The Order of the Mercy Apostles of the Holy Spirit  and the Holy Face of Jesus, (MAHS), was founded on December 8th, 1996 in Idaho Falls, ID by Trimelda C. McDaniels, the pastor of a Christian Restoration Church. But, the roots of the Order go back to an earlier time.

 

    Twenty-four years before, at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Ms. "Cheryl" McDaniels was teaching self-defense for women to the girls on campus after receiving a Green Belt in Tae Kwon Do from Grandmaster Yun Dukan. What she taught was a mixture of traditional moves from this Korean art, Judo moves from her older brother and Chicago styled street and bar fighting that she learned from her father and uncle. 

 

    While the Vice President of the Marquette Organization of Women, McDaniels helped establish the Campus Security Office at a time when sexual assault was denied by the hierarchy of the university. She was the youngest person to teach a self defense instruction class to physical education teachers in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and she later fought for the rights of rape victims as a lecturer, testifying before the Wisconsin State Senate.

 

    Her later teachings were a direct outgrowth of her own spiritual quest and commitment as a member of the Roman Catholic Church under the spirituality of the Third Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in 1976. After making those private vows to her spiritual director, Sebastian Moore, OSB, McDaniels made her permanent vows on May 13, 1981 at Saint Thomas Aquinas Church in Chicago and took the name, "Trimelda", which means "All consuming Warrior of the Trinity", a name given to her by a Jesuit priest and ratified by both her mother and her best friend in ministry, Sister Mary Pieta FSPA. The late Monsignor Hayes gave her permission to wear a modified habit, which included a fighting skirt and Escrima sticks for street defense. 

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     "From then on, I felt that I was a nun of the people," Trimelda said. She began teaching under her religious name and later adopted Trimelda Concepcion as her legal name. During that time, she taught religion, physical education and self-defense at inner city schools on the West Side of Chicago. The teachings of Uzzijah Do were shared with the homeless, prostitutes, teachers, nuns, home makers and

street kids. She taught whoever wanted to know how to protect themselves in a neighborhood where crime was a physical reality. Also during that time, Sister T, as she came to be called, had to use her art to defend herself and other people four times. People in the "hood" began to call her the "Ninja Nun" and ask her to settle domestic disputes, protect property and act as a liaison between gang members.

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   Along the way she added a Traditional Medicine certification from the Midwest School for the Practice of Oriental Medicine, training in Iga Style Ninjutsu, two instructor's levels in Filipino Arnis and Indonesian Penjat Silat and training as an armed security guard to her arsenal of martial arts skills. Students could learn both healing and fighting techniques in the art, along with Christian Warrior Values. "I find that a good martial artist is a healer as well as a conventional warrior," Trimelda said. She finally registered her style as "Uzzijah Do", which means "The Way of God is my Strength" with the World Black Belt Bureau in Memphis, TN in the early 1990's. Uzzijah Do was also one of the first recognized, female based mixed martial arts in the 20th Century and her article on Christian Martial Arts was run in "Inside Kung Fu Magazine" in the late 1980's. McDaniels has also trained with Jeet Kune Do teacher, Paul Vunak and Master Bob Degerberg. "That's how I learned to box," she said.

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The Mercy Apostles of the Holy Face of Jesus

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    After moving to the West Coast in San Diego, California to apprentice under Pastor Jerry Barnard and then to Idaho Falls, ID, Trimelda met Lee Duplessis, a young mother who had an interest in learning more than just regular self-defense. "I wanted to know not only how to defend myself, but how to live better," she said. "Training in Uzzijah Do taught me both these things." Once she had achieved both a Green Sash and then a Red Belt, Lee asked about whether there would ever be a training school for women, not only in the physical techniques, but in the deeper spiritual values of the art. By that time, Trimelda was now "Pastor" T, the foundress of Christ Charismatic Liturgical Church, Inc., working with the women and children in the area. That question led to the development not only of a training school or dojo, but also the Mercy Apostles of the Holy Face of Jesus.

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     "We consider our Order to be a throw back to the peaceful warrior monks and nuns of both the Eastern and Western traditions. Often a martially trained religious was all that stood between assault or even death and the innocent, "  McDaniels said. "We are honored to continue that tradition through the Mercy Apostles by making this discipline a part of every sister's and brother's training as a member of our Order. Not only is it a great way of disciplining spirit, soul and body, this training also gives us a way of protecting people in time of need."

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Shadow Wings Dojo and Martial Arts Retreats

     Sister T, then Pastor and finally now as Bishop T in the Recovery Churches of America, went on to teach several hundred people over the next twenty years in Uzzijah Do and street based self defense. The training center, Shadow Wings Dojo stands for excellence in martial arts skills, as well as faithfulness to Christian values. Now in her early 60's, Trimelda and her Arch Deacon, Sharalee, continue to teach physical, psychological and spiritual skills of the "Art of the Heart" to any and all who are willing to learn.

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    "Anyone wants to learn the Art of the Heart should contact us," McDaniels said, "We are living in times when being able to protect yourself and others on all three levels of body, soul and spirit is extremely important."

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