Hello

Chapter Affiliation/Region

Knights of the Bluegrass
Near Louisville, Kentucky, USA

​

Year Knighted

International Jedi Federation - November 2025

​

Jedi Path

What first sparked your interest in the Jedi path?

It was actually a couple years’ journey. Rewind to January of 2019, my daughter was born. She has Stickler syndrome, so she was born without the soft palate. She was unable to eat when she was born, so she was in the NICU at the children’s hospital. I won’t go into all of her medical woes, but she is happy and healthy now, so that’s the important part. While we were there, a group of volunteers came in dressed as superheroes. I’ve always been a Star Wars fan, Jedi in particular, and just the amount of joy it brought those kids left a huge impact on me.

​

Philosophy & Journey

How did you come to the Jedi path, and when did it become more than an interest?

A friend of mine, Jason, was talking about IJF and kind of brought me into the fold, so to speak. There are several other groups here in Kentucky, but they’re more cosplay, and that’s not what I was looking for. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I wanted a group that would go and do things like Children’s Hospital, volunteer at a food bank, or whatever. It was taught to me at a young age that selfless service matters, that you should help people expecting nothing in return, so it’s a core value of mine. I was in the Boy Scouts for a while and then in the military, so my entire life has been spent in service. That’s not to say I don’t have my own identity and my own wants and desires, but sometimes you have to put those aside to help other people out.

​

How do you personally define the Force?

I still view the Force as an energy. My faith is Christian, so I view the Force similar to the Holy Spirit. For people not familiar with Christianity, they may struggle with that a little bit, but it’s an energy, what connects me to the world around me. Like Obi-Wan says, it binds us and penetrates us. When I started the path, I viewed the Force as a conscious being, and strictly conscious. Now I view it as maybe a little more vague, a little more gray, a little more nuanced. The Seeker Program talks about the conscious Force and unconscious Force, and while I do believe the Force has a will of its own and generally wants what’s best, that it’s a positive force, no pun intended, in the universe, I don’t think it is always active. Sometimes it’s more passive or unconscious. I went for a hike earlier, and I always get recharged after a hike. I don’t think the Force was actively recharging my battery, so to speak, but it was there, and I felt better after my hike.

​

What has been the most meaningful or challenging lesson the Force has taught you?

To be more emotionally aware. I wouldn’t say that I was emotionally unaware. I was more emotionally aloof, like a cat. You know your cat loves you, but it doesn’t always show it. It doesn’t always care how you feel. It’s going to do what it wants to do. Not that I was selfish, just that I wasn’t as aware as I should have been. The challenging part is that it’s one thing to learn that you have a weakness, and it’s another thing to figure out what tools you need to become stronger and how to use those tools. It’s one thing to hand somebody a screwdriver, it’s another thing to actually know what to do with the screwdriver. It’s not a hammer. You turn the screw with it. So learning how to be more emotionally aware and emotionally open has been one of the biggest lessons. I’ve always been selective with who I’m around and who I consider a friend, so aloof is probably the best term. The Force has helped me perceive more and take other people’s feelings more into account. Not that I didn’t before, but it used to be, okay, here are the facts, here’s the plan, feelings are third or fourth on the list. Sometimes they need to be first or second. It’s helped me with personal relationships too, with my wife and with my daughters.

​

What continues to motivate you to walk this path?

Self-improvement. It’s like I tell my apprentice, 1% better every day. If you’re 1% better than you were the day before, pretty soon over a year you’re 365% better than you were the same time last year. It adds up. One is never too old to learn, so constantly learning and constantly trying to improve matters to me. Will I ever be perfect? Oh, no. I am not that delusional. But that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t strive to be better. Aim high.

​

Mentorship & Leadership

What responsibility do you believe comes with holding the title of Knight?

You are a leader. You’re supposed to set the example. I’m an Army veteran, and one of the big things there is lead by example. Not do as I say, not as I do. You’re supposed to embody the values. A Knight should embody the values of the Jedi. You’re a teacher and a policymaker to an extent. I do like that when it comes to the mentor-mentee relationship at the apprenticeship level, I have somewhat of a wide berth that I can apply rules to my apprentice or give them more freedom as needed. I think that’s excellent. The Seeker Program is very structured, and it needs to be at that level. It’s like high school and college. Here’s what you have to study, versus okay, what do you want to study and how can I help you improve? You have a lot of responsibility, and it should not be taken lightly. Not to say you can’t have a good time doing it, but you have to be prepared that you have to be the adult in the relationship.

