and have lived in Germany since 1980. Over the years, I participated in various competitions in the disciplines of kata and kumite. In 1979, I passed my 1st Dan examination in Sicily, Italy. In the same year, I founded our first judo and karate dojo with two friends. I also gained experience in the martial arts jujutsu, judo, taijiquan, aikido, and iaido. Later, I incorporated various elements of these into my own karate dojo. In 2000, I published my first work as a karate book author. In 2001, Klaus Späth and I founded the Taikikan karate dojo in Germany. Our karate school practices Shotokan karate and is a member of the German Karate Association (DKV) and the World Karate Federation (WKF). In 2014, I was named a Millennium Trainer at the Karate World Championships in Bremen. As a guest instructor, I was also privileged to lead courses on the topic of "Transmitting Values through Karate."