was born in 1959, into a "modestly" poor family in Lawrence, Massachusetts USA.
He was the youngest of 3. He came into this life with health issue that plagued him for most of pre-school age.
He was known as a “hypper active child” never sitting still, at the local emergency room the doctors & nurse new him by name.
The summer of 66 he held a record for the most emergency treatments in one day, 3 times in 8 hours…
In 1970 he became interested in Karate through his sisters college boyfriend who was a Black Belt from Japan in Shorinji Ryu and training at Lowell University under Tabata Sensei. All he even thought about from that point on was learning Karate, but his mother said NO. In 1972 a blow to Dana came in the form of his best friend Walter joining Karate and again his Mother saying “NO”, but Dana had a way out. Starting in 1972, Walter and Mark would train in the yards and cellars of each others homes for the next four years until on January 02, 1976
Dana final became an official member Methuen Karate Association.
MKA was a fledgling Kyokushin Dojo who's Sensei converted from Goju Ryu a few years earlier and was set up in a cow/chicken barn
in the back woods of Methuen, Ma.
During the years spent at MKA Dana grew into his skills do to all the great Senpai's at the Dojo and also the ones introduced to him
during guest instructor nights and ones he meet over the years at the 100 or so tournaments he competed and judged at.
He has with train with such guest Kyokushin Instructors at MKA ... S.Oyama, T. Nakamura, A. Coulombe,
D. Cook, H.Oh, S. Kanamura, T. Tazuka, and J. Farrell...
On September 10, 1976 he received his green belt or Gokyu; also on that day he was also given the honor to teach the brand new children’s class.
This started his long career of teaching others.
He continued to hone his skills as a teacher through the guidance of his seniors. In the years of teaching he had come to be know as a very stern instructor, often turn students against him because he would push them so hard. His style of teaching followed the Daishadokyo. The Daishadokyo ( Daishadokyo) was an approach to kyûdô that placed great emphasis on the spiritual aspect and differed from much of the mainstream practice at the time. It was a way that never gave in on the student even when the student gave in on themsleves. This often made many students upset with him, because they saw they he seen their fear and asked them to face it...
He also set his sights on the tournament trail as well, where he did quite well.
His next testing/promotion has for brown belt or Sankyu. By this time he had become one of the top
and up and coming fighters in New England and with the help of his instructors and friend Walter (at that time a Shodan )
he would be come well known for his fighting skills.
At the same time he was putting in hours of teaching and developing the teaching skills need for his future.
Dana was known as a “Black and White” teacher and expected everyone in the class to give 100% into everything during each class.
He never did give a break to anyone and became known as the “hard ass” but at the same time was well liked because
he gave so much into and back to his classes that everyone always walked away with new knowledge or improvements.
February 4, 1979 was the next step in his career in Karate the day he received Shodan after an grueling 8 hour testing in December 78,
and it was a new beginning for him. He was the first student of MKA to make it to Shodan as quickly as he did and with such skill.
He had been training very hard for this day and the next day seen no less in the intensity of his training,
For Shodan is known as the beginners rank and he was starting from the bottom again.
During the next few years Dana continued to train hard and win tournament after tournament.
Tournaments was his thing and he felt most comfortable while competing, during the early 80’s he was a dominant figure,
winning many of the same tournaments year after year.
He received his Nidan or 2nd degree black belt on December 13, 1980 with the completion of the menacing 50-man kumite
(50 fights in a row no breaks). He had by this time had also been awarded 15 times by MKA for his dedication and winning ways in and out of the Dojo.
He had been selected to compete at the A.A.U. Nationals every year since 1976 and continued to do so until 1987
when he retired from tournament fighting due to degenerative nerve damage.
This year also seen Dana become a A.A.U. referee and then a few years latter a A.A.U. Judge as well.
He severed the A.A.U. for many years as Judge, Tournament Director, and Regional Representative.
1982, he received his Nidan from Sosai Oyama, and on September, 1 his Sandan from MKA. He completed the grueling 100 man Kumite
(100 fights in a row no breaks) for his Sandan testing.
He also served as both President and Vice President for the promotion board at MKA and had been teaching at MKA
as well other satellite programs that MKA had going on around the local community.
1983 to 1987 seen his winning ways excel at the tournaments [a total of over Seventy... 1st, 2nd or 3rd place victories] he had also won
the Methuen Classic 3 times in a row as Grand Champion in sparring.
