HOME     WADORYU KARATEDO     OUR ADULT PROGRAM     OUR YOUTH PROGRAM     OUR INSTRUCTORS     CLASS SCHEDULES and CONTACT

 

▪▪OUR SENIOR INSTRUCTORS

Our senior instructors proudly cite their membership among the Shihan Deshi -- those fortunate to have trained privately under the tutelage of the late Shihan C.T. Patterson - Hachidan.

MELVIN S. BROWN JR. ROKU-DAN – 6TH DEGREE BLACKBELT

MODERN ARMY COMBATIVES INSTRUCTOR / WORLD POLICE & FIRE GAMES GOLD MEDALIST – KARATE U.S.E.W.K.F. 6TH DAN KUMITE CHAMPION 2008 & 2009

Born in 1956, Sensei Brown began his karate training in the Nashville Dojo of Sensei Denny Shaffer in 1974 and has also trained in Aiki-Jutsu, Tae Kwon Do, Judo, and JuJutsu.  After active duty service in the United States Navy aboard a nuclear submarine, he commenced Wado-Ryu training in 1980 at the Bushido Karate Schools of Sensei Roy Hinkle and Sensei Wayne Tyler.  He received his Shodan exam and promotion from Sensei Wayne Tyler in 1985 and was advanced to the rank of Rokudan by Sensei Cecil Patterson in 1999.  At the time of Sensei Patterson’s passing, Mr. Brown was a member of Sensei’s weekly training class of Shihan-Deshi. He has also trained under the instruction of Grand Master Ohtsuka II, Master Tatsou Suzuki, Master Masafumi Shiomitsu, and Master Kazutaka Ohtsuka. In January 2003, he successfully completed an intensive forty-hour instructor training course with Mr. Royce Gracie and has trained with Rickson Gracie.

In 1984, Mr. Brown began a law enforcement career as an officer at the Metro Nashville Police Department and became a member of the S.W.A.T. Team in 1987. He is certified by the Tennessee Peace Officer’s Standards and Training Commission as an instructor in numerous specialized courses. He has trained thousands of law enforcement and corrections officers in defensive tactics, emphasizing dynamic control simulation, throughout the United States, Europe, and Middle East.  During his law enforcement career, he has been involved in thousands of arrests, many of them high-risk in nature, and in addition to numerous other awards has twice received the department’s highest award to a living officer; the Distinguished Service Medal, once for actions during a hostage rescue and again for actions during the apprehension of a bank robber that killed a police canine and attempted to kill responding police officers.

Mr. Brown is a graduate of Nashville State Technical Institute; Associate of Applied Science – Police Science Technology and Trevecca Nazarene University; Bachelor of Arts – Management and Human Relations.  He is recognized by the federal court as an expert in police use of force and had served as an adjunct facility member for Austin Peay State University. He is a member of the U.S.E.W.K.F. Board of Black Belt Examiners.

In 1993, he opened Bushido Dojo in Madison, Tennessee.  In 2001 through 2005 Bushido Dojo captured the U.S.E.W.K F. Wado Cup for three-man black belt kumite team competition.  The Bushido Dojo Teams included varying combinations of Mr. Brown and four black belt students, all of whom are individually successful competitors including two of his sons (Bobby Austin,  Aerry Austin, Melvin Brown III, and Joshua Brown) that have each been with him for twenty years, since their childhood. An avid competitor, Mr. Brown has successfully participated in the following events:  International Law Enforcement Olympics – 1986 Gold Medal Karate, 1994 – Gold Medals Karate, Olympic Style Tae Kwon Do, Bronze Medal Judo, World Police and Fire Games – 1991 Bronze Medal Karate, 1999 Gold Medal Karate, 2001 Silver Medal Karate.  2004 marked his twentieth consecutive and final year as a karate competitor in the Tennessee Police & Fire Games for which he now serves as a member of the Board of Directors.  In August 2009, he and all three sons traveled to Japan to represent the U.S.E.W.K.F. at the Master Ohtsuka’s National and International Wado-Ryu Tournament

He has served in Operation Iraqi Freedom on three tours: 2004-2005, 2007-2008, and 2009-2010 and was awarded the Combat Action Badge and three Bronze Star Medals for actions during these deployments.

