About Our Instructors

Hanshi Kevin Huunjin Cullen

Chief Instructor

The Academy exists under the leadership of Hanshi Kevin "Huunjin" Cullen.. 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 is now enrolled in the MATESOL program.

Cullen recently was invited to the Northern Shaolin Temple in China to teach his famed 5 hands systems and Ateru Goju. He is a featured instructor on the Martial Oceans shipboard seminar series and is 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. .

Hanshi Cullen's students have won the US Open, ISKA national titles, Canadian National Goju Championships, Gold Medals at the Arnold Sports Festival and have fought in various UFC events.

Renshi Jim Zellner

Chief Assistant

Sensei Zellner holds his San Dan (3rd 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 has a bachelor degree in marketing and also some graduate business classes.

Sensei Grace Barto
(Jr. Assistant Instructor)

Grace Barto has studied karate at the academy since 2011 and recently earned her adult black belt.  She teaches the beginner Karate Kid classes.

The discipline she learned in karate has helped Grace become a better student and, more importantly, a better person. Karate has made her a stronger person both in and out of the dojo, and she has learned more about self-control, focus, responsibility and respect. She has also learned what she doesn’t know about karate – and that you can always improve no matter what your belt color.

In addition to her martial arts studies, she is active in several groups at her school including band, chorus and Power of the Pen. In her spare time she enjoys ice skating and babysitting.

HEAD ASSISTANT SENSEI FRED EMPCKE (On Sabatical)

Sensei Fred is a Senior Student who also is a tremendous instructor. Fred began training at the Fremont dojo in 1985, received his black belt in 1990 and after a 13 year break trained for a year in an american style dojo for a year before hooking up with Hanshi Cullen. He received his 3rd Dan in Ateru Goju in the winter of 2012. He is a father, husband and wonderful mentor to our students. He has been at the Findlay Whirlpool corp for many years and is a supervisor there.

PAST INSTRUCTORS 

Pre-School Program (Tiny Tigers)  SENSEI ABI EMPCKE

Sensei Abi is an adult shodan and taught the tiny tigers class as well as is qualified to instruct the Karate Kid beginner to intermediate classes. She also participates in the adult advanced classes as a student. Abi is a prime example of what time and dedication can do to better the quality of your life. Saige is a qualified instructor who can adjust the intensity of the class based on the students on the floor.

Saige Warren -ADULT NI-DAN

Saige Warren is an extremely dedicated student with physical and mental capabilities far beyond his years. He has been with Hanshi Cullen since the age of 4 at which age he told Hanshi that he wanted to get his black belt and teach classes at Hanshi's school. After 9 years of hard training and two gold medals at the Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus he is doing just that.

Saige assisted Hanshi Cullen teach the tiny tigers class as well as the Karate Kid beginner to intermediate classes four days a week. Saige is qualified to teach tigers, kids and adult classes and can adjust the intensity of the class based on the students on the floor.

RaeAnna Wallen -Jr. Nidan

Rae has been a student of Hanshi Cullen's since she was three and a half years old. She remains a crossover student of his from the Macklin Intergenerational Institute Pre-School program where Hanshi taught for approx 6 years. 

She started and never looked back. She was enrolled at the academy for over ten years and still visits us from time to time. Rae is a fantastic in kata and kumite and is also endeavoring into other arts such as drawing, writing and music. We think she's just a whole lot of awesome... come see why she along with so many others, know that The Academy of Martial Arts Studies is the ONLY place to be when training in the martial arts.

PART TIME INSTRUCTORS/CONSULTANTS

Kyoshi Michael Galose 7th Dan Okinawan Goju 6th Dan Ateru Goju (On sabbatical)

  Mr. Galose trained with Hanshi Cullen for 13 years and was his emissary to Okinawa. He made trips for a week or two to the motherland of karate for years.  Mr. Galose was quoted as saying " I have been to Okinawa multiple times for tough intensive training there, weeks at a time with all the best, Higaonna, Kuba, all of them; and Hanshi Cullen is as knowledgeable on kata, bunkai and all other aspects of Goju karate as every one of them. I guess I had to travel to Okinawa to find this out for myself. We are extremely lucky to have a sensei of this caliber as part of our teaching staff. 

Renshi James Kindle 

Sensei Kindle began his training some twenty five 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 5th 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.

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