern NJ dojo was selected by Mr. Morris to be the USA headquarters for Kissaki-Kai Karate-do. This affiliation with Kissaki-Kai Karate-Do began officially in 1998, and is part of a modern day karate movement that transcends "styles" and cultural boundaries. The incorporation of kyusho-jutsu, shime-waza, kansetsu-waza, ne-waza, and nage-waza into the curriculum, via a thorough understanding of the kata, complements an already sound technical curriculum based on fundamental Shotokan karate. The result is a system of self defense with a depth suitable for a lifetime of training. At the 1999 annual training camp, Mr. Morris awarded Mr. Montgomery his sixth dan rank in recognition of ongoing committment to the generation of Kissaki-Kai Karate-do.

Matt Knorr, 5th Dan

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Marty Birmingham, 5th Dan

Marty began his Martial Arts training in 1972 with Sensei Tony Lingo while attending Rutgers University. When the school year ended, he enrolled in the Collegetown Karate Academy, a division of the South Jersey Karate School under the supervision of Sensei Leslie Safar. In 1978, Marty received the degree of Shodan from Sensei T. Okasaki of the J.K.A. During the next 13 years, Marty actively participated in over 100 Open and Shotokan tournaments along the East coast. It was in these events, particularly the Open tournaments, that he developed many of the unique techniques that have become a trademark in the classes that he teaches. The highlight of his tournament competition came in 1987 when he finished third in Kumite at the International Karate Championships at Long Island University. In 1990, Marty sustained a torn ACL that ended his active participation in tournaments.

In 1987, Marty joined the Club Shotokan, training under Sensei Sal Lopresti and Sensei Steve Montgomery. This move necessitated a retest for the degree of Nidan that he was awarded that same year by Sensei Okasaki. Marty continued his teaching, which had begun in 1978, with Club Shotokan. The basis of his instruction has always been deeply ingrained in his belief that "If it's not going to work for you on the street, then DON'T practice it. The belt rank means nothing if you can't defend it outside the dojo !".

In 1998, Marty added another level in his training experience as Club Shotokan adopted the teaching philosophy of Sensei Vince Morris and became Kissaki-Kai Karate-do USA. This change significantly expanded his knowledge to include realistic applications of holds, throws, chokes and grappling, as well as pressure point applications, that were previously ignored in traditional Shotokan Karate.

In 1998 Marty achieved the level of Sandan from Sensei Sal Lopresti and Sensie Steve Montgomery. In 2002, after four additional years of intense training with Sensei Morris and Sensei Montgomery, Marty earned his present rank of Yondan. He now holds Godan.

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