Jack Smith
I started my Martial Arts training when I was 12 years old with the Napa Judo Club (California). I practiced Judo with them for about a year and a half until my Orthodontist put a stop to my training (braces). Through out junior high school I trained in Sil-Lum Kung Fu with the community/recreation center for a couple of years. During my last semester of high school a Kempo Karate school opened across the street from my high school and I trained with them until I left for Air Force Boot Camp.
In 1997, I stopped by the YMCA to see what kind of exercise programs they offered. I joined the Jukite Ryu Ju-Jitsu program and knew immediately I had found my Martial Arts home. Five and half years later I was promoted to First Degree Black Belt. Since then, I continue to enjoy teaching and sharing the ideas and principles of Ju-Jitsu through Rushmore Jukite Ju-Jitsu.
I have enjoyed living in Rapid City since 1989 when the Air Force stationed me at Ellsworth Air Force Base. I retired from the Air Force in 1994 and obtained my paralegal degree the same year. I worked at Black Hills Legal Services for about 18 months then got hired at the Pennington County State’s Attorneys’ Office as a Legal Secretary in the Juvenile Department. I have been with the county for 9 years.