BUSHI KARATE CLUB

  Sensei Chris holds his forth-degree black belt from the AIKA federation. He began his martial arts career at UMass Amherst in 1996 achieving the rank of 1kyu with ISKF Godan Sensei Sara Grimes. Chris was granted black belt under Shihan Wayne Mello in 2001. Sensei Chris has always had a penchant for seeking out instruction from as many Sensei as possible over the years and brings a wealth of knowledge in how to perform and apply Karate technique to forms (kata) and fighting (kumite). 

Professionally, Sensei Chris graduated from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst with his BS in both Physiology and Chemistry. He then proceeded to attend Framingham State University and received his MBA. Currently employed at Alexion Pharmaceuticals as a Senior Director of Global Supply Chain bringing medicine to people with Rare Diseases. 

Sensei Kevin Carey, began his martial arts training in 2000, when Shihan Mello moved his karate dojo to Oxford, MA. He trained every possible chance he could, earning him the rank of Black Belt in 2004, at the young age of 15. Sensei Kevin started competing in karate tournaments right from the beginning and continues to enjoy competing today. Sensei Kevin became a 3rd degree Black Belt in 2013, earning him the title of Sensei. To this day, Sensei not only teaches and competes, but he continues to train and advance in rank as well.

 Sensei Jamie began training in 2000 at ten years of age, under Shihan Wayne Mello. She was very active in the tournament circuit, including placing in the Ozawa Cup in Las Vegas in 2005. In 2010, she achieved the rank Nidan under Shihan Wayne Mello. In 2020, she achieved the rank Sandan and title of Sensei from AIKA under Sensei Christopher Amato.

Sensei Jamie joined the Army National Guard in 2013 and fulfilling her service in July of 2019. She is currently a Survey Technician. 

"For me, teaching and training means everything. No matter the obstacles or commitments, I always came to karate. I always knew I had a place here. I love being part of this amazing karate family, that continues to grow with each new student. Karate has always been my outlet, my way to bring me into the moment. When I step out onto the floor, everything disappears, and my only focus is what is happening now. That is what I try to teach, when you are in the dojo, never give up and always try your hardest. "

 Sempai Leah began her Martial Arts career in 2003 at the Boston Karate Club achieving the rank of 3kyu under ISKF Godan Sensei Ali Mohajerani and officially joined the AIKA family as instructor to the Universal Karate class (tykes; 4-6 years old) in 2014 with their two children, Dominic and Gabrielle. Leah achieved the rank of Shodan with AIKA in 2018 under Sensei DJ Oleski and has already represented AIKA well with third place finishes in kata and sparring at the Ozawa Cup in 2018. In 2020, she achieved the rank of Nidan with AIKA under Sensei Christopher Amato. 

She is a graduate of both University of Massachusetts, Boston and Northeastern University. She has earned her BS in Biology and MS in Biotechnology respectively. During the day she is a Director of Quality Operations at 2SeventyBio and in October the Mistress of Darkness for Nightmare Marlborough, a non-profit Haunted House we run for the Marlborough food pantry. 

Sempai Ryan (Sparky) McKendry. has been training at Bushi Karate Club for three years, but has been practicing martial arts for over ten years. He started training when at 6 years old in Pennsylvania and at the age of 13 earned his black belt in Shorin Ryu and in January 2020 earned his black belt in Shotokan karate under Sensei Chris Amato.

Martial arts has had nothing but a positive influence on his life no matter where he is. Once he started training in Pennsylvania it introduced him to another family, the martial arts family. When he moved to Massachusetts in 2017, he found extended his martial arts family at BKC. Karate has been a major aspect of his life since kindergarten, and he loves to teach and help others grow into better martial artists and hopefully better people as well.