We are located at 528 Lake Elmo and can be reached at (406) 591-9000

Our Mentor

We dedicate the Martial Arts Academy of Billings to our mentor, the Late Grand Master Karlo Fujiwara who helped us establish our school back in 2001. We are honored he conducted his final test in Judo at our school in May 2010. We have many great memories of the times we spent together. His guidance, dedication, hard work, respect and indomitable spirit toward ensuring our success will never be forgotten.

Martial Art training conditions the mind, body and spirit

Martial arts training is more than skilled movement. To the adept, it is also a way of life, particularly because it instills a practice of strict, self-imposed discipline and an ideal of high moral re-armament. The tenets respect, etiquette, loyalty, modesty, patience enable practitioners to develop these attitudes within themselves and to offer this way of life to others who join our dojang (training hall) regimen. Training in the martial arts arms the weak with an effective weapon to defend himself or herself against violence and attempts at intimidation.

Regular training is necessary to keep oneself in top form and physical condition. Training the muscles of the body harnesses the available positive and negative powers generated by every muscular contraction and relaxation. The focus on skill, develops neural-muscular patterns of readiness to react appropriately to the attacker’s force or momentum. The slightest push or pull is all that is needed to upset the assailant’s equilibrium.

Several years of regular martial arts practice will condition your reflexes and temper your maturity toward assertive non-aggressive patience. You will find repeated emphasis is placed upon regular training to master the techniques of attack and defense. The hours you spend in training and practice outside of class-time will reward you with appropriate reactions to save a life or prevent injury should the need arise.

If you practice any martial art for the exercise alone, the enjoyment derived and results achieved will fully justify the time. As an exercise, it is equally suitable with some considerations and adjustment of conditions for the young and old alike.

The symbolism of Martial Arts Academy of Billings Certificates

In Western cultures, dragons are generally considered evil and are associated with fire and destruction. While in the East, dragons are considered auspicious or good luck and are associated with water and fruitfulness.

The dragon in Asian mythology is a symbol of the emperor -- full of power and vitality. Tigers in Asian mythology generally represent martial ability and power. Primarily consigned to the general of the army, the tiger denotes physical power rather than the spiritual power represented by the dragon.

The Yin Yang symbol is a recognizable symbol in many cultures. Yin is the dark side of the symbol which connotes the negative outcome of events; whereas, Yang is the bright side, depicting the positive outcome of events. The modicum of dark or light in either side reveals the seed of the very element that will produce the other’s demise. Thus, the seed of dark eventually dispels the light, and the seed of light dispels the dark. They are complementary opposites. As in the universe, positive and negative both exist to create a balance. The Korean characters which represent Chun Ji mean “Heaven and Earth” and refer to the creation of the world or the beginning of human history.

The Martial Arts Academy of Billings certificate embodies the yin yang concept, using Asian mythological creatures to complete the visual reference. The dragon’s spiritual power balances out the military power of the tiger. Just as on our certificate, the visual representation of both elements balances out on the sheet of paper. Thus, receiving this certificate is symbolic of the beginning, or birth, of balance in the individual practitioner, spiritually, mentally and physically, and signifies the individual’s growth toward ultimate unity or serenity.