Instructor Bio
MELVIN S. BROWN III ROKU-DAN – 6TH DEGREE BLACKBELT
WORLD POLICE & FIRE GAMES GOLD MEDALIST – KARATE / HEAVYWEIGHT TOUGHMAN BOXING CHAMPION
U.S.E.W.K.F. 30-39 & 40-49 OPEN BLACKBELT KUMITE 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.
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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 and advanced to the semi-finals in Boxing. 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 2008 TOUGHMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP as a heavyweight where he advanced to the semi-finals. As an amateur MMA Competitor he in undefeated at 2-0 and was awarded the UCC/CFL Super Heavyweight Championship Belt.
He has served the Metro Nashville Police Department since 1996 in various roles including Patrol Officer & Sergeant, FLEX Team, Crime Suppression Unit, Special Weapons and Tactics Team, and assigned to the Special Response Team. He has been certified in numerous defensive tactics systems and current is a defensive tactics trainer for the S.W.A.T. team and serves as an adjunct instructor at the Training Academy receiving department awards for Exemplary Service & Lifesaving. In 2007 & 2011 & 2012 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. The Lawdawgs won the league Championship in 2005 and 2014. He was named to the MTFL Hall of Fame in 2018.
Often, for the past several years he has won the 30 – 39 & 40-49 year old Black Belt Heavyweight Division and twice won the OPEN BLACK BELT KUMITE CHAMPIONSHIP at the Annual United States Eastern Wado Ryu Federation Tournament.
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