Tommy Miller

I was born in 1959 and trained to stay in shape from a young age. Being a preacher's kid from rural Mississippi, I learned how to fight as some people thought the preacher's kid would be an easy target. I boxed, worked out often etc. until I started martial arts at age 26. That was in 1986. Originally I started in a style known as kayoukisheka. My instructor was a black belt by the name of Robert Newman whom I knew from work at plant Vogtle. After work played out, he went back to North Carolina. I then studied at the Thomas Pendarvis dojo in Edgefield, SC in U.S. Tai. Sensei Pendarvis studied under O'Sensei Kimmey with Sensei Mike Hess. I remained there until I made my green belt. At that time he went back to school to become a lawyer.

At that point it was 1988; I started training with Mike Hess. It took me three years to make first degree (January 91). I currently hold a 3rd degree black belt in Zenshotokai Karate. For a few years, I had my own dojo in Columbia, Mississippi.

Martial Arts is an art that when first started, a person is like a raw piece of wood. With patience, hard work, and guidance, the individual becomes a true art form being able to trim away all the unnecessary elements.

I have two daughters, age 28 and 32.