True Martial Arts Academy

02/06/2026

Hello to all TMAA Family Members and Friends and Family. Finally getting caught up on another belated martial arts post for the New Year. April 1st, 2025, was the 50-year anniversary of my martials arts journey which began back in April of 1975. To celebrate and give back to all the students, over the many years the True Martial Arts Academy held its annual Beisho Association Seminar on May 31st. In attendance there were over 75 current and former students, instructors and family who came from across the United States, California, Oregon, Colorado, Ohio, Maryland, New York, New Hampshire and Massachusetts.

The Seminar guest instructor was Sensei Ed Kearney, 7th dan from Cleveland Oh. Sharing his knowledge of Silat, close quarter combat and knife fighting on Friday evening and Saturday afternoon. Saturday morning Professor Harry Curtis of Castoldi Ju jitsu and self defense shared his knowledge of locks and holds along with Sensei Steven Tuilimeri presenting skills and drills of ground fighting.

As the seminar came to a close late Saturday afternoon the dojo was now packed with all the students past and present as the group was led through an awards ceremony honoring all those that had helped me on my journey. One of the principles I spoke about was the concept of "Push and Pull" as it related to the people who helped push and pull me along the way, both physically and emotionally in both our lives. Too many to name, but a heart felt attitude of gratitude to my family members for their support and participation whether they wanted to or not… lol, my Instructor Papa Christopher Clarke and all the instructors I trained with over the years and the students that walked the path along the way, arigato gozaimasu.

What followed next were many rank promotions from 1st degree black belt, Shodan to 10th degree black belt, Judan. An amazing accomplishment for so many individuals spanning over 65 years of knowledge and training embedded in years of friendship, hard work, dedication, blood, sweat and tears, laughter and fun along the way!

I was honored with a promotion to Kudan (9th degree black belt) from my instructor Papa Chris, presenting me with his red belt that he has worn over his many years. I am extremely grateful and humbled to be honored with this promotion and acknowledgement of the many years of training, teaching and cultivating karate-do!

And it was only fitting to end the seminar with promoting the founder of our Beisho Association, Papa Christopher Clarke to the rank of Judan, 10th degree black belt. An amazing journey of over 65 years of training, teaching, leadership, educational and historical writings of karate and kobudo (weapons) that has inspired many students to continue their pursuit of the martial arts!

01/26/2026

Hello All TMAA Members, hope you are warm and safe.

The Academy will be closed again tomorrow Tue. 27th for the youth and adult classes, due to the storm and our policy of following the Waltham Public Schools Winter Storm Cancelation Policy.
Enjoy another snow day and we'll be back open Wed. 28th. Be safe stay warm and practice!

Sensei Jim and TMAA Staff. 👊👊

06/23/2025

Hello, all fellow karateka, just getting caught up on some of our latest's seminars.
In November of 2024 we held our Beisho Fall Seminar, featuring Sensei Jesse Knowles from Tenzan Karate-do, traveling from Atlanta, GA. to teach a seminar on "The Art of Leverage". We also had Prof. Harry Curtis from Castoldi Ju jitsu, as well as Sensei Steven Tulimieri and myself from the True Martial Arts Academy wedging ourselves into the teaching schedule.
Exploring leverage from many different angle's students were taught positive leverage of maintaining the direction and momentum of an opponent, negative leverage of reversing the direction and momentum, sequential leverage of moving from one fulcrum to another using wrist, elbow, shoulder, hip to redirect or throw the opponent and finally multiplane leverage of all the above in conjunction with sweeps, leg scoops and takedowns.
The seminar was a great success with over thirty students attending from Ohio, Georgia, New York, Colorado and New Hampshire.
We ended the event by celebrating with an evening out at a local Japanese Steak House!
A big thank you Sensei Jesse Knowles and all the students..... Domo arigato gozaimasu!