He had been awarded the player of the year 5 consecutive years and many other awards and has seen many of the students that he had been teaching
make Shodan or higher at this time. At the end of the tournament season he retired from competition do to what he thought were injuries
at the time that just would not heal do to the hard training and no rest. Was Team Capton for the 2 Canadaian vs USA knockdown tourney's
Years later he would find out that he had severe nerve damage throughout his upper body area.
He had been teaching at Northern Essex Community College since 1976 for MKA, in 1987 he open Kyokushin Karate Club.
During the years 1979 thru 1987 he held both the seat of President and Vice President for MKA in the capacity of Roster Club
(the black belt governing body for the dojo) and the same for the promotion board at MKA,
Represented the P.K.A. and A.A.U. as New England representative for each organization.
Tournament Director for many A.A.U. and open tournaments sponsored by MKA.
He was also the head instructor (under the chief instructor) of MKA for 5 years and taught and/or organized all classes during that time frame.
He was the first Student from MKA (this school has been open for over 40 years) to reach the rank of 5, and 6 degree black belt, and has
won more tournements than any other MKA student to date
1987 was the year he opened up his first Dojo, Kyokushin Karate Club in Lawrence, Mass, with fellow Black Belt Kevin Reed.
He accepted a big promotion at work that conflicted with the school hours and closed the school a decision he would live to regret.
1988 seen the change of instructors, Dana and the Chief instructor at MKA had ideology differences for many years and
he went with John Farrell, this move eased the tension between them.
It also was the year he seen the rank of Yondan or 4th degree Black Belt presented to him.
He had turn down an offer to become a Branch Chief for the International Karate Organization Kyokushinkaikan in Japan this year as well.
This may seem un-heard of but he felt that the climate of Kyokushin in New England would be best suited if he did not except the position
at that time. He was putting the IKO in front of his personal feelings, he wishes he did not make this decision and accepted it instead...
Now 1990, training had changed for Dana do to the “injuries” that he had been suffering from for many years and he had to
focused his training into a different level and direction.
During these years he also indulged into the reading of every Martial Arts and eastern philosophy book he could get his hands on.
Since 1982 he had been purchasing so many different books that it had taken these many years to completely read them all.
This again changed his view of Karate and his training, again he work towards the next evolving step in his Karate career.
Spending the next 4 years teaching privately and attending Karate seminars
In 1994, he returned to his old instructor to see if he could once again work between them,
but after training for 15 months with him he new that it would not.
1995 seen the rank of Godan (first of the Master teachers grades) or 5th degree black belt.
Again he moved his training to the confines of small dojo’s, private lesson’s, and friends schools to
focus on healing of what he finally was diagnose as bi-lateral Thoracic Outlet Syndrome by Boston doctors.
They told he that he had to stop all physical training (Karate, weight lifting, hard work, etc) which he did for about 18 months.
After that time had past, he could not take it any longer and started training at a much softer and smarter pace than ever before in his life.
From 1990 to present Dana has been active in training of others (mainly other Black Belts) in a private format, training and teaching in friend’s dojos
as well in his own small home dojo assisting black belts improve their skills
He was continue to deal with the ever-present nerve damage issues, a few operations later, and the arthritis in his back. In 2005
he received his Branch Chief certificate from International Karate Organization Kyokushin Japan. He was assistant to the
North American Technical Director, John Farrell Shihan for that group and severed as New England branch chief as well.
2005 he was awarded Rokudan or 6th degree in Kyokushin from Shihan Farrell 9th Dan.
He then helped create “USA Tezuka Group” through Shihan Farrell and was active in
seminar and summer camp instructions for that group under Shihan Farrell.
October 1st 2006, Kancho Farrell started his own organization called Kuma (bear) Dojo Association Karate-Do International,
and a style called Kyokushin-Ha. Sensei Dana was named Co-Chairman of the new association under Kancho Farrell Judan
He sits as the head instructor Shihandai and testing board member also as a seminar instructor for KDA.
On January 1st, he received his 6th dan in Kyokushin-Ha.
He is the highest ranking Kyokushin-Ha student within KDA.
2009 he was voted into the Hall of Fame for his 37 years of martial arts teaching and training.
Sensei Mark is also strongly involved in Retired Racing Greyhound Adoption
To contact Sensei Mark regarding KDA membership, seminars, private training, please e-mail him at; mark@kumadojoassoc.org
Sensei Mark works at a Semiconductor Plant in NH, as the Warehouse Manager
November 2010 Sensei Mark was awared the rank of Nanadan 7th Dan by Kancho Farrell for his years of training (38) and his loyalty and dedication to the Art.
