Brett Sensei was born in Bozeman. He is currently a professor of East Asian history at Montana State University. He has long been interested in Okinawan and Japanese culture, including Japanese language. He started Isshinryu Karate in 2013 and Ryukyu Kobudo Tesshinkan shortly thereafter. For Brett Sensei, karate and kobudo represent ways of disciplining mind and body, as well as a means of learning effective self-defense techniques. He believes that karate and kobudo are ways of turning East Asian philosophy, with its emphasis on yin-and-yang (or light and heavy, or soft and hard), into bodily movements and practices. Brett Sensei helps with kids and adults classes.