About Our Instructors

Our Instructor list On-Staff includes 8 certified black belt instructors: 
A 10th Degree Black Belt Grandmaster/Hanshi teaching credentials
A 5th Degree Black Belt  Renshi teaching credentials
Three 3rd Degree Black Belts
A Second Degree Black Belt
Two Shodans (First Degree Black belts)

Hanshi Kevin Huunjin Cullen

Kaicho/Headmaster

The Academy exists under the leadership of Hanshi Kevin "Huunjin" Cullen. Cullen has been consistenly training in Goju since 1973 and has achieved the rank of Ju-Dan, Hanshi, and Soke (via the World Head of Family Sokeship council) Unlike so many others, he has not paid for his rank, hanshi or soke certificates but earned them in the old ways. In addition, his three bachelor and two master degrees were earned via some 13 years of academia at the University of Findlay and are verified by the Ohio Board of Regents. Beware those martial artists who claim a Ph.D in Asian Studies or Martial Arts, many were bought and paid for from Mr Jim Thomas in Indiana. The US Attorney General has since enforced a "cease and desist" on such activities. 

Hanshi Cullen's students have won the US Open, NBL & ISKA national titles, Canadian National Goju Championships, Gold Medals at the Arnold Sports Festival and have fought in various UFC events. To read more, scroll down to the bottom of the page. *

Renshi Jim Zellner

Chief Instructor

Sensei Zellner (The Stalwart) holds his Go Dan (5th Degree Black Belt) as well as Renshi Teaching Credentials (Master Teachers) and has been training with Hanshi Cullen off and on since 1992. He is a traditional Goju practitioner and is dedicated to bringing out the best in our karate kid and adult students. Sensei Zellner is also a student of Shihan Dana Abbott and teaches Toyama Ryu Sword classes on Thursday nights. Sensei Zellner has a bachelor degree in marketing and also some graduate business classes.

Sensei Harley Ferris

CHIEF ASSISTANT INSTRUCTOR
Sensei Harley (The Brains) holds a Sandan, 3rd Degree Black Belt and has been teaching a variety of classes (tigers to Black Belts) since he received his brown belt. Harley is part of the backbone of the Hombu Dojo in addition to holding PhD in Rhetoric and Writing and teaching at the University of Findlay. He is also a seasoned musician and songwriter, dedicated husband and father. 

Sensei Michael Cook

Adjunct Assistant
Sensei Cook (The Warrior) holds a 3rd Degree Black Belt in Ateru Goju Ryu from Hanshi Cullen. He handles higher level sparring instruction for the Kyu Ranks. He has been training with Hanshi since he was 8 years old . He pays strict attention to detail and imparts that level of perfection to the student base.

Sensei Coy Schlumbohm 

ASSISTANT INSTRUCTOR
Sensei Coy (Old School) holds a San-Dan Ho (3rd Degree Black Belt Interim) and has been training diligently since his return over a year ago. Coy is qualified to teach ages 6 through adult black belt and brings a wealth of knowledge to the classroom. Coy is a dedicated husband and father. He is one of Hanshi Cullen's original students from the Main Street dojo (where Rossillis Italian Restaurant is now located) and received his first degree black in 1996 from him.

Sensei Greg Lowery 

ASSISTANT INSTRUCTOR  (Picture Pending)
Sensei Greg holds a Ni-Dan (2nd Degree Black Belt) and has been training diligently for years at the Hombu Dojo. Greg is qualified and has been teaching classes from Tigers to Advanced Adults. Greg is always ready to assist in whatever capacity he is needed in. He is a dedicated Karateka, Husband and Father. His son Porter is working his way through the adult ranks and will eventually get his black belt too. Families that kick together stick together!

Dr. Alexis Caroline (Lexi)

 Lexi (The Tiger Tamer), runs our Tiny Tigers program under the supervision of Hanshi Cullen who has been teaching tiger age students (age 3-6) for decades. She is currently a Shodan (First Degree Black Belt) and works as a Dr of Occupational Therapy at a nearby hospital. We are lucky to have her as her expertise brings unique skill drills to our tigers in a fun but controlled environment. Her specialty area in OT is outpatient Pediatrics. 

