Ellis Amdur, a crisis intervention specialist in Seattle, began his martial arts training in 1968. He spent 13 years in Japan, and currently holds instructor licenses in Araki-ryu Torite Kogusoku and Tenshin Buko-ryu heiho. He teaches these two martial traditions in Seattle. Amdur extensively cross-trained in judo, hsing-i, Ch'en family t'ai chi ch'uan and muay thai. He began aikido training in 1973 with Terry Dobson in New York City, and continued his training in Japan with an number of instructors, most notably Yasunori Kuwamori and Yoshio Kuroiwa. He is the founder of Edgework, which offers trainings and consultation to law enforcement and social service personnel for the de-escalation and management of the behavior of emotionally disturbed individuals.