Joseph Simms' knowledge of conflict, strategy, and performance is grounded in direct experience ranging from the United States Marine Corps to the study and instruction of traditional Japanese schools of strategy and swordsmanship, and from being taken hostage to working in corporate security, risk management, and entrepreneurship.

What began more than thirty-six years ago growing out of an undefinable sense of restlessness and longing for purpose, direction, and fulfillment continues professionally today. Joseph is tasked with the dissemination and continuity of three Japanese martial traditions, the Ittō Tenshin-ryū®, Yamate-ryū®, and Goseki-ryu® Aiki Heihō. 

A component of this tasking is broadly sharing these traditions' deep and rich teachings on conflict, strategy, and human performance. While these traditions continue to be taught as they have been for six generations, the platform josephsimms.com was launched to help facilitate this directive, offering online courses and live seminars. 

Additionally, Joseph consults for businesses in the disciplines of strategy, conflict, and human performance and works with attorneys as an expert in human behavior under conflict.  He also serves as an adjunct professor for the George Washington University, Milken Institute School of Public Health.  

Born in Frankfurt, Germany, Joseph grew up in Europe, Asia, and The United States of America. The son of a Pan American World Airways family, he traveled extensively, experiencing and learning from different cultures. He was deeply impacted by the diversity of human experience in contrast to the fundamental nature of the human condition.

Terrorism was a part of life abroad. From the Munich Massacre during the 1972 Summer Olympics to the seizing of the United States Embassy in Iran, stateless and state-sponsored actors were pressing their agendas through intimidation and fear. The threat transitioned to reality for Joseph and his family several times. On one occasion, on April 15, 1983, he and his family were hijacked and held hostage aboard a Turkish Airliner en route from Istanbul to Izmir, Turkey. The plane diverted to Athens, Greece. After a standoff, Greek operators stormed the plane and overpowered the hijacker, taking him into custody.

After returning to the United States at seventeen, restless and seeking purpose, Joseph joined the United States Marine Corps Reserve. In the late spring of 1988, after graduating early from high school, he reported to Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, Third Battalion, H Company, from which he was meritoriously promoted and graduated Company Honor Man. 

Joseph served on active duty during Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm with B Company, 2nd Light Armored Infantry Battalion. Offensive operations for Bravo Company commenced several days before the start of the ground war. After extracting a 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion team compromised while conducting operations forward of defensive positions, Bravo company participated in a three-day counter-reconnaissance operation, culminating in locating and identifying the breach lanes through which the 2nd Marine Division would penetrate into Kuwait. Sergeant Simms received a commendation for superior performance in the execution of his duties citing his team's aggressive combat operations against the enemy.

After being released from active duty, Joseph worked to support his studies at George Mason University. After graduation, he accepted a position in security with The Aerospace Corporation, a federally-funded research and development center serving the National Security Space community. Joseph oversaw the physical security, government security, and continuity of business operations programs for the Washington Corporate and satellite offices. During this time, he continued his professional education by becoming certified as an executive protection specialist and attending courses through The Centre for Counterintelligence and Security Studies, the Defense Security Service, and BSR, a leading center for advanced driver training.

Seeking to explore and better understand an experience encountered while overseas with the Marine Corps, Joseph was accepted as a student of a traditional Japanese school of swordsmanship, the Ittō Tenshin-ryū. In their unique circumstances, the Japanese had the time and stimulus for an in-depth and thorough investigation of the science of war over thousands of years. Locked within their familial traditions is a wealth of knowledge and wisdom on conflict, strategy, and human performance. For this reason, when recently faced with creating a close combative system, the United States Marine Corps sought out and applied this knowledge.  

Joseph was fortunate to share the study of strategy and swordsmanship with several influential business people. Intrigued by their example, he struck a deal with Joshua Freeman, the President and CEO of Carl M. Freeman Companies and a former Green Beret. Josh would mentor him in business, and Joseph would provide risk management solutions as Josh continued to grow his holdings. Tragically, Josh's life was cut short in a helicopter crash in December 2006. Josh Freeman was an extraordinary gentleman, and the impact of his loss was felt by many, but by none more than his family.

Joseph went on to form Gianella-Simms Enterprises and undertook several entrepreneurial ventures, including exploring the online stored value business, representing a US-based heavy equipment manufacturer in Peru's highly contested urban transit sector, and an exploration into the insurance business.

In 2020, with a deep sense of responsibility, Joseph wrote the forward to the second edition of Mr. Fredrick Lovret's seminal work, The Way and The Power: Secrets of Japanese Strategy. The first edition has been in continuous circulation since its publication in 1987.