Training for Shidokan: Derek Jackson, Chicago

I met Derek Jackson at Chicago Kickboxing and Muay Thai gym. We take the morning class taught by one of the best coaches in the world, Cris Ortiz.

In November 2025, Derek competed in The 45th Shidokan Open International Championship & Yousef Shihan Memorial Cup in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. This is the longest running international tournament, pulling competitors from Japan and all over the world to compete and honor this style of martial arts.

Derek had been training for this tournament long before he ever stepped into that ring. I always liked Derek. He trains hard, he's humble, and his anime cuts with his own highlight reel is something I marvel at.

Around the same period, Derek was awarded his first-degree black belt — Shodan — a milestone that marks the beginning of mastery rather than its completion. For practitioners of karate and related disciplines, it’s a moment earned through years of consistent training, not outcome alone.

Some people like to beat the representation drum, and I'll also have to jump on this drum line. For me, not often do I see a black man that's also 5'6" be so dedicated to martial arts and even in defeat show so much grace. It's something I aspire to.

Photographing fighters like Derek is an honor. He represents hard work, discipline, and dedication — qualities that show up long before competition and remain long after the outcome is decided.