- November 1, 2024
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Husband and wife James Thrall and Lisa Motyka hope to become black belts around their 18th wedding anniversary next month. Photo by Jeff Dawsey
Motyka says it's common to expect an unexpected jiujitsu attack at home. Photo by Jeff Dawsey
Sensei George Rego says the two have reached near-black belt status "because they're constantly pushing each other, which has made them bring the other up when training is tough." Photo by Jeff Dawsey
Husband and wife James Thrall and Lisa Motyka have been training at Jukido Academy for almost seven years. Photo by Jeff Dawsey
Not only can James Thrall and Lisa Motyka become Jukido Academy’s first married couple to earn black belts, they can also become the oldest male and female — at 50 and 48 — to do so next month at a national testing.
Walking around the house, James and Lisa have to be ready for anything. They never know when the other will attempt a take down or side bear hug. They throw each other around and practice jiujitsu outside on their lanai.
“It’s not only in the dojo,” Lisa said. “It comes home with us.”
Before the couple moved to Palm Coast, they didn’t participate in Jukido or any other form of self-defense or martial arts. James practiced law in Michigan for 15 years, and Lisa worked as a surgical education regional manager.
Thrall enjoyed the courtroom and winning cases, because he knew he was helping people when they needed me the most. But, when they moved to Palm Coast, he decided to give up his practice and become an English teacher.
“Every day I saw people at their worst,” he said. Lisa added, “It’s just a stressful lifestyle for everyone involved,”
There have been a couple bumps in the road — a couple bruises along the way — but we’ve survived and thrived.”
LISA MOTYKA, on her and her husband, James Thrall’s journey to black belt
As a school teacher, now at DeLand Middle School, Thrall says, “you can influence people early on in life and steer them in
the right direction. The people I saw at their worst often had difficulty reading and writing. My mind at the time was, ‘How can I help people better themselves?’ I figured this would be a great way to do it.”
Thrall was first introduced to Jukido at 43 years old, when he was looking for something to increase his physical fitness. While in a fitness center, he saw Jukido Academy and approached Sensei George Rego.
“Ever since the first day, I absolutely loved it,” he said. “I saw how sensei acted. He’s a great teacher who promotes a lot of positive ideas. I thought, ‘This is something that will be good in my life.”
Every time Thrall returned home from the dojo, he would suggest to Lisa that she join.
“Eventually, I heard enough of the ‘You should join’ that I decided to join,” she laughed.
Unlike Thrall, Jukido wasn’t easy for Lisa at the start, despite her athleticism.
“Falling was hard for me in the beginning,” Lisa said. “It was something I had to get better at. It’s one thing to be able to throw people, but, if you want to survive for the long haul, you have to learn how to fall.”
With the academy’s comradery, support and environment, Lisa continued to get better and never stopped going.
With both now standing at the cusp of black belts status, James and Lisa are able to appreciate all that has gone into the last seven years of training.
“We put our heart and soul into this,” Lisa said. “Blood, sweat and tears. There’s no doubt about it.
There have been a couple bumps in the road — a couple bruises along the way — but we’ve survived and thrived.”
