Meet our Instructor

 

Sensei Austin has been practicing martial arts since January of 2009. Originally from the greater Kansas City Area, Austin started in Japanese Jujutsu under Frank Barry on Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

Mr. Barry’s style of Jujutsu was heavily focused on training soldiers and law enforcement martial arts techniques with special consideration to the use of force spectrum, to increase their survivability in combat and improve chances of mission success. The environment was fast, sparring-heavy, and the perfect place to quickly gain real-world practicality.

Mr. Barry taught Judo for those that were interested in learning the sport, as well as providing a safe, competitive atmosphere to practice techniques at higher levels of force. Austin happily obliged. He earned his first black belt in Japanese Jujutsu in 2012, and his second black belt in Judo in 2017.

Austin joined the Kansas Army National Guard in 2011 and supplemented his martial arts training with the Modern Army Combatives Program, and its predecessor known as LINES. In 2012, Austin further supplemented his Jujutsu training by practicing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, specializing in ground fighting techniques. He also served with the Lansing Police Department in Lansing, Kansas, from 2015 to 2018, working as a patrol officer, and was appointed as a defensive tactics instructor. He was honorably discharged from the military in January 2024 as a Sergeant First Class with 13 years of service; 5 years in the Infantry, and 8 years in the Army Acquisition Corps.

Since he began his training, he has earned a fourth degree black belt in Judo, fourth degree black belt in Jujutsu, and purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He is a USA Judo and USJA certified Coach, chartered Sambo Coach, and was the Carolina State Runner-Up in 2023 for both Combat and Sport Sambo. He has dabbled in multiple other arts, such as Wrestling, Boxing, Kickboxing, MMA, Karate, Aikido, Tae Kwon Do, and Kung Fu. He has taught over 300 students, traveling to different schools, and providing his expertise to all, regardless of martial arts discipline.

Outside of martial arts, you can probably find him spending time at the beach with his wife and four children, or watching the latest Netflix special. He currently resides in Sanford, North Carolina with his family.