Jess Jessum
Jess has been immersed in working with people and the flow of energy for quite some time. Always in pursuit of personal growth and self-realization, he began his journey studying Shito-Ryu karate-do early in his college days at Syracuse University. After receiving a first-degree black belt, his instructor encouraged him to “polish his belt” and travel to Japan for a year to study with the masters, the top practitioners at the time. Jess was excited to go and was given the gift of an airplane ticket by his mother for his recent college graduation. While enroute to Japan however, Jess looked carefully at the ticket and realized his mother had bought him just a one-way fare. In no rush to return, he stayed seven years in total, practicing karate and absorbing the culture of Japan which he quickly fell in love with. He is fluent in both Japanese and Sushi and holds a 6th degree black belt ranking in Seito-Shito-Ryu karate and a 2nd degree in Hayashi-ha Shito-ryu karate. After four years living in Japan, Jess was asked to teach in Seattle by the headmaster and came to Washington to an affiliated studio looking to have representation from instructors trained overseas from the home “dojo.” Two years later and upon completing his teaching obligations, Jess returned to Japan to study for an additional three.
The beauty and call of the Pacific Northwest led Jess to eventually return to Seattle, continuing as a karate instructor while starting a financial brokerage company which was eventually merged with another. During this time Jess continued to teach and practice martial arts until one evening during a class exercise, he ripped a muscle in his leg while kicking someone in the head. Which surprised him, as he thought himself quite flexible and didn’t think he should be the recipient of torn muscles at this early juncture in his life. So, he thought he should learn to stretch more, and mistakenly equating flexibility with yoga, as many do, he jumped into a hot power vinyasa class. About ten minutes into the session with sweat pouring into his eyes and while holding the warrior one position, he thought to himself, “I’m going to die.” The class was beyond challenging and perhaps one of the most difficult endeavors he had ever engaged upon. But he did not die. At least not yet. And the hook was set. Understanding very quickly both martial arts and yoga are the exact same thing, just different sides of the same coin, he began to incorporate power yoga classes into his daily routine. Each of these practices he knew involve the efficient flow of energy through the body, one for healing and one for hurting, of course, karate in the act of self-defense. Both arts seek to address the enemy within and the subjugation of self in favor of a place where our awareness resides, the dismantling of structures which keep us from our true selves. The beauty of yoga is it offers something to everyone, be it physical, mental, or spiritual. We start with the gross, the impermanent, and as we refine and evolve our practice, work our way deeper to uncover the witness within. Jess has completed trainings with Baron Baptiste, Jonathan Bowra, and Lisa Black while taking a variety of workshops throughout the years from a multitude of teachers. During his business travels Jess always made it a point to visit local studios wherever he was staying. The best teacher he found was keeping to a rigorous self-practice. He was selected as a teacher three years running with Seattle’s Yoga For Hope, ran the yoga program at the Salish Lodge and Spa as their director of Mind, Body and Spirit and traveled with the band Train teaching on their Sail Across the Sea cruises. He was also blessed to have the opportunity to co- teach with Michael Franti while his band Spearhead played in the background. Jess is graced to have touched the lives of many and is forever grateful to all of those who have attended his classes.
His introduction to Gary occurred around 2009, and it was then he knew Gary Olson offered something no other studio could. The intensity of the classes and the discipline required to stay on point in his opinion was “level up yoga” reminding him of the training in Japan where one’s focus could not slip for even an instant, because doing so might cost one some serious hurt. Gary’s martial art’s background and the way class was conducted spoke to his soul, and he knew he had found his place of uncomfortable comfort, the edge where true growth occurs.
Fast forward to September 2021. Jess received an e-mail announcing classes at Go Yoga. After a two-year hiatus due to the loss of the Kirkland Ashram studio and the COVID19 lockdown, Jess was excited to return. His first time in the Saturday 10am session, Jess was singularly responsible for the whole class being called back into child’s pose, because when the cue to come up together to all fours was made, Jess stood up on his knees, which was out of flow, because he needed to wipe away the tears that were streaming into his eyes and down his face, so deeply affected he was by the moment and the emotions he was feeling.
Knowing how hard the last year has been for all of us, as we found ourselves in isolation due to COVID, knowing we all were hanging by a thread, Jess is beyond grateful to be reunited with this community, given the opportunity to share his passion as we come back together to heal, grow and practice this beautiful art.
To Jess, it feels like home. Because it is. Namaste.