Martial Artist
& Guitarist Extraordinaire

Some of Dyce's training (back in April): 

I am humbled by Theresa’s request to contribute to this newsletter and I consider it a privilege and an honor to be asked.  My name is Dyce Kimura and I am a professional guitarist and fitness fanatic with extensive martial arts back ground.  While nursing several injuries, I have come to know Theresa Ortega thru her online martial arts supply store.

I was raised in Japan and that is where I was exposed to martial arts.  I wanted nothing more in life but to train and be the best I could be.  I competed and trained in both Japan and the United States.  Setting my sights on my future as a pro fighter, I was ready to go to any lengths to get established.  However, while training in the U.S., my dreams were cut short by a horrific hip injury that prohibited me from walking for a year.  I flew back to Japan to nurse my wounds and get extensive acupuncture and therapy.  In light of the severity of the injury, I was forced to reconsider my future.  I’d had a good run though.  I’d won many tournaments in both Japan and abroad, and at one point even achieved a state championship title in the U.S.

Unable to walk, I began to pursue my other passion: guitar.  Playing guitar had been a hobby of mine since I was 6 years old and it always appealed to me.  Although the action and excitement of the ring enticed me, the magnitude of my painful injury was a rude awakening.  As a teenager, guitar playing consumed all my free time and I began to limp to and fro to music studios in Japan while my injuries healed.

By my 19^th birthday I’d made up my mind to become a pro guitarist and move to the United States and pursue my dream.  Needless to say, my mother was dismayed at my interest in rock 'n roll but she figured it was better than fighting.  I left Japan with her blessing at 19 and by 22 years old I became a full time rock 'n roll pro on the Miami scene.

I still love to train, however, and find myself in the gym almost every day.  I use Kamikaze Karate’s Empowered Dit Da Jow daily as preventive maintenance on my ankles (which are prone to injury).  Also I’m applying it to a torn shoulder tendon injury which I have been nursing for the past 8 months.  Playing guitar 6-8 hours a day can be brutal to the hands too.  Three years ago I started getting some mild tendonitis in my left hand and began applying the jow to that as well.  I also recommend it routinely to all my advanced students that would suffer from any kind of hand pain from extensive practicing or use of heavy gauge strings.  It has kept me playing hard on the guitar and active in the gym and I am definitely grateful to have discovered it.

If you would like to learn more about myself and my music just google my name: Dyce Kimura, or go to www.dycekimura.com

You can find me on facebook as well (search my name), or email me at dyce@dycekimura.com

I work as a full time guitar teacher these days and I’m an active worship leader in several different church ministries.  Feel free to send me a note on how you use the Dit da Jow!

P.S. Don't worry - - I came up with the title for this article. Dyce is WAY too humble to even come up with this for himself.  

                                             ~Theresa~

You can hear some of Dyce's songwriting prowess on his myspace page.