The Excellent Staff of American Martial Arts Academy

(Glasgow Location)

Master Instructor/Owner- Sam Hunter

     Mr. Hunter is a 22 year veteran of the martial arts and holds the rank of 4th Degree Black Belt in Tang Soo Do.  In addition, Mr. Hunter also holds Dan (blackbelt) ranks in Tae Kwon Do, Hapkido, Jujitsu, as well as Kung Fu. Additionally, Mr. Hunter is a licensed Tactical Master Instructor for CDT and LRT.   Mr. Hunter began his martial arts training at the age of 10 in Nashville Tennessee under the direction of Mike Green.  During his tenure with Mr. Green, Mr. Hunter attained the rank of 1st Degree blackbelt as well as won over 100 open karate tournaments.

     Upon graduation of high school, Mr. Hunter joined the U.S. Army as a member of the elite 82nd Airborne Division.  During his time at Ft. Bragg, N.C.  Hunter continued his training with Mr. James Johnson ( co-author of the Special Forces Hand to Hand Combat Manual) as well as assisted Mr. Johnson in instructing many of the fabled "Green Berets".  It was also during this time that Mr. Hunter served our country in Operation Desert Shield/Storm.  For his meritorious service, Mr. Hunter was awarded the Army Achievement Medal and the Army Commendation Medal.

     After completing his military obligation, Mr. Hunter moved to Kentucky and pursued at Bachelors Degree as well as an Army Officer Commission at Western Kentucky University.  It was during this time that American Martial Arts Academy was born.  Also during this time Mr. Hunter began training with Master Greg Lee and Master Richard Hackworth in various Korean arts.  In 1995 Mr. Hunter graduated college and accepted an Army Reserve commission where he now serves as a Company Commander in the U.S. Army Reserves.

     American Martial Arts Academy is a charter member of Black Belt Schools of America.  BBSA is an organization of over 1,000 schools dedicated to teaching mental benefits through the use of physical skills.  As a member of this organization, Mr. Hunter and his students have had the opportunity to train with some of the best and most recognized martial artists in the world.

     In a short period of time, Mr. Hunter and his staff have built one of the largest and most successful schools in Kentucky.  In 1998 AMAA was recognized by the World Head of Family Sokeship Counsel as the National School of the Year.  In 2000 Mr. Hunter was awarded the prestigious Master Instructor of the Year Award by the same organization as well as one of the Top "50" schools Nationwide by the Black Belt Schools of America.

     For the past two years Mr. Hunter has served as an assistant coach for the United States Karate Team in competitions with the WKA, and will again this year.

Currently, Mr. Hunter is a member of the following associations and professional organizations:

• Black Belt Schools of America

• National Association of Professional Martial Artists

• Martial Arts Industry Association

• Korean Martial Arts Instructors Association

• Korea Hapkido Federation

• Tactical Master Instructor, CDT Training

• Tactics Instructor, Last Resort Tactics

Chief Instructor (Glasgow)- Tyler Maxey

" When I was about 11 years old I began to get very interested in the martial arts because of TV shows such as the Ninja Turtles and Power Rangers.  My interest continued to grow and finally my parents signed me up for the American Martial Arts Academy Introductory classes on August 25th.  Three years later, on October 31st 1999  I was presented my 1st Degree Blackbelt.  In between those dates, many great things happened for me in the martial arts.  I was placed on the school's demonstration team which traveled to Orlando, Florida to competed in the National Demo Team competition.  The team finished 5th overall.  I won a National Championship in sparring along with a National Runner-Up in Weapons in Forms for the same year.  The next year I was the Triple Crown Champion on the Regional Sport Karate Circuit in which I finished 1st Overall in Forms, Sparring, and Weapons.

As a black belt I was inducted into the Black Belt Hall of Fame in 2000 as the Jr. National Fighter of the Year.  My senior year of high school I traveled overseas to Vienna, Austria as a member of the U.S. Karate Team and won a Gold Medal in the WKA World Championships.  I graduated High School in May 2002 with honors and enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserves as a 19K.  Upon completion of my initial entry training I enrolled at Western Kentucky University where I am currently majoring in Spanish." 

Assistant Instructor (Glasgow)- Isaac Bryant

Program Director/Kardio Instructor-  Jo Jessie