J.D. Swanson holds a PhD in Integrative Biosciences from The Pennsylvania State University and is a sixth-degree black belt in Shotokan Karate. A graduate of the official ISKF Instructor Trainee Program, he is qualified as an instructor, examiner, and judge, and has trained under Okazaki, Yaguchi, Rielly, and Ubl Sensei. He currently serves as Technical Director for Hombu Dojo Karate International?USA (HDKI-USA) and is regularly invited to teach karate both in the Unted States and internationally.

Swanson began his martial arts training in 1980 in his native New Zealand and later moved to the United States. Alongside his martial career, he has built a distinguished professional life in higher education and public service. Professionally, Swanson is a Professorial Lecturer in the School of Public Affairs at American University, where he teaches executive leadership. Beyond the classroom, he is a scientist and organizational leader whose work focuses on building research and innovation capacity at the national level. He previously spent fifteen years as a tenured professor, teaching across the biological sciences and mentoring students in both academic and extracurricular settings. J.D. Swanson resides in Northern Virginia.