The People. The Stories. The Journey.

Master Liciaga has been a truly meaningful part of our family’s journey. From the very beginning, he has made us feel welcome and at home, as if we were part of his own family. His wisdom, kindness, and genuine care have meant more to us than words can express. Beyond martial arts, he has been someone I can turn to for meaningful conversations, thoughtful advice, and guidance when our family needs it most. He has helped us navigate life’s challenges with greater strength, perspective, and hope, especially throughout my daughter’s journey. We are deeply grateful for the role he has played in our lives and for creating a place where we feel supported, understood, and truly cared for. He is much more than a mentor to us; he has become someone our family deeply respects and appreciates. We will always be thankful for the warmth, wisdom, and heart he has shared with us.

I am the son of immigrant parents (baby boomers of parents who survived the Holocaust in Eastern Europe), who fled communist Romania with my older brother in the late 1960s under pain of death. They moved to Israel, where I was born in 1973, my father fought in the Yom Kippur War and in the winter of 1974, we moved to Montreal, Quebec. We had family there, and my father was successful in securing a job as an Engineer, as well. A degree he earned at Technion in Israel. My mom went back to school and eventually got a job, screening PAP smear slides in the pathology department at one of the local hospitals. We came to Montreal with nothing. Not knowing the language, and although I was born in Israel, my first language is Romanian. I learned English by watching Sesame Street, and had to learn French in school. I remember our first apartment had nothing but mattresses on the floor and a TV. My brother and I shared a room. My parents had their own. We had one bathroom, a small living room/dining room area, and an even smaller kitchen. A huge upgrade from the one room my mom grew up in Romania.

My childhood was turbulent. I lived in a very difficult household and looked to escape having to be home. When I was twelve, I found a Sil Lum Hung Gar Kung Fu school in my Sifu’s basement. For the next nine years, I learned a mixture of Kung Fu, Judo, Aikido and Boxing. I also took up bodybuilding as a teenager, and considered competing as an amateur. Sadly, I was fraught with injuries because of martial arts competitions and helping to teach at the martial arts school, so eventually had to stop my martial arts journey. I had attained a Brown Belt by then. I never forgot the lessons taught to me in our academy, and trained independently for many, many years. Eventually teaching my son in our basement. He is now hoping to compete at the amateur level in MMA.

I ended up in the USA in 1995 to study Podiatry at Temple University. Graduating in 1999, I then spent an internship year at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, VA and then two years in Houston, TX for a podiatric surgical residency. After which, moved back to Virginia Beach, VA to practice. We had our three children there, and eventually moved to Cherry Hill, NJ in 2011 for excellent job opportunities for me and my wife. The area also a much better academic environment for our children. I worked in Philadelphia, PA, Cherry Hill, NJ, and now the Galloway/Atlantic City area. The discipline I learned studying the martial arts helped in every aspect of this journey.

Throughout this time, I helped my parents start the first private medical lab of its kind in Quebec. It offered patients twenty four hour turn around for PAP Smear readings, whereas, it generally took over a month at the regional hospitals. Needless to say, the lab was a huge success, and after a decade, my earnings from the sale of the lab helped to pay off mine and my wife’s student loans, and also helped us buy our first home in Virginia.

Flash forward to 2025, my son and I were watching MMA together, and my son happened to mention that I should consider returning to my martial arts training. Now that my kids were older, I had more “me” time, so the next day, March 29th, 2025 I set foot at McHugh Jiu Jitsu Cherry Hill, under the tutelage of Professor Russ, for the first time. Almost 200 classes and a Blue Belt earned in June of 2026 later, I am hooked and attend classes as often as possible. At 53 years old, I have to be mindful of my recovery times, so I try to go three times a week, twice at the very least. I also spend every Saturday morning helping Professor Russ and Coach Chris (Chief) with the kids’ classes from 8:30AM to 11AM. I also stay for the adult fundamentals class at 11AM. It is incredible how much I’ve learned helping the younger students train. It’s something I look forward to every week.

I hope you enjoyed my story, and I’d love to tell you more in person!

Peter and I worked together and have been friends since the National Tour of the show Starlight Express which, I believe, was 1989. During that tour we discovered, among other things, our mutual interest in martial arts and we began training together regularly. Since that time we have kept in touch and I have seen his long-term commitment and dedication to his beautiful family as well as to sharing the benefits of martial arts training with literally hundreds. The lives he has affected, and the ongoing ripple effects of those, can’t be measured. In all that time, he has continually demonstrated, not only knowledge and skill but a constancy of attitude, of positiveness, and ‘living strong, as well as helping to bringing out those attributes in others. I have always said, “The secret to success is consistency over time.” There is no one who has been more of a true model of consistency than my friend and martial arts brother, Peter Liciaga.

I met Peter when my grandson started karate classes just before he turned 4. After listening to him teach the first time, i told him he would be an excellent elementary school teacher!!! We quickly became friends over the fact that he was The Bronx boy and i was the Brooklyn girl. I enjoy talking, sharing, and listening to him every time we meet. My grandson is now 14, and Peter is now like family. If you never met him and had a conversation you are missing out!! Last week he called me His Brooklyn Sister, and i am proud to call him my Bronx Brother!!!! Very special man who loves building up his community!!!

Ive worked with Peter as a fellow small business owner in a myriad of ways as we share a common goal of lifting up our community. He always shows up. One of our most notable collaborations was in the form of hosting a Women’s Self Defense class at my shop/studio. His professional and gentle demeanor created a safe space for every woman that walked through the door. Im thankful to know Peter.