Matthew James Emig was born July 9th, 1987 in Port Jefferson, New York. By the age of three, he had already found his calling: to be a Ninja Turtle. Emig would spend entire days watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle episodes. His living room was transformed into a dojo where he practiced the moves that he saw Splinter and the Turtles use as they fought to defend Manhattan. As Emig grew older, he became aware of the sad truth that he couldn’t be a turtle and he would never face Shredder and the Foot Clan in battle. Becoming a ninja, on the other hand, wasn’t so far fetched.

On his 5th Birthday, Emig asked his parents if he could take karate. They took him to World Karate Academy in Shirley, New York, where he began his studies under Sensei Chris Lohwasser. He was instantly hooked and became highly engaged in his training. This was the stage when Emig began planting the seeds for a remarkable career in the martial arts. At 5 years old and only a white belt, he began attending local competitions. When he was 8 and a purple belt, he decided it was time to take the next step. In 1996, Emig and his parents journeyed to Rhode Island for Ocean State Grand Nationals, his first national tournament. OSGN opened Emig’s eyes to a world of sport karate that expanded far beyond anything he could imagine. He witnessed professional teams and an exhilarating level of competition. The spark was lit and a new dream was formed: Emig wanted to be a part of the national competition scene. His parents signed him up for the Macho training camp, where he trained under prestigious figures such as, Pedro Xavier, Christine Bannon-Rodrigues, and Mike Chat. Two years later, Emig and his parents made the decision that he would compete nationally. In 1998, he did the entire North American Sport Karate Associate (NASKA) season as a black belt.

Emig soon began to reap the rewards of his passion and dedication. By 1999, he became a world champion in both forms and weapons in the 10-11 year old division. He repeated his success in 2000 and also won his first ISKA world title, which allowed him to make his first TV appearance on ESPN2. In 2002, he won his third ISKA weapons title in a row. Emig had become a leading figure in youth forms competition. He was no longer a kid with a dream, admiring his heroes from the sidelines. Rather, by 13, he had become a seasoned and noteworthy competitor, gaining the praise and attention of his peers and mentors. One of the most important turning points in his career was when he was offered a position on the world renowned Team Paul Mitchell Karate Team, sponsored by John Paul Mitchell Systems.

Also as a junior competitor, Emig won two synchronized forms world titles with Daniel Sterling. Emig and Sterling were innovators in team forms competitions, introducing high difficulty tricks and maneuvers into their routines. In 2004 and 2005 Emig was awarded the Sportmartialarts.com Viewers Choice Award. And by 17, Emig was a highly respected and sought after instructor, touring internationally to teach training camps and seminars. He has also produced a line of instructional DVDs. He has made appearance in publications such as Black Belt Magazine, MA Success, Action Magazine, and Kono Magazine. He has also appeared on the Discovery Channel, ESPN2, Showtime, and Long Island’s Channel 12 News. Before turning 18, Emig had already forged himself into a martial arts world champion, educator, role model, and businessman. Even with making many accomplishments early on in his career, he still remained humble and determined to challenge his limits.

After his second year moving into the NASKA adult division, he became number 1 in weapons. In 2007, he attended the National Black Belt League Super Grand’s as a wild card and won a world title and the overall forms grand title. He won the 2006 and 2007 XMA Tricks Contest with fellow Paul Mitchell Teammate, Steve Terada. He has also been inducted to numerous Hall of fames: Quebec Open, Ocean State Nationals, Just for Champions, New York State Championships.

In 2008, Emig suffered a misfortunate injury to his knee while participating in the Loopkicks Camp main event battle. He was only able to compete half of the 2008 NASKA season, but still managed to win the Overall Forms Grand Championship, a result of winning more forms grand championships than any other adult that year. Currently, Emig is still recovering from his injury and is determined to make his return to competition. Persistence has been a constant force throughout his career. The one thing Matt Emig knows how to do best, other than Karate, is forge his dreams into reality.

The martial arts have been a defining force in Emig’s life. He has grown from a kid fantasizing about Ninja Turtles to one of the most influential and highly respected figures in the global sport karate community. He has remained humble throughout his entire journey, never taking a step for granted. His continual aspiration to uplift himself and the sport karate is a testament of his devotion to his community and craft.