American Jujitsu Association (AJA) Awards Nubira Alvarez-Arroyo Inaugural President David Boesel Memorial Scholarship

The American Jujitsu Association (AJA), a premier national martial arts organization, is pleased to announce the winner of the inaugural 2025 President David Boesel Memorial Scholarship, as well as its two finalist runners-up.

Nubira Alvarez-Arroyo, age 15, of Tanren Dojo in Las Vegas, NV, was chosen by the AJA as winner of a new scholarship established to honor the memory of late AJA President and Board Chair David Boesel (1938-2024).

The scholarship will be awarded annually to an AJA member of any rank, age 30 or younger.  It consists of a certificate and monetary prize to be used for martial arts training, education, or volunteering and is awarded to the AJA member who best displays:

• High ethical standards;

• Commitment to diligent martial arts training; and

• Desire to help others.

“As this is my first scholarship, I am still processing the excitement and gratitude I feel,” Nubira said.  “Martial arts play a huge role in my life, giving me a greater sense of responsibility…I now feel safer and have made lifelong friends.  This achievement will serve as a great motivation for me as I continue to work on my martial arts and what they represent.”

AJA President Thomas Dineen noted, “I wanted to be sure in setting up this scholarship that it commemorated the virtuous character of my late predecessor, David Boesel.  He was a leader of tremendous personal integrity and altruistic spirit.  The AJA is indebted to him for asserting the primacy of high ethical standards in a time when martial arts are increasingly afflicted by moral haziness and often outright corruption.”

Sensei Boesel raised AJA standards in many ways, two examples of which were making background checks mandatory for all applicants, as well as his comprehensive re-writing of the AJA Constitution to clarify and strengthen its criteria for granting rank promotions and certifications.

“Nubira is like Dave in being committed not only to excellence in jujitsu, but to putting her ideals into action by helping others in her dojo and beyond,” Dineen added.

Nubira’s instructor, Jimmy Lockett, Head Sensei at the Tanren Dojo and 7th degree black belt, said she “embodies the spirit of martial arts by always demonstrating humility and respect toward her instructors and peers. Nubira’s positive attitude is contagious. She both excels individually and lifts those around her. Younger students in the dojo admire her greatly, and she willingly takes on a mentorship role to guide and support them.”

Given Sensei Lockett’s policy of teaching martial arts free of charge to anyone age eight or older, it’s little surprise that–when his dojo participated in the AAU National Karate tournament–Nubira demonstrated her own generosity by volunteering to organize younger participants and manage their schedules, thus exhibiting the leadership and resourcefulness encouraged by her instructor.

“Nubira’s achievements and character exemplify what we look for in all AJA members,” said President Dineen. “Developing students’ integrity and commitment to others distinguishes traditional martial arts training from most other activities.  Our best instructors, like Jimmy Lockett, instill self-discipline, courtesy, and a willingness to serve.  As they advance, martial artists should become role models based not only on technique, but their honorable personal conduct, as well.”

Scholarship finalist Adam Harris of the Baltimore School of Self-Defense in Fallston, MD, captured this well in his application essay, reflecting on the responsibility that goes with learning potentially lethal techniques: “Seeking to balance confidence and humility is what led me to become the person I am today, and I have my teachers and the art as a whole to thank for it.”

Adam and his fellow finalist, Abigail Bagnell, both exhibit a keen desire to help others.  For example, to attain the coveted title of Eagle Scout, Adam installed a prayer garden at his high school, planning the entire project and working with key stakeholders throughout the design process. He then raised funds to buy materials and recruited friends and family to complete the installation.

Abigail, of Kaiwan Dojo in Severna Park, MD, worked for four years at a summer camp for those with special needs, and for seven at “A Night to Shine,” a prom for those with special needs. With her youth group, she regularly takes part in food drives at her local food bank.

Scholarship winner Nubira’s many achievements outside her dojo are equally impressive.  She demonstrates a deep sense of community, volunteering with the Key Club, a century-old international service organization for high school students.  As a student, she has maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA and participated in the National Junior Honor Society, Robotics Team, Science Olympiad, and Spelling Bee.  An award-winner at the 2023 National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT), Nubira served as an inspiration for young women pursuing careers in STEM.

As for the scholarship money, Nubira said she will “save it for my education. I want to go to a good college for engineering.”

“Choosing one winner proved to be a very hard decision, as all nominees were truly amazing jujitsu practitioners,” noted Chris and Deb Ballard, who served on the Scholarship Committee.  This husband-and-wife team runs the United Fighting Arts Institute in Burlington, VT, the first New England dojo to join the AJA.

“The Association is proud to be expanding its regional impact throughout the U.S. by enlisting superb instructors like the Ballards,” said President Dineen.  “As another first on the other side of the country, the AJA will be sponsoring its inaugural, day-long Western Regional Seminar on March 29th in Las Vegas.”

The AJA recently increased its foreign representation, as well, welcoming practitioners in Lebanon to its long-standing roster of affiliated jujitsu schools in Canada, South Africa, and Zambia.  (The Kodokwan Dojo in this last country benefited from an AJA philanthropic project in 2022, receiving much-needed new uniforms and belts paid for by the Association and individual donors.)

President Dineen concluded, “The AJA is always looking for worthy causes to support in addition to first-rate dojos and jujitsuka.  Nubira, Abigail, and Adam demonstrate how our younger members are maintaining Dave Boesel’s idealism and integrity as our Association evolves to serve a new generation of practitioners.  I’m sure Dave would be deeply gratified.”

(The AJA gratefully acknowledges all of those who contributed to the AJA President David Boesel Memorial Scholarship GoFundMe campaign, in particular Mary Higgins, Beth Jewell, Andrew Risso, and one anonymous contributor.)

About the American Jujitsu Association (AJA):

The American Jujitsu Association (AJA) is a national, non-profit amateur athletic association founded in 1972 to support the martial art of traditional Japanese jujitsu. It is registered with both the state of California and the U.S. government as a 501(c)(3) organization.  The AJA promotes a variety of safe competitive formats, recognizes outstanding instructors and students with national awards, and provides liability/accident insurance and certificates of rank to members who meet the criteria of their particular ryū (style).

The AJA is a low-cost ($35 per dojo; $30 per student), high-value organization, in which members:

• benefit from comprehensive yet affordable liability insurance coverage

• participate in AJA’s strong presence on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram

• have access to the broad range of martial arts expertise represented by our 500+ sensei and student members

For more information (including dojo and individual memberships), please contact us:

Web:https://americanjujitsuassociation.org/
Email: [email protected] or [email protected]

Phone/text: Tyler Garner (VP and Membership Director) at 443-289-1735 or Thomas Dineen (President) at 410-949-4876

FOLLOW THE AJA ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/americanjujitsuassociation/
Instagram: @AmericanJujitsuAssociation

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx0SBEVAznLso7X7Y9nX1_w/videos

For more on Sensei Jimmy Lockett’s Tanren Dojo in Las Vegas, NV, please visit:  www.tanrendojo.org