Instructor Bio

He received his Shodan exam and promotion from Sensei Wayne Tyler in 1985 and was advanced to the rank of Rokudan by Shihan Cecil Patterson in 1999 and Shichi-Dan in 2014 by Sensei John Patterson. At the time of Shihan Patterson’s passing, Mr. Brown was a member of his weekly training class of Shihan-Deshi. He has also trained under the instruction of Grand Master Ohtsuka II, Master Tatsou Suzuki, Master Masafumi  Shiomitsu, Masters Koji & Sergio Takamatsu,  and Grand Master Kazutaka Ohtsuka. In January 2003 & 2011 & 2012 he successfully completed intensive forty-hour instructor training courses 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 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. He retired from the Metro Nashville Police Department in 2014 after 30 years of service.

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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, Bethel University: Master of Science- Criminal Justice.  He has been recognized by the federal court as an expert in police use of force and has served as an adjunct faculty member for Austin Peay State University and Volunteer State Community College.. 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 since the early 1980's -- 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 serving then 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.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. In 2013, he retired from the Tennessee Army National Guard as the First Sergeant of HHT Regimental Troops Squadron (Special Troops Battalion) 278th ACR.

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