This pandemic has impacted everyone in many different ways.   It has taken the lives of many and has detrimentally affected countless more.  Many people find themselves in financial ruins.  Specially, business owners were impacted at an alarming rate.  My friend, mentor, teacher, and partner, Shinji Morito is one of these people.   He is a Japanese citizen from Hiroshima, Japan and he is also a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt and instructor.   Shinji was a former journalist who decided to chase his dream and open a Jiu Jitsu academy.   Not only did Shinji do just that, he did it for United States active duty military service members stationed overseas here in Japan.  Shinji’s academy was inside Marine Corp Air Station, Iwakuni and it was forced to shutdown due to COVID-19 concerns from the station.   All active duty personnel are currently prohibited from practicing martial arts and Shinji has been left with nothing in the wake.   Unfortunately, everything mentioned is beyond the control of Shinji or the base because of COVID.   Shinji has found himself in an emergency situation.   There are little to no jobs during this crisis and Shinji has to travel 100 miles each day for day laborer work just to feed his family.    He has only been surviving since the pandemic broke out.  Most importantly, Shinji’s wife just gave birth to the 1st child, his daughter, this past May.   The hopes is to get the academy back up and running once the virus starts to disappear but we don’t know the future and how long this may actually take.   Please, if you can, spare something for a person that’s given so much to so many people, especially the American service members serving here in Iwakuni.   As a Japanese/American alliance, we have represented the local community, Americans, Hiroshima citizens all around Japan winning various champions as a team.  With the cohesiveness of our team, we have done great things.   He has impacted the personal lives of all his students that includes children, active duty, civilians and others.   We want to ensure that Shinji continues to have a home here in Iwakuni and continues to help us grow.   

Thank you