Mark Cancino is the owner and chief instructor of Ascend Martial Arts, a martial arts school established in Reno, Nevada since 1999. Cancino is a 6th degree black belt, multi-world champion and international judge within the professional taekwondo community. Cancino cherishes and trains his black belt family: wife and head of operations, Janel Cancino; 10x world champion, 3rd degree black belt and daughter, Yani Cancino; and 1st degree black belt and son, Kai Cancino.

Cancino's work ethic started from training in the early hours of the morning and biking all of McCarran to deliver pamphlets of his father’s new martial arts school door-to-door. After taking ownership of the school in 2009, Cancino pursued his dream of growing the school, and has thus opened 2 new locations.

“If it’s a can’t, it’s a must” is a staple mantra of Ascend Martial Arts that students are instructed of, and one that Mark Cancino has embodied throughout his life.