​

What does being a mentor mean to you personally?

It’s an opportunity to teach and help people apply tools to their lives. If I pick on myself, okay, say I know I need to be more emotionally available. If I’ve figured out what tools I have and what tools I need, then let’s get those tools and learn how to use them. It’s about helping people apply the tools to their lives. Ultimately, I cannot make somebody change. They have to want to change themselves. But I can guide them, I can give them the tools, and say, look, in my experience, this is how that works. It’s also an opportunity to learn. That’s part of why I told my apprentice that I respect the relationship as a two-way street.

​

How would you describe your mentoring style?

I check in daily with my apprentice. Sometimes it’s just, hey, how’s everything going? Good, okay. Sometimes they’re busy at work or whatever, and that’s it. It doesn’t always have to be some in-depth conversation. Sometimes I’ll send them a video. Sometimes it’s just good morning or good evening. I’m pretty open. If somebody tells me they have a lot going on and they’re only available to have conversations on Saturdays, I’ll do my best to accommodate that. Not everything has to be a conversation. Sometimes it can just be, here’s your assignment, get back to me when you’ve completed it. I’m fairly flexible when it comes to that, and everybody learns a little bit different. I don’t like to overload people with writing assignments, though sometimes when you’re not physically around each other, that becomes one of the tools you have. I also expect my apprentice to disagree with me. I encourage that, but you better be able to defend your position. Your beliefs mean nothing if you can’t defend them. You may be right and I may even agree with your stance, but I’m still going to challenge it, because challenge is what creates growth. Heavy weights are what build muscle.

​

What kind of mentee do you feel naturally compatible with?

I feel naturally compatible with a mentee who is willing to engage, think for themselves, and defend what they believe. I encourage disagreement and challenge because that’s part of growth. At the same time, I work well with people when they’re honest about what they need, because everybody learns a little bit different, and I’m willing to be flexible in how I approach that. I also look for students who have an interest in swordsmanship or saber arts. Experience in martial arts, whether armed or unarmed, is helpful, but not required.

​

What area do you specialize in as a Jedi and mentor?
I like to teach by metaphor. To me, swordsmanship and saber arts give you a lot of metaphors to work with. If somebody is familiar with it, great. If not, I can show them and then explain, okay, in life you have to do X, Y, and Z. I try to break things down in a way people can understand. There’s a quote attributed to Einstein that if you can’t explain it to a seven-year-old, you don’t understand it yourself. That’s how I approach teaching. It’s not that I bring it down in some insulting way, it’s that I need to pitch it where the mentee actually is. You have to build the foundation first. In swordsmanship, if I try to teach you all a million things at once, you’re not going to get any of it. So first you build the base, then you move forward. I also have several years in TSL, the Saber Legion, fencing with lightsabers, and that has shaped a lot of how I teach and think.

 

Is there a mentor or a few people in the Jedi Community that helped you grow as a Jedi?

Jason was the one talking to me about IJF and brought me into the fold. He helped point me in this direction when I was looking for a community that was more than cosplay and more aligned with service.

​

Character & Growth

What do you believe are some of your core personality traits?
I can be sarcastic. I do have a sense of humor. I like to make jokes and laugh, and I will pick at you once I’m comfortable with you and know which buttons to pick. That’s why I tell everybody, if I pick at you, that means I like you. It means I’m comfortable with you enough to make jokes. On the opposite side of that, I think there are some things that should be taken seriously, and I do take those seriously. Duty is obviously big for me, especially with social service and my adult life thus far. I try to be the change I want to see in the world and pass that on to my children, my apprentices, and anybody else I’m responsible for leading. I don’t care who gets the credit. I just want things to change for the better.

