Sensei Joa Schwinn
Sensei Joa H. Schwinn has been practicing martial art for 39 years (as of 2007), and holds the rank of yodan (fourth degree black belt) in Seika Kage Ryu Kempo Ju Jitsu. Sensei Schwinn is a passionate student of the martial arts.
He is currently studying Kodokan Judo, Danzan Ryu Jiu Jitsu, DeCuerdas Escrima, Hawaiian Lua, and Muay Boran. He started his martial arts training in 1969 in Wichita, Kansas where he took karate as a teenager. Although he only received his yellow belt, the spark was lit. He also studied a form of kenpo karate under Grandmaster Roger Carpenter for a short while. Upon arriving in Santa Rosa, CA in the early 70's he started training in Parker Kenpo under Master John Navarro, mainly focusing on full contact fighting skills.
After training with Master Navarro off-and-on for two years, Sensei Schwinn took up the gentle sport of rugby. Playing for over twenty-five years with the Santa Rosa Rugby Club, he also played in New Zealand, Australia, and on tour with the Denver Barbarians. Later in his rugby career he was the player-coach for the masters rugby team (35+) for seven years, and ran a master's rugby tournament in Santa Rosa for five years.
Graduating from Healds Engineering College (1973) Santa Rosa Junior College (1975), Sonoma State University (1979), he finally earned his doctorate at Empire College, School of Law (1985). For the next fifteen years he was involved in business in Sonoma County primarily as a real estate developer and financial consultant. Leaving the rugby field finally (supposedly) at the age of 45 and in search of a life change a life change he decided to return to the martial arts.
In 1998 he started practicing Shaolin Kempo under Sensei Tom Porter. Having previously held the rank of brown belt in kenpo, he agreed to assist a family member in opening a second school in Santa Rosa (first one in Novato). When the family member suddenly left, Sensei Schwinn was presented with the option of closing down the schools or carrying on the responsibilities of chief instructor as a brown belt. Of the fifty-seven students that decided to stay, many are now the leaders of a burgeoning martial arts system Seika Kage Ryu Kempo Jiu Jitsu and Seika Ryu Martial Arts.
Studying nearly eight hours each day, plus running the business and teaching, Sensei Schwinn earned his shodan / 1st degree black belt in June 2000. After a period of time he began to expand his network of martial artists to gain as much information as possible to take back to his students. Over a period of time the style being taught had begun to differ enough from the original form that the decision was made to rename the art and concentrate on making it an effective well rounded self-defense program accessible to everyone. Currently, Seika Ryu has three schools: the hombu dojo in Santa Rosa, Healdsburg, and Novato.
Besides overseeing three schools, teaching, and training, Sensei Schwinn also promotes numerous martial arts event such as the October Martial Arts Challenge, the Seika Ryu Invitational Tournament and BBQ, local sparring challenges, and hosts a traveling martial arts competition team in kickboxing, san hou, pankration, and traditional karate tournament.
Sensei Schwinn currently holds the rank of ikkyu in judo and will test for his shodan this summer (2007) at Camp Bushido West. He is testing for his kyu rank in Danzan Ryu jiu jitsu, and is seeking a an instructor certification DeCuerdas Escrima Level II training. He competes frequently in martial arts competitions. He was promoted to yodan / 4th degree black belt and master instructor of Seika Kage Ryu Kempo Jiu Jitsu in June 2006. His instructors include Professor Charlie Robinson (judo and jiu jitsu), Professor James Muro (jiu jtisu and lua), Olohe Solomen Kaihewalu (lua), Grandmaster Arthur Gonzales (escrima). He is a member of Kilohana and Shinbukan dojo under Sensei Hans Ingebretsen.
Joa runs his martial arts school and system full-time. He and his wife Barbara, live in Santa Rosa. Their large family (parents, children, agrandchildren) live close by. His old sensei, John Navarro, comes by and trains at Sensei Schwinn's school in Santa Rosa. Nice circle...