MONGOOSE-WITHIN-A-CIRCLE ACADEMY, LLC™
PROFESSIONAL MARTIAL ARTS INSTRUCTION
Instructor Profile REFLECTIONS ON MY TEACHERS "Sensei Shojiro Koyama is respected world wide as one of the finest martial arts teachers. He is a man of great honor and integrity, and I credit Sensei Koyama with providing a strong foundation of training and understanding. It was in this dojo where the important life-long lessons of humility, self-discipline, honor, and respect (for Self, as well as for others) were re-enforced. I hold Sensei Koyama in the highest regards, and maintain the deepest respect for him as a man of wisdom and knowledge (not only of the martial arts, but of life in general)". " Grandmaster Khan is a man who has always walked a path of wisdom and compassion. He employed a brutally efficient martial system for his work throughout the globe (generally extremely dangerous work), but he also showed how it was just as important to extend the 'empty hand' in aid (healing, or teaching others). In fact, despite being a Grandmaster of extremely high rank, he always would sign his name with two Chinese characters loosely translated as 'man of the fields' , i.e. 'one who serves'. He is a fine example of balance; humility rather than ego, confidence rather than arrogance, always tempering action with wisdom. As he told me once, "the hand that kills must also heal"- from the jungles of Southeast Asia to the fields of Africa, he had vast experience in both. I am proud and honored to not only have been his student, but to have served him as assistant instructor, then as Head Instructor with Ji Shu Khan International, and then as his personal bodyguard (as is customary within the monastery-based system where he was raised and trained). I accepted the challenge of his teachings as my life's work. I continue to uphold this Martial Way, by allowing it to constantly evolve and grow, and by continuing to be of service to others."
David Smith *(Master Yue Fei) has almost 40 years experience in the martial arts. He began what would become his life path in 1974, in the dojo of his first teacher- Sensei Shojiro Koyama (Arizona Karate Association-Japanese Shotokan Karate). This focused and highly disciplined training that began in childhood provided him the solid foundation for the intensive advanced training he would recieve years later under Grandmaster Yuen Khan of China.
Master Yue Fei is the first Westerner to earn a name in the House of Khan, and to earn a Master level ranking from Grandmaster Khan. He primarily teaches the Chinese martial arts system Mongoose-Within-A-Circle (also known simply as Ji Shu Khan). He is trained in anti-terrorist techniques, close quarters unarmed combat, professional protection, and survival tactics. He served as Grandmaster Khan's chief instructor with Ji Shu Khan International, and has international executive protection experience. He has also served as a field instructor and representative with S.C.S (Thailand), an international training organization for military, law enforcement, and other field professionals. He is also trained in the balance of Internal Arts, and has a basic certification in Touch for Health Applied Kinesiology.
Despite his many years training and experience, he considers himself still a student, and always seeks to improve and to learn.
‘Open hand, open heart, open mind’
*Master Yue Fei is David Smith's earned rank and title, and is sometimes used in place of his Western name. He believes that this rank carries the responsibility to be of service, not to be one of power or control.