​

What strengths help you serve your community well?
One of my strengths is helping people understand the why behind things and making things enjoyable enough that they’ll actually apply themselves. People generally do better at whatever task they’re doing if, one, they understand why they’re doing it, and two, if they’re enjoying it. Especially with exercise, that matters. That’s part of the angle we’re taking with the saber exercise program. If we’re working legs, okay, why is that important? Because fencing has a lot of explosive movements, and your footwork, balance, and core strength all tie into that. So here’s the exercise, here’s the drill that goes with it, this is the how, and this is the why. I think that helps people improve. I also don’t care who gets the credit. I just want the work to matter and things to move in a better direction.

​

What areas are you actively working on within yourself?
Trying to be more emotionally attuned. I’m still working on that. Another thing I’ve been reflecting on came out of a conversation with my apprentice. I asked him what he would kill for, and after he answered, it got me thinking. Am I more comfortable with violence? Am I too comfortable with violence? Or am I just older and more experienced? There’s a thirteen-year age difference between us, me being the senior, obviously, so I’ve had to ask myself whether that’s just experience or whether I’ve grown hardened, and not necessarily in a good way. That is an occupational hazard for service members. You grow desensitized to certain things. Not that I’m walking around looking to pick a fight, but it is something I continue to question and reflect on.

​

What does integrity mean to you in daily life?
Integrity is an Army value, so it was drilled into me. As the Army defines it, integrity is do what’s right legally and morally. As I define it, it’s do what’s right whether anybody’s around, whether anybody is ever going to know whether you did the right thing or not. Biblically, to him that knows right and does not do it, it is a sin. So just because you can get away with something doesn’t mean you should. If I find five dollars laying on the ground at an amusement park, I’m going to turn it in. It’s not mine. It doesn’t matter if it’s five dollars or five hundred dollars. The fact that I can get away with it doesn’t make it right. It’s wrong whether you get away with it or not. Integrity is also having the strength to do what’s right, because it’s not always easy. So moral courage and moral strength are part of it too.

​

What do people often misunderstand about you?
I think people see the guardian side, but they fail to see the consular side. They don’t always see the fact that I am always learning and always curious. That ties into my lightsaber blade color too, the cyan, the green-blue, because I view myself as a mix. Maybe I do choose violence a little quicker than most, and maybe quicker than I should, but I still have that continuous drive to improve and to learn, not just about combat or combat-involved pursuits, but spiritually and intellectually too.

​

Life Beyond the Temple

What brings you joy outside of Jedi practice?
Hiking, playing with my kids, going to the park, reading, studying philosophy, tinkering, building things, and working with my hands. Hiking especially helps me clear my head. Once I get out in the woods, I’m not thinking about anything else except looking for the markers and putting one foot in front of the other. That helps me get into the headspace where I can take a deep breath and start digesting whatever it is that’s on my mind. I also like to keep busy. I’m always trying to learn new skills or work with my hands, whether that’s electronics, carpentry, welding, or building something.

​

Favorite Movie/Show:
Fast and Furious up to about 6, Initial D, and anything Star Wars. At one point I was a huge gearhead, and I still love cars. It’s just an expensive hobby, and with three kids, it’s also a time-consuming one. Initial D is a little more niche, but it ties into my interest in Japanese culture. And Star Wars is obvious. That has been there all along.

​

Favorite Singer/Band:
It really depends on the day. One thing about the military is it brings together people from a lot of different backgrounds and subcultures, so I listened to a lot of music. One day it might be Chapel Roan or Taylor Swift. The next day it could be Metallica, Metalocalypse, or some other deathcore metal. Then the day after that, J-pop or jazz. It really just depends on what mood I’m in and what scratches that itch in the ear that day.

​

Heroes and Inspirations:
Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ronald Reagan, and Winston Churchill. Obi-Wan stands out to me because of integrity and selfless service. He could have gone off and done whatever after the Order fell, but he stayed and looked after Luke. He lost everything, and still kept going. To me, he’s the embodiment of what a Jedi should be. Reagan stands out because he was a leader and very serious when he needed to be, but he also used humor to put people at ease and get his point across. He didn’t have to be a grump or an absolute displeasure to be around just because he had an important job. Churchill stands out for courage and selfless service. Despite his flaws, he cared about England and did what he felt he had to do to protect it. What really stuck with me is that he gave up his post in Parliament to go serve. Again, that comes back to selfless service, which is one of the things I value most.

