Northwest Kali/JKD was founded and headed by Sifu/Guro/Ajarn Christopher Clarke. Sifu Clarke began his martial arts training in a hard style Japanese karate at the age of 18. After only a few short months of traditional training in 1984, he was introduced to the dynamic blend of martial arts training of the Inosanto group through another NW instructor, Cliff Lenderman. Sifu Clarke received his Apprentice Instructor certificate in November 1987. In the summer of 1989 he began travelling to Los Angeles to train directly under Si Gung Dan Inosanto and his group of dedicated students.

 

Today, Sifu Clarke is a certified Full Instructor in the Pacific Northwest authorized by Si Gung Dan Inosanto to teach and promote the Filipino Martial Arts and Lee Jun Fan Gung Fu / Jeet Kune Do.  Ajarn Clarke is also an affiliate of the World Thai Boxing Association of the USA headed by Ajarn Surachai Sirisute. He also holds Instructor ratings from noted instructors Erik Paulson and Francis Fong.  As a contract instructor for the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission, Sifu Clarke has had the chance to train officers and deputies from city, county, state and even federal agencies. He is routinely acknowledged as one of the top-rated civilian instructors in the area for his contributions to the training of law enforcement.  Published in Inside Kung Fu and Tactical Knives magazines Sifu Clarke has also been featured on the cover of Full Contact magazine and is nationally recognized as an authority on Kali/JKD.