Please share with our readers a little bit of your non-martial arts background.

I am a college student preparing to enter Rutgers University in the fall as a transfer. After high school, I completed a year at the University of Delaware but had to take a couple years off to work. I just completed a couple semesters at Mercer County Community College as a music major, specializing in vocal performance. At Rutgers I hope to major in anthropology and continue to pursue my love of music as a minor.

How did you first become interested in martial Arts? What is your past martial Arts background?

I have been interested in martial arts for as long as I can remember. My parents enrolled me in an Okinawan style of karate, Isshinryu, when I was four years old, and I continued in that art until receiving my 2nd degree black belt as a teenager. Unfortunately the school I was training at closed, so I began to attend a school that taught Shaolin Kempo. After a few years hiatus, I became active in martial arts again in college with a Capoeira school.

How did you first hear about PAMA and what was your motivation for coming to PAMA?

When I moved back to New Jersey from Delaware, I was physically in very poor condition due to a medical complication. I hadn't been active in a long time and really wanted to get back in shape and reawaken my love for the martial arts. I found the Princeton Academy of Martial Arts online and was impressed with the school's reputation and the variety of arts that were offered. I participated in a trial class and knew right away that I wanted to train at PAMA.

Could you talk a little about martial arts and PAMA from a female perspective? What advice would you give a female thinking of joining?

As a woman, I feel that it is important to be empowered and know that you are much more capable than you give yourself credit for. For me, training in classes that are predominately male makes me push myself further than I believe I can go, and allows me to work with people of all sizes and abilities. I have also gained so much from the Women's Martial Arts class, which I find extremely helpful in fine-tuning my technique from a female perspective and for the female body. For any woman considering joining, I think the most important thing is to realize your own strength and to not let fear prevent you from reaching your full potential.

What are your favorite arts and why?

It's difficult to pick a favorite art, because they all address essential aspects of holistic training. I began mainly with the Jun Fan class and have recently been training in Kali and Silat. I am hoping to make it to more Mixed Martial Arts classes because I want to gain more knowledge and experience in close range groundwork. I also love the Women's Martial Arts class because it is taught from a female perspective and it's an amazing opportunity to train with other strong women.

What do you see as some of your goals in the martial arts and in your life in general?

Being involved in martial arts has really helped me gain control of my life again. After a few bumps in the road, it has made me feel powerful and confident. In martial arts and in general, I'm continuing to work to better myself and strive for balance throughout all aspects of my life.

Is there anything else that you would like to add?

Training at PAMA has been an invaluable experience that has taught me a lot about myself and helped me reignite my inner passion. Not only have I exceeded what I thought was physically possible, I have also gained much more control over my life in general. The friendships I have gained from my time at PAMA are also something that I am so thankful for. I would like to thank Sifu Rick and all the instructors, as well as the students, for the tremendous impact they've had on my life. I don't think words can express the magnitude of their significance to me.