Sensei Noah Mitchell has a degree in film production from New York University and worked in the film industry until he became a full-time martial arts instructor in 2006.  He began training in Okinawan karate in 1983, and earned his first degree black belt in 1988.  At that time, he began teaching a youth program in Chappaqua, with which he remained involved until 2006.  In the mid-1990s, Mitchell-sensei ran a dojo in Bedford Hills, and also taught adult karate classes at the Mohegan School of Martial Arts/Yorktown School of Martial Arts from 1995 - 2006, at which time he opened Mountain Stream Budo.  Mitchell-sensei currently holds the rank of Godan, 5th degree black belt, in karate.  In the 1990s, he began training in Matayoshi-ryu kobudo, and became a member of the Matayoshi Kobudo Kyokai USA, where he trained until 2003, at which time there was a split in the system, and Mitchell-sensei became a student of Kyoshi Neil Stolsmark (8th dan), president of the Okinawa Kobudo Doushi Rensei-kai, under whom he still trains.  Mitchell-sensei currently holds the rank of Sandan, 3rd degree black belt, in kobudo.  In the early 2000s, he began training in Japanese ju jitsu under Shihan Gary Gione, who was a student of Hector Negron, 10th dan.  Mitchell-sensei currently holds the rank of San-Mokuroku (3rd degree black belt) in ju jitsu.  In the late 2000s, Mitchell-sensei started training in Toyama-ryu and Batto-do, iaido styles that consist of drawing, sheathing, and cutting with the Japanese Samurai sword.  He currently holds the rank of Shodan (first degree black belt) in Batto-do.  Mitchell-sensei has given self defense seminars and workshops at various high schools and community centers in Westchester County, and occasionally at martial arts schools across the country and in Canada.  He taught self defense to college-bound kids as part of Horace Greeley High School's “Senior Health Day” for approximately ten years.  Being knowledgeable in three disparate arts (karate, a striking art; kobudo, a weapons art; ju jitsu, a throwing & grappling art; and continuing his studies in iaido, the Japanese sword), makes Mitchell-sensei a well-rounded martial arts student and instructor.

Sensei Carol Mitchell

Sensei Carol Mitchell works as a physical therapist for Visiting Nurse Services of New York.  She earned her Doctorate in Physical Therapy via the University of St. Augustine in 2009, and is also certified in the casting of custom-made orthotics.  Mitchell-sensei began her karate training in 1977, and earned her first degree black belt in 1981.  She taught a youth program in Chappaqua during the mid-1980s, and also trained for a short time in kendo.  She took an extended hiatus from 1986 to 1995, at which time she resumed her training at the Mohegan School of Martial Arts.  She assisted her husband at his school in Bedford Hills in the mid/late 1990s, and currently holds the rank of Godan, 5th degree black belt, in karate.  She began her kobudo training in the 1990s, and is currently a student of Kyoshi Neil Stolsmark's.  She and her husband travel to Wisconsin several times per year in order to train with their kobudo teacher.  Mitchell-sensei currently holds the rank of Sandan, 3rd degree black belt, in kobudo.  She also began studying Japanese ju jitsu in the early 2000s, and currently holds the rank of San-Mokuroku (3rd degree black belt).  In 2009, she began training in Brazilian jiu jitsu (a grappling art), thus rounding out her martial arts skills.  She currently holds the rank of blue belt, and continues her training in this art at Elite Defensive Tactics in Yorktown Heights.

Sensei Ken Manse works as a foreign language teacher at Hendrick Hudson High School, where he teaches French and Spanish.  He began training in Okinawan karate in 1983, and earned his first degree black belt in 1988.  Manse-sensei spent some time in Mexico in the 1990s, where he trained in karate and other striking arts.  In 2001, Manse-sensei began teaching adult classes at the Yorktown School of Martial Arts after having co-taught for many years.  He currently holds the rank of Godan, 5th degree black belt, in karate.  In 1999, Manse-sensei began training in Japanese ju jitsu under Shihan Gary Gione, at Elite Defensive Tactics in Yorktown.  He presently holds the rank of Go-Menkyo (5th degree black belt) in ju jitsu.  Manse-sensei regularly teaches two adult karate classes and one ju jitsu class per week at Mountain Stream Budo, and also teaches a weekly ju jitsu class at the Yorktown dojo.