Action comes easy to J.M. Velez. She has raced motorcycles, owned horses, drove a tractor trailer New York to California, and enjoyed a brief stint with white-water rafting.
During her thirty-plus years of dabbling in martial arts, she trained in such styles as:
- Tae Kwon Do
- Jen Do Tau
- Krav Maga
- Kali
- Jeet Kun Do (a combination of Maphilindo Silat, Wing Chun Kung Fu, and Muay Thai)
She also participated in just enough grappling to know she doesn’t want to fight from the ground. She trained to become a certified Edged Weapons Instructor.
Finally after 22 years on active duty, she exhaled and settled down in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Since she doesn’t heal as quickly as she used to, she now lives the active life through her characters.