MY FAMILY MEMBERS ARE NUMBER ONE ON THE LIST:
Tom, Sandi, Nathan, Luke and Jared

 

 

 

 

DENITA

 

I met Denita a few years ago and ever since, we have been very close.  We have both been through a lot together but through it all, we have remained very strong friends.  I consider her my sister and hold her in high regard.  Through the hard times in her life, she has remained strong.  Her bravery in the face of all of her trials has inspired me and many others to press on though our hard times.  Her sincerity and honesty should admired by all who meet her.  She is an inspiration to many, and will always be a Samurai in my book.

 

 

 

KYLE

 

 

Kyle and I met a few years ago at an old job of ours.  To be honest, he didn’t like me when he first met me (he still won’t give me an explanation as of why).  He just doesn’t get along with everybody, right off the bat.  But, soon a mutual respect and friendship began to grow and now I consider him one of my closest friends.  I think he started to like me just after I called him out on his heritage.  He is an Irish Viking and he shows it in his selflessness and bravery.  He has helped me with a lot in my personal life as well as in my business.  He has shown much honor and respect for me, and for my family and other friends.  He is a very loyal person and has proven this many times over.  For this and many other reasons is why he is listed as a Samurai.

 

 

 

ZACH, STEPHANIE AND KIRSTEN

 

These three make up only half of a very special family.  They are some of the most caring and loving family I have ever met.  We first met at last years MetroCon and they started to come out to the Amtgard field in Tampa, FL.  We hung out a couple of times and then they joined me and many others at last years JaniCon as part of the Yakuza/Samurai army.  Zach is a very wise man.  His knowledge and wisdom of this world is truly amazing.  He has been a great inspiration to me and his words of encouragement have helped me through some very tough times.  His strength of character is unmatched by any.  Stephanie and Kirsten are two very lucky girls, to have a father as great as Zach.  The girls are the two most cheerful and radiant sisters I have ever seen.  They respect and honor their father more than most teenage daughters do in this day and age.  Their love and loyalty as a family, is uncanny.  I am glad that I have had the opportunity to call these three my friends.  They are all a shining example of true Samurai.

 

 

 

 

 

JJ

 

I met JJ at ChibiPa.  You all may remember him as the person that won the final tournament.  He Cosplayed Reno from Final Fantasy Advent Children and he did a great job in this role.  I had the honor of being able to just hang out with him for a little while.  We played some video games and just chilled for a short time.  I was really impressed by his humble and respectful way he treated others.  He is a skilled fighter but he is not braggadocios about his skills.  At one point in the second day of the con, I was very tired and thirsty (I don’t have much time to eat or drink much at cons) and he saw this and then went out of his way to find me a drink and bring it back to me.  This was much appreciated and showed one of the great aspects of JJ’s character.  I was able to hang out with him again at FITCon and if was a blast fighting him once again.  We had some amaizing rave battles and it was fun being able to just chill with him and all of the others from FITCon.  I look forward to having the honor of hanging out with him again, at future cons.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Andy

 

I met Andy at last years MetroCon.  He owns a business called East West Synthesis.  He had the booth right next to mine at MetroCon and at Chibipa.  Our two businesses are very similar in the fact that we are both trying to bring the Japanese culture (past and present) to as many people in America as possible.

The way Andy shows honor and respect to everyone he meets is amazing.  He is one of the most wise men that I have ever met.  He doesn’t mix words and when he speaks with you, he makes you feel like every word that you have to say, is profound and the most important thing that is happening at that time.  He has great integrity and is kindness is unmatched.  I count it an honor to know him as a friend.