United States of America (West Coast)

Black Belt magazine's "Instructor of the Year" for 2007, Prof. George Kirby holds the rank of judan and is an internationally recognized martial arts instructor and author. He has been teaching jujutsu since 1967. He was the head instructor at the Burbank YMCA and the Burbank Parks Department . He currently teaches Budoshin Ju-Jitsu classes through the Santa Clarita Parks Recreation Department and at the College of the Canyons, both in Santa Clarita, CA. Prof. Kirby  is chairman for the Budoshin Ju-Jitsu Dojo Inc. and the American Ju-Jitsu Association, as well as founder of Budoshin Ju-Jitsu Yudanshakai. In addition to numerous articles for various martial arts magazines, Prof. Kirby is the author of Ju-Jitsu: Basic Techniques of the Gentle Art, Ju-Jitsu: Intermediate Techniques of the Gentle Art, Jutte: Power of Ten Hands Weapon, Budoshin Ju-Jitsu: The Big Book, Jujitsu Nerve Techniques: The Invisible Weapon of Self-Defense, Advanced Jujitsu: The Science Behind the Gentle Art, and Jujitsu Figure-4 Locks: Submission Holds of the Gentle Art.

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United States of America (East Coast)

Training since 1971 and teaching since 1973, Mr. Philip Scudieri has earned a 3rd degree black belt from United Tae Kwon Do Federation, a 5th degree black belt from American Independent Karate Instructors Association, and renshi menkyo in kenjutsu and aikijutsu from Tenshin Ryu. Named Martial Arts Hall of Fame Grand Master of the Year 2009, Mr. Scudieri is president and Pan-American representative of Kenjutsu International Association of Instructors (KIAI), as well as a member of Chikurin Ha Heki Ryu and the United States Judo Association. He is also the U.S. Director of Kobudo for All Japan Budo Federation, Zen Ni Hon Budo Renmi. Mr. Scudieri has been an instructor to several law enforcement agencies in Maryland and Delaware for 20 years including an exclusive two-year contract to instruct the Bethany Beach Police Department. Mr. Scudieri also received hanshi from the European Budo Council, Serbian Budo Council, and KIAI. His students have placed in international competition. Mr. Scudieri has appeared in several magazines and publications. He currently teaches his own system called San Sai Ryu.

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United States of America (Southwest Region)

Brett Denison, PhD, has been a student and practitioner of traditional Japanese martial arts for 30 years and holds a menkyo okuden license in Senshin-ryu Jujutsu. He has also studied Shotokan karate (earning the rank of nidan) and holds a menkyo okuden license in Katsujin-ryu Bujutsu. He is head instructor of the Mizukan Dojo. He has been studying Japanese Swordsmanship for over 20 years, focusing on iaijutsu and kenjutsu. Dr. Denison is a student of Yamauchi-ha line of Muso Jikiden Eishin-ryu Iaijutsu and trains directly under Sekiguchi Komei sensei, 21st head of the ryuha. He is a menkyo holder and the Shibucho (state representative) in Colorado for Yamauchi-ha Muso Jikiden Eishin-ryu and Komei Juku. He is also a student of Shimizu Nobuko sensei in Ryoen-ryu naginatajutsu. He has been studying the Japanese language for over 18 years and is currently a student of Kampo-ryu shodo (calligraphy) under Tsuyoshi Takemori sensei. In addition to B.S. and M.S. degrees in Computer and Information Science, Dr. Denison has a PhD in Anthropology with a specialty in Japanese studies.

United States of America (Midwest Region)

Mr. Kasey Keckeisen holds a 3rd degree black belt (sandan) and teaching certificate from the International Yoshinkan Aikido Federation and is a 1st degree black belt (shodan) in Nippon Kan Aikido. Mr. Keckeisen also has an extensive background training in other budo, holding a 3rd degree black belt (sandan) in Mizu Ryu Ju Jutsu, and a 3rd degree black belt (sandan) in Traditional Kodokan Judo. Mr. Keckeisen is an experienced police officer and SWAT operator who has taught aikido for law enforcement to universities, law enforcement agencies, and special operations teams across Minnesota. Mr. Keckeisen has incorporated practical techniques from Yoshinkan Aikido, traditional judo/jujutsu, and karate (along with western boxing and wrestling) into his Keishoukan Dojo teaching method.