Sensei Tailee Phiengthirath


Tailee will be a Freshman a FHS this fall of 2024. She is an adult black belt and has been training here at the Academy of Martial Arts Studies since she was 8 years old. She is qualified to assist or teach every level of instruction here at the academy from Tiny Tigers all the way through Advanced Black Belt Class. She is involved in many curricular activities at school including Tennis and Show Choir. She always wears a smile and her attitude is infectious. 

Evan Boehler 

 Evan (asst. Tiger Tamer), helps run our Tiny Tigers program under the supervision of Hanshi Cullen who has been teaching tiger age students (age 3-6) for decades. He is currently a Ni-Kyu (Brown Belt with two black stripes) and will test for his black belt summer of 2025. He is great with kids of all ages and loves Goju karate. He is a Restoration Project Supervisor for ServPro and has been a member of the Academy since Nov. of 2021.

 Additional Part-Time Staff 

The following instructors are some of the best of the best, are still active in Ateru Goju Ryu Karate Jutsu and all have received their most current ranks from Hanshi Cullen. We are blessed to have a a wide and deep pool of knowledge to draw from and share with our student base.

Renshi James Kindle 

Sensei Kindle began his training some thirty years ago when Mr. Cullen was still teaching at the old Fremont Goju Ryu. He is a 5th Degree black belt and Renshi. The big man is a very dedicated student of the art of Goju.

Renshi Larr Etzler

Sensei Etzler holds a 6th Degree Black Belt with MENKYO KAIDEN AND Renshi Teaching Credentials in Ateru Goju Ryu. 

Renshi Larr has moved back to the area and drives an hour each way to the Academy to train and teach.



* Cullen (Cont.)

Mr. Cullen has dedicated his life to the study and instruction of traditional Japanese fighting arts and has been involved in the Goju Karate since 1973. Mr. Cullen was a member of N. Gosei Yamaguchi's organization for 13 years and traveled to the Castro Hombu to take part in 1 and 2 week long intensive gasshukus with and received his black belt in Goju from Gosei Yamaguchi (Son of the Cat Gogen). He also trained for 13 years with Motoo Yamakura, past all Japan kumite champion. Mr. Cullen has aided his training by participated in seminar with many Naha and Shuri Te masters over the decades including Hidetaka Nishiyama, Taika Oyata, Stan Hart, George Alexander in Shuri-Te, White Crane Kempo and many more.

Hanshi Cullen holds a 10th Dan Soke (2002)  in Ateru Goju and was honored to be vetted and then recognized by the famous World Head of Family Sokeship Council as a legitimate Soke and Grandmaster in 2013. He also has earned black belt in the following styles: Judo, Jujitsu, and Okinawan Kempo, White Crane Kempo and Sei Roku Zen Yo combat Karate. Mr. Cullen received his 4 year Bachelor Degree in Japanese Language and Culture from the University of Findlay, Ohio in 1995 and trained, worked and lived in Japan. The Japan experience occured via an ALL-STATE UNIVERSITY language based competition held through The Ohio State University, where he was one of five Japanese students out of hundreds chosen to represent the State of Ohio to our sister state Saitama, Japan. OSCI. He also earned a Masters in Business in 2000, a bachelor in Law and the Liberal Arts (Summa Cum Laude) 2018, and has defended his masters thesis and received his Masters in TESOL and Applied Linguistics May 2021. He was asked to present his Thesis at the first ever Ohio TESOL Graduate Symposium and is now a professor at the University of Findlay teaching English at the IELP. 

Cullen was invited to the Northern Shaolin Temple in China to teach his famed 5 hands systems and Ateru Goju. He was a featured instructor on the Martial Oceans shipboard seminar series and from 2012-2017, was the ONLY traditional karate expert in Ohio invited to teach seminars yearly at the world famous Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus, Ohio. He is the only instructor from Ohio who regularly instructs at the Action Martial Arts Magazine Hall of Honors, is a sought after public speaker and is a charter member of the Mondo Silente' stealth deep diving team with Hanshi George Alexander and Kyoshi Dana Abbott. Cullen has taught seminars in Japan, USA, China, Europe and the Caribbean and has performed bodyguard services for Arnold, Wesley Snipes and Japanese dignitaries and businessmen. His student base has included US NAVY S.E.A.L. team members, ARMY RANGERS, Secret Service. LAPD RAMPART and a host of elite professionals. .