Yuma lawyer knows music and martial arts

"My father taught me that my priorities are God, then family, and then country," said Robert Michael Way.

Way is an attorney at the Deason Law Firm in Yuma and works in estate planning and elder law. But, he says, "My main profession is being a father. I'm a dad first and a husband, and an attorney second."

As a young boy, growing up in Merced, Calif., Way took up music and martial arts. He said that music is what eventually led him down the path to becoming a lawyer.

After high school, Way studied chamber music and theory at Boston University's Tanglewood Institute of Music and went on to graduate with a bachelor's degree in philosophy from the University of San Diego in 1997. He received his law degree from Thomas Jefferson School of Law in 2001.

But as a child, Way had no idea that he would end up becoming an attorney.

At the age of 4, Way said his mother started him on the violin. "I took private lessons and continued on through high school and then at the University of San Diego. I studied with different professors of music."

While he studied music, he also took up martial arts at the age of 10 because "I had four older brothers who picked on me, and they wanted their younger brother to be tough. So they said you need to go in and learn martial arts."

Way says he studied the martial art of shou shu, which is kung fu, and it incorporates eight different martial arts styles.

Way continues to study music and martial arts today, saying that these are passions that give him a sense of freedom and enjoyment. "Music speaks to the soul. I think it is one of God's languages. It's kind of a sense of freedom you feel."

He also feels the same way about martial arts. If you are at a skill level where "it's effortless and ... you develop skills that takes 20 years to develop, it's just a different sense of freedom.

"It's kind of like music, just when you think you've learned something and you've mastered it there is always more to learn. And it teaches you mental, as well as physical discipline - superb self-defense, confidence and humility."

At the age of 23, music also led him to form a 20-piece big band - the King Kingston Orchestra - which he produced, performed in and wrote songs for. The band ended up recording 24 songs, and Way went into negotiations with a couple of major music company labels. These negotiations are what led him to want a career in law.

"I had the potential to release some of the music, and a major label decided to hold off. And I had an interest in learning the legal aspects of the entertainment industry and that got me into law."

Today, Way lives in Yuma with his wife and his three children, and they are currently expecting their fourth. He said he enjoys being an attorney and looks forward to a career at Deason Law Firm, while also teaching martial arts at Moore's Shou Shu school.


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Jennifer Lovell can be reached at jlovell@yumasun.com or 539-6849.
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STATS & FACTS
Name: Robert Michael Way
-Birthplace: Merced, Calif.
-Occupation: Husband, father and lawyer
-Marital status: Married
-Children: Three and the fourth on the way
-Pets: None
-Political affiliation: Republican
-Favorite thing to eat: Sushi
-Favorite local restaurant: Ronnie's Pizza
-Favorite midnight snack: None
-Favorite movie: "Lord of the Rings"
-Favorite TV show: "Iron Chef America"
-Biggest pet peeve: Our culture's lack of respect for the family and human life
-If the world was ending tomorrow, what I'd do today: Pray with my family and trust in God
-Most unusual or interesting skill: Surfing
-If my life had a theme song it would be: Too much music from which to decide
-If they make a movie about me I'll be played by: Don't know
-Favorite weekend getaway: San Clemente, Calif.
-Favorite vacation spot so far: Hawaiian Islands and Santa Barbara, Calif.