United States of America (North Carolina)

Prof. Tony "The Bear" Maynard is the founder of American Combat Jujitsu, a culmination of over 40 years of his training in various martial art disciplines. American Combat Jujitsu combines Goshin and Kato Ryu jujitsu, Small Circle Jujitsu and judo as well as striking and kicking techniques from Chito Ryu and Isshinryu karate. He earned the nickname, "The Bear," in the mid-1970s when he accepted a local sideshow promoter's challenge to enter the ring against "Victor the Wrestling Bear" and dropped the 550-pound bear with a neck throw. A pioneer in sport jujitsu since the mid-1980s, Prof. Maynard lead the United States Jujitsu Team to several gold medals and championships as coach and director.

Eastern Europe

Dr. Ivica Zdravkovic, M.D., is founder and head instructor of Shinbukan, a private non-profit school of Japanese martial arts located in Pozarevac, Serbia. Shinbukan jujutsu and Shinbukan kenjutsu form a complete martial arts system named Shinbudo. A specialist in family medicine and author of a handbook for family practice physicians, Dr. Zdravkovic is also head of the Serbian Budo Council. He holds advanced budo ranks from organizations in Europe, USA and Japan. Dr. Zdravkovic also serves as a CEO of International Shinbudo Association, a sport-focused governing body of International Shinbudo Games, a traditional annual gathering of national teams who promote modern sport formats based on Japanese martial arts.

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Italy

Mr. Maurizio Colonna is founder and head instructor of Rakurai Dojo, a school of Japanese martial arts located in Bari, Italy. In addition to practicing and teaching bujutsu, Mr. Colonna is a Sekiguchi Ryu Battojutsu practitioner and Shibu-cho for Italy. He holds black belt degrees in karate and ninjutsu. Mr. Colonna is an experienced security counselor specializing in self-defense tactics. He works for a private investigation and security agency as an industrial counter-espionage specialist for private agencies, military and police officers, and various companies.

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United Kingdom

Mr. Robert Armstrong is a sixth degree black belt and senior instructor of Mu Te Ryu Koryu Bujutsu and founder of Mu Te Shin Do and Samurai School Martial Arts for Kids. He started training and competing in judo in 1980, followed by training in tae kwon do, karate, boxing, and ultimately in Bok Fu (White Tiger Kempo) under Sifu Roy Turner. After leaving Australia for the United Kingdom, Mr. Armstrong studied Mu Te Ryu Ninpo Goshinjutsu, which included ideas from Ninjutsu, Jujutsu, Judo and Kempo. In 2005, he created the Samurai School Martial Arts for Kids program, a personal development system based on martial practices, and teaches full-time in primary and secondary schools as part of the physical education program.

Canada (Western Region)

Mr. Kevin Lintott is a sixth degree black belt (rokudan) in Goshinkan-Ryu JuJitsu and headmaster of Goshinkan JuJitsu, Shindo-Ryu Jujitsu, and Inukshuk Bushido Kai Jujitsu. His other ranks include a fifth degree black belt (godan) in Can-Ryu Jujitsu and first degree black belt (shodan) in Jishin-Do Jujitsu. An active police officer in Canada for the nations police force, Mr. Lintott is also president of the Alberta Ju-Jitsu Association (AJJA), a non-profit organization he founded in 2002 that aims to bring together jujitsu practitioners within Alberta, Canada, and to promote the art to non-members. He has more than ten years of experience working in protective services and has been a practitioner of both traditional and modern Japanese jujitsu for more than 20 years.

Mr. Daniel Camu has practiced martial arts since the age of 10. He has a 4th degree black belt (yondan) in Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu, and is the senior instructor within the Mahoutsukai Dojo and dojo cho for the Oni Kage Dojo Mechelen in Belgium. Mr. Camu has a background in various other martial arts, including an instructor degree in kempo karate. With more than 20 years of martial arts experience, Mr. Camu keeps on practicing, teaching and researching the various aspects of budo and the traditional ways of the ninja and the samurai as well as the cultural disciplines of Japan. He currently teaches at his Oni Kage Dojo in Mechelen, Belgium.

Founder/Director

An experienced judo instructor, kendo and jujutsu practitioner, and former international tournament competitor, Don Cunningham, PhD, is ranked by the Kodokan Judo Institute in Tokyo. He has trained extensively in both Japan and the U.S. and has coached several judo champions. Dr. Cunningham is a respected university professor, renowned lecturer, and the acclaimed author of three major books on aspects of Japanese feudal era culture and the history of classical Japanese martial arts. Titles include Secret Weapons of Jujutsu, Taiho-Jutsu: Law and Order in the Age of the Samurai, and Samurai Weapons: Tools of the Warrior. In addition to B.S. and M.S. degrees in Journalism from Texas A&M, Dr. Cunningham has a PhD in Technical Communications from Illinois Institute of Technology.