PITTSBURGH, Pa. — John Jenkins, or as he is known in the martial arts community — Master John Jenkins, will be inducted in the USA International Black Belt Hall of Fame in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in November. 

“As a new resident to the area, it has been exciting to teach our tailored wellness program (Jenkins Technique) through the Thomaston Recreation Department [and] Watts Hall [on] Mondays,” said Jenkins. 

Jenkins has been selected to the Hall and will be receiving the award of “Golden Anniversary Achievement.” Jenkins was nominated by Grandmaster Robert Natzke of Georgia. 

The Newark, New Jersey native has more than 35 years of successful experience in promoting personal and professional development and has trained throughout the U.S., Japan and China. 

He has served as the mayor of Lewiston and Auburn, respectively, a Maine state senator, a consultant for CBS News Wellness and on the board of trustees for the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, among several other respectable positions. 

Jenkins has also received leadership recognition from the Maine State Museum, the state legislatures of Maine, New Jersey and Kentucky, the U.S. 99th Congress by Sen. Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia, among others. 

Jenkins is also a member of the Lewiston/Auburn Sports Hall of Fame, Maine State Sports Hall of Fame and World Martial Arts Hall of Fame. He recently was awarded the “privilege of being asked to speak for Muhammad Ali (the previous Boxing World Heavyweight Champion) at the Lewiston premier of our movie ‘Raising Ali,’ which was rebroadcast on MPBN.”

“Although the many years of training and sweating was for personal improvement, it is an honor to receive recognition from international peers,” he said. 

“My tailored seminars are often requested to promote personal and professional development for learners and leaders of all ages and abilities,” Jenkins said in an email. “Recently, our exciting wellness program, Jenkins Technique, was the feature presentation at Cape Elizabeth’s Middle School Wellness Day and Interlochen Center for the Arts in Interlochen, Michigan.”

“My hope is to make a contribution toward establishing Midcoast Maine as a preferred ‘wellness destination’ for residents and tourists,” he continued. “In addition to sharing our community wellness program through the Thomaston Recreation Dept. (Jenkins Technique), I am also exploring opportunities to open an academy of martial arts that will include, but not limited to: Karate-Do, Fencing (Eastern Fencing; Kendo/Western Fencing; Epee-Foil-Saber), self-defense etc.” 

“The Jenkins Technique is a unique combination of principles found in: meditative relaxation, yoga, tai-chi, and brain/body research. In part, it is the effectiveness of the Jenkins Technique that helped catapult my name for nomination into the 2015 International Black Belt Hall of Fame.”

Reach George Harvey and the sports department at: sports@penbaypilot.com.