Sensei Jason Hower, 3th Dan
Hower Sensei began his karate training in Hayashi-ha Shito Ryu under Shihan Reed Noss in 1995 and has been training daily ever since. He received is Sho-dan from Shihan Noss in 1999, and his San-dan in 2003. Hower Sensei has placed in the top-5 at national and international competitions and he continues to do so. In the fall of 2004, Hower Sensei moved to Seattle to train under Shihan Minakami at Minakami Karate Dojo while pursuing a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering at the University of Washington.
Many students assume Hower Sensei lives at MKD; every time they come, he is there! He is respected in the dojo for his knowledge of kata and kobudo, as well as his intense training habits. Hower Sensei credits much of his academic success to the discipline and focus he learned while training in karate. Karate has helped instill a strong spirit in Hower Sensei that strives for physical and mental perfection in all areas of his life. He frequently credits his karate training with providing a safe and structured outlet for his intense personality, especially in his teenage years when karate practice kept him out of trouble.
When not at the dojo, Hower Sensei can likely be found outdoors with his wife Kelly and their dog Tess or in his campus laboratory where he studies the properties of proteins at interfaces. (Shihan Minakami calls him Geek Sensei for fun!)