Alumni and Faculty Spotlight: Derek Baure MA '14

Derek has an extensive background in Martial Arts, holding black belts in both Danzan Ryu Jujitsu and Aikido. He started both Martial Arts disciplines under the guidance and mentorship of Sensei Carol Harris in 2003 at Diablo Valley College, who coincidentally also introduced him to the SMC Graduate Kinesiology program and with whom he completed his internship while in the program.

He is currently an Associate Adjunct Professor at Saint Mary's College, Contra Costa College, and Solano Community College. In 2018, he started teaching an undergraduate-level January Term course titled Samurai & Japanese Martial Arts at Saint Mary's. It covers a broad history of Martial Arts as well as Martial Arts strategy and philosophical concepts. He also teaches various Physical Education courses at the other colleges mentioned above. In addition to his teaching positions, Derek Baure is the head instructor at the TNC Dojo, which stands for Touyou No Chie ("Eastern Wisdom"), located in Concord, California. Due to restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Martial Arts school has been forced to transition to more outdoor weapons-oriented Martial Arts classes in order to maintain social distancing regulations. The latter obviously restricts any form of body contact.

Derek incorporates his knowledge gained from Kinesiology in his Martial Arts trainings and teachings. For example, he shares that "Kinesiology leads to a better understanding of the usage of dynamic stretches, one's cardiovascular system and metabolism, as well as concepts which focus more on injury prevention and recovery. It always applies to Martial Arts in terms of conditioning, the usage of different muscle groups, and grip strength."

Over the years, Derek has accumulated an incredibly long list of achievements: "Since graduating I have been voted Instructor of the Year by two separate international Martial Arts Organizations. I have won multiple tournaments and awards in the Martial Arts community with my most recent accolade earning a spot with Team USA for the Jujitsu World Games for 2019." Derek took home the silver medal in his division.

Derek also highlighted one of our beloved faculty members, Craig Johnson, who teaches KINES 305: Philosophical Basis of Kinesiology, which covers philosophical concepts related to the sports world. He emphasized Professor Johnson's significant influence during his time at SMC as he provided guidance and relevant feedback for his post graduate career.

Do not hesitate to visit TNC Dojo's website: https://tncdojo.com/about-us