About James Travis

“The day after James was born, one of the nurses came to my hospital room and asked me to fill out birth papers.”, recalls James’ mom, Marlene; “While doing this, I filled in the name of the baby, indicating that I wanted to keep James. Once the nurse saw this she asked the question: ‘Oh, you are going to name the baby?’… I then gave her a strong stare and replied, ‘Of course I’m naming the baby!’”. From the very beginning, no-one expected James to survive.

James did survive against those tough odds however, though the rest of his life was not without struggles. Throughout his first few years of school life, “the teachers in my school were so convinced that I couldn’t participate in physical activities, that they wouldn’t even let me try.”, James says. Because of the struggles during these first few years, James began to actually believe that he couldn’t do those things and would not amount to anything until one day he met an incredible individual named Steve Mish, a Martial Arts instructor. That meeting virtually changed James’ thinking about himself and his life.

James was always interested in the Martial Arts but thought it could never be a reality for him. One day he went to a Martial Arts studio to check it out. The instructor was nice enough however he had absolutely no clue how to teach James. He handed him an instruction book, a beginner uniform and sent him on his way. James knew that was the last time he would be in contact with this person. Shortly afterward, James met Steve. Steve was at the time a 4th degree Black Belt in Shaolin Kempo Karate. He came to James’ home and began right away in instruction. James’ strong desire to learn Martial Arts showed as he worked with drive, determination and perseverance.

As time went on, James wondered how Steve seemed to have an insight into how to teach someone with a physical challenge. One day James heard the story behind this man named Steve. Steve related that a few years back he had injured his knee and ended-up having to practice his martial arts from a wheelchair. Steve could never understand why God had allowed him to experience that injury, until he met James. When he met James, he knew exactly why he had to go through that experience, all of that time spent in a chair made it that much easier for him to train James.

Today, James uses his experiences and challenges to teach others, physically challenged or not, that no matter what has happened in their life, they can rise to the challenges and overcome them.

“If I could do it, anyone can do it.” James says, “People thought I would never amount to anything, but their perceptions have no effect on me. God did not save me from death at birth to be a waste. Every life has value and purpose, and I am here to help those who ask me to; just as others once helped me.”

About James' mission

To put it simply, James mission is to educate and empower people Whether you are physically challenged or not, it is James' belief that unless your life is balanced physically and spiritually, you will not be able to reach your full potential.

In his classes, James also encourages students to consider how their spiritual life is affecting the physical (and vice-versa) because the two facets always mix together

Likewise, when performing in live shows and events, James encourages people in a variety of ways, showing how first and foremost, physical challenges do not have any affect on a persons' ability to accomplish his or her dreams and goals. Secondly, James also demonstrates how without proper spiritual balance, the physical is weakened, and likewise without proper physical balance a person will not be able to accomplish what they have set out to do in their spirit; the two are interwoven.

James believes that every life is valuable, and to demean or diminish someone for any reason (including physical challenges) is short-sighted. With proper training and perseverance any physical challenge can be overcome. James also teaches people how to turn their perceived disadvantages into definite advantages; as well as to bring their innate talents and skills up to an even higher level so that their overall abilities are increased. One of James' favorite sayings is "Your only limitations are the ones you place on yourself."

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