Occupation: I am the owner of Extreme Fitness Martial Arts in Plaza South, and an instructor in kickboxing and karate there.

Family: I’m married to Cindy. We have six children, Christian is 16; Hailee is 14; Alex is 9; Jessie is 6; Julian is 4; and Jagger is 2 years old.

Pets: We have one dog. It’s a Tibetan terrier, a little, tiny, hairy thing named Biscuit. Biscuit is 2 years old.

How long have you lived in Newtown? We just moved to Newtown last August, from Torrington.

What do you like to do in your free time? I play with the kids, and practice martial arts. I’m like a kid myself. We play sports together and we wrestle around. I spend a lot of time as a pummeling bag for them. I try to make some time for reading.

Do you have a favorite book? The Secret, by Rhonda Byrne. It’s kind of an “open your mind” sort of book, and the power of believing. It’s one of those books that makes you think. It kind of has the same rules as martial arts: asking and believing and focusing on what you really want, to make it happen. It’s about expressing gratitude, every day.

Do you have a favorite travel destination? I don’t travel much. We go to North Wildwood, N.J., together, as a family. It’s very beautiful, and fun with the kids.

What is the best thing about Newtown? The community. There seems to be a sense of unity between people. People here are very accepting. It’s a nice feeling.

Who has been the greatest influence in your life? I’m going to say my wife, largely due to the business. She has definitely been my best buddy. Every man needs a good woman to keep him straight, and for me, that’s Cindy.

Do you have a personal philosophy? Karma, in the positive way. I believe in it. The better I behave, and the more good I do, I know it will all come back.

Do you have a guilty pleasure? Chocolate! Anything chocolate covered. The dark chocolate is pretty good. I treat myself to it a couple of times a week.