---

JEFFREY “BUCK” FORD - ROKU-DAN – 6TH DEGREE BLACKBELT

U.S.E.W.K.F. SENIOR KATA CHAMPION 2002-2006

Born in 1950, Sensei Ford began his karate training at Bushido Karate School in Inglewood, Tennessee in 1985.  He was originally a student Of Sensei Melvin Brown at this location.  As the years passed and the Dojo changed locations he was tested and promoted to Sho-Dan in 1993 at the Anderson Road Jubudo Karate School and joined Bushido Dojo in 1994.  At the time of Sensei Patterson’s passing in 2002, Sensei Ford had been a regular member of the Shihan Deshi weekly training for several years. 

He has received both the President’s Award and the Master Ohtsuka Award at the U.S.E.W.K.F. Annual Tournament at which he has been a frequent and successful competitor in kumite and kata winning the Senior Kata many consecutive years. 

Sensei Ford is the original WEBMASTER for the Federation Website and an accomplished actor and author.

In 2001, Sensei Ford initiated a children’s character development and karate program at Dan Mills Elementary School.  The program received wide acclaim and praise from local media and parents.

Sensei Ford has served often as an official for the annual Tennessee Police and Fire Games.  At the 25th Anniversary of the Games in 2004, he won the Silver Medal in both kumite and kata against much younger competitors in the civilian division. 

The son of the late legendary Tennessee Ernie Ford and long-time member of the Screen Actors Guild, he has acted in hundreds of roles including “Walker Texas Ranger”.  He has volunteered his skills to serve as a role player in anti-terrorist and homeland security domestic preparedness training.  He was awarded the Metro Nashville Police Department’s Community Service Award for these actions.

---

MELVIN S. BROWN III GO-DAN – 5TH DEGREE BLACKBELT

WORLD POLICE & FIRE GAMES GOLD MEDALIST – KARATE / HEAVYWEIGHT TOUGHMAN BOXING CHAMPIONU.S.E.W.K.F. 30-39 BLACKBELT CHAMPION

Born in 1974, Sensei Brown began martial arts training in 1982 at Bushido Karate School in Inglewood, Tennessee.  He was often a member of the Bushido Dojo Black Belt Fighting Team that won the WADO CUP at the Annual United States Eastern Wado Ryu Karate-Do Federation Tournament for five consecutive years and in 2010 led the Kumite Mixed Team to victory.  He was a successful competitor as a youth in both kata and kumite.  Later, as an adult he successfully competed in the Tennessee Police & Fire Games many times as well as winning the Gold Medal as an undefeated competitor in the 2001 WORLD POLICE & FIRE GAMES in the Black Belt Men’s Open Karate Kumite Heavyweight Division. He also took the Bronze Medal in Judo at the event. In 2009, He competed in Japan in the Wado tournament. In 2007, he won the heavyweight division of the Meridian, Mississippi TOUGHMAN Competition and qualified to compete in the TOUGHMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP as a heavyweight where he advanced.

He has served the Metro Nashville Police Department since 1996 in various roles including Patrol, FLEX Team, Crime Suppression Unit, Special Weapons and Tactics Team, and currently assigned to the Special Response Team. He has been certified in numerous defensive tactics systems and current is a defensive tactics for the S.W.A.T. team. In 2007&2011 he successfully completed an intensive forty-hour instructor training course with Mr. Royce Gracie the three-time UFC Champion. 

Throughout his childhood and youth, he was a successful competitor in baseball, football, and wrestling.  He serves as a coach for youth football, baseball, High school football, and president/coach of an adult football team the Metro Lawdawgs where he was named by the league’s Linebacker of the Year in 2005 & 2006 and MTFL League Toughman in 2009.

Often, for the past several years he has won the 30 – 39 year old Black Belt Heavyweight Division at the Annual United States Eastern Wado Ryu Federation Tournament.

---

ROBERT JOSHUA BROWN YON-DAN – 4TH DEGREE BLACKBELT

TOUGHMAN BOXING LT HEAVYWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPION / U.S.E.W.K.F. 18-29 BLACKBELT CHAMPION

Born in 1978, Sensei Brown began martial arts training in 1983 at Bushido Karate School in Inglewood, Tennessee. He was often a member of the Bushido Dojo Black Belt Fighting Team that won the WADO CUP at the Annual United States Eastern Wado Ryu Karate-Do Federation Tournament for five consecutive years.  He was a successful competitor as a youth in both kata and kumite.  Later, as an adult he successfully competed in the Tennessee Police & Fire Games many times.  He won his first adult black belt championship at the Federation Tournament at age 16 when Sensei Patterson allowed him to compete in the adult division when no junior black belts but him had registered.

