Accomplished Instructor adds one more to the List - Black Belt

Our dojo has long been honored to feature Sensei Ryan Hanssen as an instructor for the children’s classes, as well as a proctor in adult classes. Sensei Hanssen is a veteran and law enforcement officer, and has been certified to instruct for both, in addition to being a Judoka (judo practitioner) and tournament coach for the past eight years. Judo is not Sensei Hanssen’s first martial art or combat sport, having previously boxed extensively. Ryan managed to achieve all this while raising his two sons, Brayden (5th Junior Rank) and Jayce Hanssen (4th Junior Rank), who both also study jujitsu and muay thai (a brutal style of kickboxing that serves as the foundation for many MMA fighter’s striking game). All this is achieved while being active in his church and community, managing a marriage, and serving as his family’s primary source of transportation (due to disability related complications). Despite the stress and fatigue involved in all of this, Sensei Hanssen is perpetually positive, upbeat, and solution oriented. Until recently his was also “Ikkyu,” or the final rank of brown belt.

On Monday, December 30th, 2024, the students of the Des Moines Judo & Sambo Academy, as well as many of his loved ones, gathered to watch Sensei Ryan Hanssen perform the “Nage-no-Kata,” a set routine of throws to demonstrate skill an competence in technique, if not necessarily combat ability, with John Long serving as his “uke” (person being thrown). This demonstration was the final requirement necessary for Ryan to receive his promotion to “Shodan” or the 1st Degree Blackbelt, which was granted immediately following the performance.

Congratulations and well wishes to the newly minted blackbelt, who chose a spectacular way to close out the year! (Ryan appears right of center in the associated photo in a white gi).