Sensei Tom Mah was born in Canton, China in 1954. Soon after that he and his parents, along with his older sister, moved to Hong Kong. Four more siblings came during his residency in that city. Sensei Mah's first introduction to the martial arts was from a friend of the family who was a policeman in Hong Kong. This friend practiced Tai Chi Chuan and had demonstrated his art several times to the family. Sensei Mah was an avid reader of martial arts novels in his childhood days and frequented cinemas where kung fu movies were in abundance. But interestingly though even with this attraction to the martial arts he had never contemplated taking up neither Kung Fu nor Tai Chi during his growing up years.

In June 1964, Sensei Mah and his family immigrated to Canada and resided in the town of Smithers. The following year the family moved westward to a coastal fishing town called Prince Rupert, population of several thousands. Although very shy in conversations due to language differences, the school years still found Sensei Mah very involved in the athletic programs in which he became quite skillful at volleyball, track and field, tumbling, badminton, table tennis, and wrestling. Sensei Mah completed his high school in Prince Rupert then attempted higher education at the University of British Columbia in 1975 with the ambition of pursuing a career as an architect. It was while attending university in 1976 that he was first introduced to karate by two of his friends. The dojo was of a Shotokan style under the direction of Sensei Norman Welsh, a sandan at the time. It was love at first try. Something clicked with him the first day. He is not sure what it was - perhaps it was the rigorous and intense workout, it may have been the speed and power of the movements demonstrated by the instructor or the graceful movements of the katas, or it could have been the combination of all these things. Regardless Sensei Mah found himself drawn to this discipline like a bee to honey. Little did he realize that this was the beginning of a whole new way of life totally different than what he had set out to accomplish in university.

University did not work out for Sensei Mah due to dislike of the university education system and other personal challenges and distraction in his life at the time. After 1½ year in UBC he left school for a job with a supermarket chain in Vancouver. Karate also took a back seat for about a year. About 10 months later he moved back to Prince Rupert in 1978 where he got involved with a local Chito-Ryu dojo under Sensei Bill Pitcher, who was a student of Sensei David Akutagawa, the vice-counselor for the Canadian Chito-Kai Association at that time. That same year Sensei Pitcher left for an RCMP position in Vernon and Sensei Mah found himself studying directly under Sensei D. Akutagawa from that time on.


Sensei Mah currently lives with his two children Alesha and Kinon. In September 1990 Alesha Mary Mae Mah was born. This was perhaps one of the most emotional moments of his life. Watching the miracle of birth really hit home the reality of God. As he began reading the Bible the truth about life and sin became apparent. Realizing the need for a Savior, he gave his life over to Jesus Christ, in February of 1991. He has never regretted this decision. The years that followed saw blessings after blessings. Although the everyday trials and tribulations were still very much a part of his life God's presence was undeniably there everyday. Looking back he can see the evidence of God's work every step of the way - protecting, providing, and comforting. The hope in Jesus Christ and the peace of God helped him through many of his personal, work, and family struggles in the 1990s. And more so today, Sensei Mah is acutely aware of the presence of God -His amazing grace, His unconditional love, and His constant encouragement, strengthening, and cleansing.

Sensei Mah believes the decision to give his life over to Jesus Christ was the most important decision he ever had to make and more important than any other decisions he will make for the remainder of his life. His decision to give his life over to Jesus Christ was also influenced by his close relationship with Sensei David Akutagawa who is also a devout Christian. After observing Akutagawa Sensei's love in action over many years Sensei Mah was curious as to why he was so different than most people. Akutagawa Sensei's level of caring, his integrity, and his commitment to his students were extra-ordinary. In the summer of 1990 Akutagawa Sensei referred Sensei Mah to the Bible to find the answers he was looking for.

Sensei Mah believes that it is a must and a responsibility for everyone to seek out the truth - the truth about sin, the truth about God, about Jesus Christ, and therefore about life itself. Without this truth and the believe on this truth, man is condemned to be lost forever, eternally separated from God and subject to eternal judgment after death rather than eternal life in God's Kingdom. The Bible tells in John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only begotten son so that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life." And Jesus said "I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me."

It is Sensei Mah's hope that those who come to study and fellowship with him will be touched by the Spirit of God enabling each one to see the truth as well.