​

What do you do outside of IJF?
I work in electronics repair. Before that I was a mechanic. I built my own lightsaber, and I dabble in a lot of things. I can weld, I like carpentry, I’m very dexterous, and I like to work with my hands. I also study philosophy. I wouldn’t pay to study philosophy because I don’t think it has particularly marketable skills, but I do study it on my own. I also like Star Wars books and audiobooks, though I’m actually better at reading to learn than reading for pleasure. If I’m reading to learn something, I can blow right through it. If it’s a storybook, I’ll read two pages, set it down, come back, read two more, and set it down again.

​

How does your life outside the Order influence your Jedi path?
My life outside the Order influences my Jedi path a lot. My entire life has been spent in service, from the Boy Scouts to the military to the kind of work and responsibilities I’ve taken on as an adult. My family life has also influenced me, especially in learning to be more emotionally aware and to take other people’s feelings more seriously. My hobbies influence it too. Hiking helps me clear my head, philosophy gives me more to think about, and swordsmanship and saber training have become a way for me to understand and teach deeper lessons through metaphor.

​

Community & Vision

How would you describe being part of the IJF community?
It’s been an overall positive experience. I’m glad to see the shift away from the essay-driven style of Seeker Program, because that was a lot of writing. I’m used to writing reports where you keep to the facts and be concise, so when you get told to make something five hundred words when you know you can say it in two hundred and fifty, that gets frustrating. Everybody for the most part seems to be trying to improve themselves and make sure the community is moving in a positive direction. It is definitely supportive, but like anything else, you get what you put into it. If you just pop into the Discord and say hi and that’s all you ever do, that’s all you’re ever going to get out of it. You have to reach out and try to be part of the community to actually get engagement. You have to engage to get engagement.

​

What values are most important for IJF to protect over time?
Integrity is one. Honesty. Selfless service. And balance. I’m really drilling balance into my apprentice right now. Yes, I know you’re busy, but you need to take time for yourself. You need to meditate or go do your kata. My apprentice is kind of like I am, and sometimes has a hard time quieting his mind when he sits down to meditate. That’s part of why I’ll do a kata or go hike. Once I get into the woods, I can clear my head and get where I need to be. Balance matters because you can’t pump from an empty well.

​

How do you personally contribute to the health and culture of this community?
I mentor an apprentice, and I’m hoping to pick up two more, though I don’t want more than three because I don’t feel like it would be fair to them. I don’t feel like I have the time to take on more than that and still do right by them. I also created a resource in the Adventure Journals on Discord called A More Elegant Weapon. It’s not really an arms manual in the sense of breaking down techniques. It’s more a thought manual. It’s about what a lightsaber is, how it relates to a sword, how swords work with the human body, and there are videos and links with it. That’s probably my biggest contribution so far. I’m also working with Sophia on the exercise manual, which is more of an arms manual, meant to help hone someone into being a better swordsman or better saberist. I agree with her that overall physical fitness is a little bit lacking in the Jedi community, and one needs to be physically capable of aiding others.

​

What does belonging mean to you within IJF?
Belonging means being part of a community where people are trying to improve themselves and move in a positive direction, but also understanding that you have to participate to really be part of it. It’s supportive, but it’s not passive. You have to engage if you want engagement, and I think that matters.

​

Final Reflection

When someone reads your bio, what do you hope they understand about your heart?
Grace. One thing I’m not sure comes off, but I want them to understand, is grace. I try to give grace when I can, because Lord knows I need as much grace as I can get. I cannot ask for grace if I cannot give grace. Sometimes it doesn’t seem like I’m giving grace, because you have to have tough love too. We have standards. We can’t just let everybody do whatever they want. But grace matters to me.

​​​

​​

​

The Path leads within

to the wind that burns the eyes

and the feather’s touch.

 

The Path leads within:

my barriers are forged from

what I fear to face.

 

Beads in my fingers

are nothing touching nothing.

They slip gently by.

 

My feet left the ground

when I emptied my pockets.

Ah, the weight of fear.