Joel Martin started his martial arts training when a friend told him about free Tae Kwon Do classes at his church. He had always wanted to take it so he joined in at 14 years of age. Joel learned humility, respect and about God as he progressed through the ranks. He made 1st Dan in 1987, 2nd in 1989, 3rd in 1995, 4th in 2006. Joel has won so many tournaments that we do not have space to recount them all. He has won 1st place in every area he entered – forms, sparring, creative forms and weapons forms. Joel’s contribution over the 22 years has been a spirit of giving back for what has been given to him. He has committed enormous amounts of time to the development and training of others. Joel’s hope is for Yeshá to grow to the point where he can become a full time Yeshá Minister and help expand the ministry nationwide. He is grateful for Chuck’s mentoring and the key role the ministry has played as he grew from a young man into God’s Man.

Drew Robertson watched Bruce Lee movies as he grew up wanting to be a martial artist but never having the money to start training. When Yeshá began classes at his church his whole family started. As he progressed through the ranks he gained confidence in his own abilities as well as his ability to lead and speak in public. He achieved his 1st Dan in 1998, 2nd in 2002 and his 3rd in 2006. He has trained 14 new Black Belts over the years and is leading the new Dinsmore School after training and managing Baldwin for over 13 years. Drew was our very 1st Instructor of the Year in 2005. Drew’s hope is that Yeshá will not only be known as a great martial arts trainer but as an organization that trains spiritual leaders by keeping the focus on God. You can tell about a man’s character when his most often quoted statement is: “I am so grateful that Yeshá Ministries came into my life and showed me that I am able to teach and guide those around me – everyday.”

John Silsby decided to begin martial arts training when his son Oliver expressed a desire. So they began their training together. The classes were at their church, so it was convenient for them to return to a comfortable atmosphere. Within a short period of time John’s leadership qualities became apparent to the Black Belts he trained with – John Rogers, Joel Martin and Chuck Coker. Those bonds were strengthened as he made 1st Dan in 1997, 2nd in 1999, and 3rd in 2002. He assumed leadership of the Mandarin school in 1999 and invested 10 years of his life in training and mentoring others. He was the founder of the Yeshá tournaments, which he routinely won (as well as other outside tournaments) and even beat Joel Martin one year! John trained the Spaulding family (6 Black Belts who now lead the Mandarin school) as well as 5 more during his commitment to the ministry. His hope is that the Yeshá brand of Tae Kwon Do will spread to many more families in our area.

Mark Sadusky wanted to study martial arts from the time he was a teenager. The opportunity did not present itself until his daughter discovered Yeshá and he attended her first test. Drew Robertson impressed him with his abilities so he started training with his daughter. Mark soon grow to love the challenge of pushing himself toward a goal – and many of those were the tournaments he won. Mark’s wins in Creative Breaking are too numerous to mention – except of course, the US OPEN! He made 1st Dan in 2001, 2nd in 2003 and 3rd in 2006. Additionally, Mark has trained two students who reached the Jr. Olympics. It wasn’t purely Mark’s success that made him our Instructor of the Year in 2006 – it was his humility. When asked what he feels he’s contributed his reply was “Nothing compared to what has been given to me.” His hope is that Yeshá will spread across the nation.

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