Instructors

Dr.  Chris Dewey

• 8th degree black belt in Shinsei Hapkido 

• 8th degree black belt in Akayama Ryu Jujutsu 

• 6th degree black belt in USJA Judo 

• 6th degree black belt in USJA Ju Jutsu 

• 4th degree black belt in Chang Moo Kwan Taekwondo

• 3rd degree black belt in Moo Sul Kwan Hapkido

Chris Dewey is a martial artist with more than fifty years of experience. He began training in 1969 and has trained primarily in Japanese and Korean martial systems. Although they have no formal ranking system, Chris has also been training in the Chinese systems of Taiji and Qigong since the mid1990's.

During his journey in the martial arts, Chris has been a competitor, coach and referee from the local to the national level. Chris was one of the founding members of the University Budo Club at Mississippi State University in the late 1980's, taught martial arts classes at Mississippi State University for university credit for more than twenty years, and taught Judo classes at the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science from 1990-1997, as well as owning his own for-profit dojo in Starkville, MS for sixteen years from 1996 to 2012 before taking early retirement from MSU to attend Oriental Medical School. Chris was a past USJA Coach of the Year and has been inducted into the U.S. Martial Arts Hall of Fame.

Chris served the United States Judo Association as a member of several committees for many years, including being a Master Rank Examiner in Judo and Ju Jutsu as well as Chair of the the USJA Coaching Education Committee from 2000-2005. Additionally, Chris served the National Association of Professional Martial Artists from 2002-2008 as a faculty member of the National School Support Network and as a regular monthly columnist for MAPro magazine. 

As an author, Chris published a Masterclass text for coaching martial arts in 2010, which drew upon his experience in Hapkido, Judo, Ju Jutsu and Taekwondo. In 2025, Chris published Moving and Breathing: Lessons from the Martial Way, as a series of life skills lessons drawn from walking the martial way for more than fifty years.

Chris is currently Chair of the Board of Directors for Shinsei Hapkido. Chris continues to teach Hapkido, Judo and Ju Jutsu in our dojo in Laramie, WY. Chris also offers classes in Taiji and Qigong as a community service and also owns and operates Thirdpathway Acupuncture as a full time health care practitioner. Lastly, Chris teaches a didactic and practical for-credit class in the History, Philosophy, Methodology and Application of the Asian Martial Arts for the Honors College at the University of Wyoming. 

Jason Simanson

• 3rd degree black belt in Shinsei Hapkido

• 3rd degree black belt in Yukiyama Ryu Ju Jutsu

• 2nd degree black belt in Aikido

• 1st degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Growing up in a world where surviving and fighting was the normal way, Jason started off in the boxing gym before he was ten years old. As a young man, Jason joined the US Navy and served two deployments in the Middle East. For Jason, the first twenty-four years of life were filled with the lessons of  war and survival. In midst of all of that, there was the light of The Martial Way, poking through. Finally, after Jason walked into an Dojo in Phoenix, AZ, he met Brad Bailey Sensei, Jason Graham Sensei and Niko Huffman Sensei, who would train him in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Aikido,  At that point, Jason knew  beyond doubt that the Martial Way was not just a way of life, it was his way of life. Jason competed regularly and earned a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under Bailey Sensei through Nova Uniao, while simultaneously being trained in the traditional art of Aikido under Graham Sensei, from whom he eventually earned his Nidan (2nd degree black belt) through the Independent Aikido Alliance.

During these years, Jason dedicated his life to the Martial Way, and began to understand that the techniques he learned were not only meant for the mats, a fight, or even self defense, but rather, for how to live a life, while striving to become the best possible version of himself. Through all his challenges, Jason realized that it was important for him to teach others and walk for others in the Martial Way.  For Jason, the Path, the Way, has become his teacher and his guide. Jason's Aikido has begun to evolve into Aikijujutsu, and the journey continues. The path is forever onward not just for Jason, but also for those with whom Jason trains and teaches.