11/13/2024

Celebrating our Annual Awards Banquet with over 150 people, the True Martial Arts Academy presented over 75 awards to youth, adult and families for their commitment, dedication and training in karate-do. Awards included, individual, sibling, family, most improved, teaching, dojo service and community service. Congratulations to Patricia Vasquezi for receiving the Community Service Award for her half a century of teaching and a being a principal in the Waltham Community. Games of limbo, musical chairs and sensei says were played by all, as well as face painting and ninja tattoos. Thank you to all who attended and those that helped with serving food and organising the event. Arigato👊👊

07/03/2024

Did you know our Waverley Oaks Park tenants - Mighty Squirrel Brewing Co. & True Martial Arts Academy - collaborated on a Japanese Lager? Named after Owner, Jim True, for his 40+ years of commitment to teaching and service work in the Waltham community.

Clean, crisp, and refreshing with a soft floral note. Sensei Jim is brewed with large portions of rice which give it a light golden color and an exquisitely dry finish. Available on draft and in 4pks to-go at Mighty Squirrel’s Fenway & Waltham taprooms. Also available with online ordering with pick up at both locations.
📷Mighty Squirrel

01/27/2024

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=890508719534672&id=100057266575880&mibextid=9R9pXO

"A picture really says a thousand words!"
Thank you Jim for this picture and a heart-warming message in your email!

"Two of the women have been with me over 8 years and finally making their black belt. I gave a big speech about using Eosin Panther for at least the last thirty years or so as my only belt embroider and that they have always delivered, then showed them two of my belts from about 25 years ago and another from 30 years ago, both Mr. Yi did for me then presented them their belts.. All smiles

Thank you,
Best,
Jim

* We'd love to see your beloved Eosin Panther belt.. please share your picture. :)

12/07/2023

Our deepest condolences and prayers 🙏💙🙏
BREAKING: A Waltham policer officer was killed, and three utility workers hurt after a crash at a construction detail, NewsCenter 5 sources say; A police vehicle was stolen after crash. Latest >>> https://on.wcvb.com/46MzfV5

11/18/2023

A big thank you to all the instructors and students who attended and participated in the annual Biesho Fall Seminar hosted by the True Martial Arts Academy this past weekend. The event was well attended with students and instructors from Colorado, New York and New Hampshire. Congrats to all the instructors, Ken Bladyka, Paul West, Harry Curtis, Steven Tulimieri, Norm Krinsky, Justin Sheehy and Jim True.
Nine hours of interactive fighting drills, ju jitsu flow and entering drills, ippon, sanbon, and yakusoku drills. All followed by an interactive flow drill with applications from Pinan shodan and self defense applications from Naihanchi shodan taught by guest instructor Sensei Bladyka and Paul West.
Not to be out done by the two day event, we finished it off with another three hours at a Japanese Hibachi Steak House. Domo Arigato Gozaimasu 👊

04/25/2023

One of the many profound statements made by Demura Sensei towards his ending years. Words to live by & follow...
Bill George - Kohai of Nagamine Takayoshi Sensei

"The person you refer to as 'Sensei' is in that position for a valid reason. It seems today I hear a lot of former students or ex-black belts disrespecting their Sensei for a myriad of reasons. In order to better help you understand why a Sensei deserves, or let me put it a better way, demands your respect let me lay it out for you.
The Sensei is the one who has dedicated their life to the art they teach you. You will never have as many years of dedication in because you came after them.
The Sensei is the one who spent many days and nights opening their dojo, cleaning it, making it better…for YOU.
The Sensei is the one who has made sacrifices you will never understand just so you have a place to train, to learn and gain in your art.
The Sensei is the one who, often at great costs, has given up their free time, their family time…time they could be out doing many other things just so you can learn and train.
The Sensei is the one who has invested thousands of dollars in their own training just to learn how to teach you properly.
The Sensei is the one who has often broken bones, but still showed up to teach class. Torqued muscles, tendons and had strains but still showed up to teach class. Had a migraine, was sick, had a bad day…but still showed up to teach class. All these things are excuses why you miss class.
The Sensei often goes without so that the dojo and students will be taken care of. This means they give up having nice things at times, vacations, going out to dinner, hanging out with friends and family…all so you can learn Karate.
The Sensei has spent more time in a dojo than most of you that train with them have been alive.
The Sensei is the one who is always there for your training…
The Sensei quite often sees a need and fills a need for their students. They see that poor kid who has little of anything and needs sparring gear and they just go ahead and get it for them. They see the student who is struggling to come up with funds to buy their own weapons for Kobudo and just buys extras so they can participate. They see their adult students losing their jobs and says “Don’t worry about paying til you’re caught up”. This is the role the Sensei plays and it demands respect.
I can sit here and think of a thousand more reasons why you should never, ever disrespect your Sensei too…but, in all honesty, I shouldn’t have to. I shouldn’t have had to even write this blog…but, then again, people live in a shallow world these days. Perhaps we should step out of it, be bigger and better, and then the world will change. Respect your Sensei, take care of your Sensei, honor your Sensei…because, one day, your Sensei will no longer be around."
- Fumio Demura

