James A. Overton, Sr. was born in San Francisco, California, in August 1963. After traveling extensively throughout the continental United States, his family moved to Europe in 1971. In Europe he acquired his primary and secondary education attending local schools and academies. Although his formal training in the martial arts would not occur until the age of 13, his initial exposure to East Asian traditions and philosophies began at the age of 8, first in yoga, then shortly afterwards in Zen. As a child Overton was also an avid chess player, a game he learned at the age of 4, and which he played extensively upon his arrival to Europe, often competing successfully even in adult tournaments.
 

Throughout his youth James found ample opportunity to put his martial skills to the test, often in encounters against boxers and other martial arts stylists. In addition to many scars, these experiences gave him an eclectic reality-based perspective on hand-to-hand combat still present in his training regimen today.
 

In 1981, at 18 years of age, James returned to the North American continent, residing in several major cities in Eastern Canada. In Canada he obtained his first Bachelor of Arts degree, graduating Suma Cum Laude ("with highest honors"), and then a Master of Arts degree. During this period he trained extensively in many arts, including Tae kwon do, Judo, Aikido, amateur boxing, and professional (PKA) kick-boxing. He was a sparring partner to world class competitors and champions in Tae kwon Do, Kick-boxing and amateur boxing.  In 1990, based on his extensive and eclectic training experience and street-fighting knowledge, he founded and taught the art originally known as Black Mamba, now encompassed by the broader MAMBA-Ryu^TM.

In 1995, James moved to California in order to pursue graduate work in Cognitive Science at the University of California at San Diego. In 1997 he became a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist, and two years later his article entitled "Shamanism and Clinical Hypnosis: A Brief Comparative Analysis," won an international award as best article of the year in the field of hypnosis research and therapy, earning Overton an Honorary Membership to the Hypnosis Research Society, UK. During the years following his arrival to California, Overton continued his martial training, earning teaching licenses in Krav Maga, Muay Thai, Judo, USJA Jujutsu, Hapkido, Combat Hapkido, Ninjutsu, Sambo, Aikijujutsu, and Brazilian Jujutsu. In 1995, James moved to California in order to pursue graduate work in Cognitive Science at the University of California at San Diego. In 1997 he became a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist, and two years later his article entitled "Shamanism and Clinical Hypnosis: A Brief Comparative Analysis," won an international award as best article of the year in the field of hypnosis research and therapy, earning Overton an Honorary Membership to the Hypnosis Research Society, UK.

During the years following his arrival to California, Overton continued his martial training, earning teaching licenses in Krav Maga, Muay Thai, Judo, USJA Jujutsu, Hapkido, Combat Hapkido, Ninjutsu, Sambo, Aikijujutsu, and Brazilian Jujutsu. In addition to his own martial and survival studies, James dedicated himself to training and coaching his son Jimmy (James A. Overton, Jr.) through an illustrious competitive career in grappling sports, including several United States and Canadian judo championships, a California State championship in Brazilian jujutsu, and a position on the Stanford University wrestling team and the Canadian Junior Men’s World Championship Judo Team. In 1999, 2000 and 2001, James was awarded the prestigious Best Coach award in Canadian Judo for Excellence in Coaching.

In addition to his Ph.D. dissertation, James has taught Introduction to World Religions and The Psychology of Religion at San Diego State University - a course of his own design and creation; he is also working on three books: Knowing the Enemy: The Psychology of Religious Fundamentalist Terrorism and the Crisis of Belief; Masters of Strategy: Lessons from The Art of War, and From Shamanism to Don Quixote, The Psychology of Imagination.

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(between 1996 and 1999)

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