Sensei G. Spring

Gary Spring is one of USA Martial Art’s black belts. He was the 12th black belt in the system. He was born in 1963 in Ashtabula, Ohio. He graduated from Edgewood high school in 1981 and went to the Air Force Academy. In 1984 Gary decided it was more important to get married, so he left the academy and married Christine. In the early years of their marriage they decided to join martial arts. They were in martial arts for two years when they decided that it was too hard to stay in it with two little kids running around. Subsequently, they took some time off from studying the martial arts.

Several years later, and with three kids now, Sensei Spring decided to join martial arts again because his son who was 14 had taken an interest in learning karate. However, Gary started martial arts on his own because he wanted to make sure that this particular system was not based on fighting. He wanted to make sure that the school was not going to teach his son to misuse the art. He ended up joining shortly before the summer camp, so he went to camp, which was an intensive week of martial arts training, and ended up receiving two belts before it was through. A couple of days after camp his son

joined; six months after that his two daughters joined; and about a year after that his wife also joined. Martial arts became a fun activity that Gary could do with his family.

Gary rapidly moved through the belts and competed in many tournaments, all of which greatly increased his ability in martial arts. He then made a goal for himself to get his black belt by the time he was forty. He accomplished this goal when he received his black belt at the age of 39 in the year 2003. He received his Shodan, black belt after a long week of summer camp. Because of his previous training and his hard work and perseverance, it only took Gary three years to receive his Shodan. This was a feat that nobody before him has ever been able to accomplish. Receiving a black belt in only 3 years at one school is an incredibly short amount of time for anybody - let alone someone who owns his own business and is the head of a family.

Shortly after he received his black belt, the senior instructor, Master J. Brown, decided to go to school to become a pastor in Austin, Texas. Then, the black belt he left in charge of the school decided to step down as the new instructor. With Master Brown being so far away, the school was left in a very tight spot. Sensei Spring, Gary, decided that he would step up and take over the school. For the next three years he dedicated a lot of time to the North Shore Dojo in order that it would build back up and become as strong of a school as it was once. However, there were several setbacks along the way. His son went into the military and one of his daughters got married. This meant that they were not longer active in the

school, which made it harder for Gary to run the business without their help. He was losing some of

his highest kyu ranks. But Sensei Spring kept the faith and continued to build the school. After Sensei Spring had put so much effort into the school, it finally turned around and started to grow.

Four years after he had received his black belt, two of his children, his son Daniel and daughter Amy received their black belts on July 31, 2007. On top of that overwhelming joy, Sensei Spring was also awarded an honorary nidan (second degree black belt) because he had put so much into the school. Sensei (which is his title now that there are two more Sensei Springs) has continued to be faithful in the North Shore Dojo. He really enjoys having two of his children along side of him to help him run the school.