04/03/2023

There is nothing mysterious about Karate.
Those who speak about it in that manner are like the Snake Oil salesmen of the past, who sell to those who are Guilable.

In recent years there are Instructors who Sell this Mystical Oil (karate secrets) through the internet, with promises of promotions, secret techniques that have never been taught before, while they speak in flowery language to impress their followers.

Some are teaching very unrealistic techniques or new styles of karate, rather than learning from the past from what they were originally taught, which in itself is a life long journey.

Only through discipline, hard training, consistency &Tamashi, can one truly begin to understand & develop in karate & as a result, polish the mind, body & spirit. Don't be fooled by these the snake oil sensei.

Nagamine Shoshin O-sensei has developed one of the most effective styles of karate, after his years of training with great masters. He developed one style & one system for each of us to learn & develop from.
Bill George - Matsubayashi Shorin Ryu Karate, practicing one style - one system.
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02/25/2023

We are honored by the tremendous outpouring of support from our family, friends, and community as we face this battle. We are grateful for all the well wishes, cards, letters, calls, posts and the establishment of https://www.gofundme.com/f/SenseiJim
We encourage and support the continued effort and welcome others to share.

No one is ever ready to hear the words “you have a cancerous mass” in your upper intestines, yet … Toby Fisher needs your support for Support Sensei Jim True

02/20/2023

To all my Face Book Friends and Family,
I’d like to update everyone on the status of my health.
I have been fortunate to have been on an amazing journey of being able to do my life’s passion teaching and sharing martial arts with over ten thousand students ranging in age from 3 to 102, all over the last 48 years. I am happily planning to be on this journey for many more years.
The great thing about the martial arts is the life skills that it imparts on an individual such as discipline, respect, compassion, focus, patience, courage, humility, wisdom, sincerity, and self-confidence better understood as self-trust.
The beauty of life is that we never know what will come our way. Being better equipped with life skills and a set of working tools to deal with life on life’s terms, can at least give us the ability to understand and deal with overcoming the adversities that we may have to deal with.
It is that ability to overcome adversity and deal with life’s situations that has now knocked on my door. No one, no one ever, is ready to hear the words “you have a cancerous mass” in your upper intestines. Those were the words my wife Rosie and I heard from the Dr. on Jan. 19th at 2 am in the ER.
After a successful surgery and follow up at MGH with an excellent oncologist I will be receiving Chemotherapy treatments for Diffuse Large B Cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The good news is that this is 80% curable and all the medical diagnosis have aligned our way.
This will be another step on the journey of life, having to put my fighting gear back on and step into the ring. This time using all the life skills and tools I’ve accumulated over the years, relying on my wife, all my siblings, family, friends, doctors, nurses, students, friends in the martial arts and the caring and compassionate support of the community.
Your love and support show extreme compassion and empathy to myself, my wife Rosie, my family, and the students and staff of the True Martial Arts Academy, for that I am extremely grateful! I look forward to returning after my treatments and to continue teaching and sharing my life’s passion with all of you.
All the best,
Sensei Jim