Leonard Pellman

Leonard J. Pellman was born and raised in San Diego, California, the only child of parents who were both heroes of World War II and had both served -- his father in the US Army, his mother in the British Army -- in England, France, and Germany. His civil rights stands in the '50s and '60s made him the victim of childhood bullying, so he began his training in classical Japanese and Okinawan martial arts in 1966. He was an exchange student to Japan during his junior year in high school in 1968, which expanded his interest in Japanese cultural and martial arts. His training has included judo, kendo, karate, Okinawa kobudo, aikido, iaido, jodo, kenjutsu, and aiki-jujutsu under some of the world's leading masters of these arts. After a 22 year career as an international business executive he earned his MBA and entered academia. After serving as a university administrator and faculty adjunct in business and management for 18 years, he retired to write full time. He has taught classical Japanese and Okinawan martial arts since 1988. His extensive research and training in these arts has led him to write three books and several magazine articles in collaboration with his sensei, the late Shimabukuro Masayuki Hanshi (1948-2012).