Tom Griggs, Class XXXIV

Dr. Nguyen “Tom” Griggs is a native Houstonian. He holds  an MBA and an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership. Dr. Griggs  has been involved in helping college students become  successful in and out of the classrooms for more than 15  years. He is an instructor in Verbal Judo and has certificates  in Advanced Negotiations and Conflict Resolution from  Notre Dame’s Mendoza School of Business.  

Tom is a Les Brown Platinum Speaker and is also a  contributing author to Les Brown’s bestselling book, Fight  For Your Dreams. Dr. Griggs is also a John Maxwell certified  Success Coach, and a member of Mr. Maxwell’s prestigious  Founders Circle.

Growing up in a Vietnamese and African American multi-cultural home and rough neighborhoods had  its challenges. There were times when Tom felt confused, angry and alone. This bothered him for many  years, and down the road his unresolved issues started to affect his health. Tom chose martial arts as an  avenue to work through anger issues and to relieve his emotions and stress.  

Traditional martial arts became a way of life for him. It is where he learned the importance of  individualism and teamwork. Tom, now known as “Sensei Tom” holds black belts in Japanese Jujitsu and  karate. He is an instructor at TNT Jujitsu (www.tntjujitsu.com) and teaches both adults and children the  valuable lessons he has learned through martial arts. 

Using a variety of martial arts concepts including the Seven Tenets of Jujitsu, Tom is able to guide  individuals and organizations to identify their fears, choose their words and actions wisely, understand  and evaluate the energy of others, and to always live in integrity. 

Calling on his rich multi-cultural heritage, attendees of all ages relate with Sensei Tom’s childhood  experiences of self-doubt and enduring hope. He focuses on verbal and nonverbal communication skills  to achieve greater levels of team work, morale, performance and serenity.  

His speaking engagements and workshops are passionate, humorous and interactive.