He has twice won the Nashville, Tennessee TOUGHMAN Competition as well as several other tournaments throughout Tennessee and Kentucky.  After numerous toughman and similar boxing tournament championships beginning in 2001, he won the 2006 TOUGHMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP in the light heavy weight division.

He has served the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office since 2003 in various roles including Corrections Officer, Transportation Officer, and Special Operations Response Team.  As a member of the Special Operations Response Team, he was deployed to aid the victims of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.  Prior to this, he has “worked the door” at several downtown locations providing security for owners and patrons. 

Throughout his childhood and youth, he was a successful competitor in baseball, football, and wrestling.  He serves also as a coach for youth football and baseball.

Often, for the past several years he has won the 18-29 year old Black Belt Light Heavyweight Division at the Annual United States Eastern Wado Ryu Federation Tournament. 

---

TIM PHARRIS / YON-DAN – 4TH DEGREE BLACKBELT

TENNESSEE POLICE & FIRE GAMES GOLD MEDALIST – KARATE

Born in 1956, Sensei Pharris began his karate training at Bushido Dojo in 1993.  Sensei Pharris was tested and promoted to Sho-Dan in 1999.  His promotion ceremony was in the presence of Sensei Cecil Patterson. 

Sensei Pharris is a frequent and successful competitor in the Tennessee Police and Fire Games and the U.S.E.W.K.F. tournament. 

Sensei Pharris retired from the Nashville Fire Department as a Paramedic and Instructor including service as one of the original S.W.A.T. Paramedics for the Metro Nashville Police Department.  He has served for several years and a patrol deputy for the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office.

He is certified in numerous defensive tactics systems including Krav Maga and an adjunct faculty member at Volunteer State Community College. 

---

JENNIFER (BROWN) SPILLERS / NI-DAN – 2ND DEGREE BLACKBELT

TENNESSEE SPORTSFEST GOLD MEDALIST- KARATE

Born in 1976, Sempei Spillers began martial arts training in 1983 at Bushido Karate School in Inglewood, Tennessee.  She was a successful competitor as a youth in both kata and kumite.  As a youth, she was a Gold Medalist in Karate at Tennessee Sportsfest.

She has served the Goodlettsville, Tennessee Police Department as a Dispatcher in the Communications Center. 

Throughout her childhood and youth, she was a successful competitor in softball, and track.  She has served also as a coach for youth softball and baseball.

She was a standout college softball player at Motlow State and Volunteer State Community College. 

She is a regular participant in the Annual Country Music ½ Marathon.

---

MATTHEW SCOTT BROWN / NI-DAN – 2nd DEGREE BLACKBELT

HEAVYWEIGHT TOUGHMAN BOXING CHAMPION / U.S.E.W.K.F. 18-29 BLACKBELT KUMITE CHAMPION

Born in 1987, Sempei Brown began martial arts training in 1993 at Bushido Dojo in Madison, Tennessee.  He was a successful competitor as a youth in both kata and kumite.  As a small child, he was a Gold Medalist in Karate at Tennessee Sportsfest and won the kata divison several years running at the Annual United States Eastern Wado Ryu Karate-Do Federation Tournament .  Later, as an adult he successfully competed in the Tennessee Police & Fire Games.  He has won numerous non-tournament TOUGHMAN type boxing events as well as four heavyweight toughman boxing championships in Mississippi in 2009 & 2010. 

As a part-time college student, he has “worked the door” at several downtown locations providing security for owners and patrons. 

Throughout his childhood and youth, he was a successful competitor in baseball, football, and wrestling. 

In 2007 and 2009, he won the 18 - 29 year old Black Belt Heavyweight Division at the Annual United States Eastern Wado Ryu Federation Tournament and as the Black Belt member of the Mixed Team Champions, defeated all opponents.

---

RON RUCKER / NI-DAN – 2nd DEGREE BLACKBELT

U.S.E.W.K.F. SENIOR BLACKBELT KUMITE/KATA CHAMPION

Born in 1962,  Sempei Rucker began his karate training at Bushido Dojo in 2000.  He was tested and promoted to Sho-Dan in 2004 and Ni-Dan in 2009.   

Sempei Rucker is a frequent and successful competitor at the U.S.E.W.K.F. tournament and most recently the 2009 & 2010 Senior Division Black Belt Kumite Champion and 2009 Senior Kata Champion.  He often leads Team Bushido to open martial arts tournaments with notable wins at the U.S.A. Karate Championships and the Tennessee State Karate Championships.

He is a successful youth sports coach in the Old Hickory area spending countless hours coaching successful football teams in recent years.  The teams include several Bushido Dojo students.