Early life and education Strozzi-Heckler spent his early life in a
military family, periodically moving to different
naval bases. In early adolescence, he began studying
martial arts, beginning with
judo, then
karate, and
jiujitsu.
Aikido training Strozzi-Heckler studied aikido under
Robert Nadeau Shihan. He holds a seventh-degree
black belt in aikido. In January 2020, he was awarded
Shihan by the
International Aikido Headquarters in Tokyo, Japan. His early thinking on the relationship between aikido, somatics, and human potential is reflected in his edited collection
Aikido and the New Warrior. Strozzi-Heckler helped design and implement the
Marine Corps Martial Arts Program. ==Philosophy==