Findlay grandmaster internationally acknowledged

A Best of Findlay martial arts studio instructor received one of the highest honors during an international Hall of Honors event in New Jersey. Grandmaster Kevin Cullen, owner of the Academy of Martial Arts Studies, was awarded the Platinum Pioneer Award from the Action Martial Arts Magazine Hall of Honors late January. Cullen joined other international attendees and inductees for an annual weekend of seminars, tournaments and exhibitions. An awards banquet, dubbed the "Academy Awards of martial arts", was organized and hosted by Sifu Alan Goldberg and attracts the largest names in martial arts competitions, films and disciplines. The award recognizes Cullen for making significant contributions to the martial arts and for practicing at least 50 years. "I'm here to learn, teach and love," Cullen said. His contributions Cullen began his martial arts training in 1973 and has taught locally at his dojo, while also teaching free defense seminars to boy and girl scouts, church organizations and the TRIAD group at 50 North. He's also had seminars for S.W.A.T teams, Army RANGERS, Navy S.E.A.L. team members and G.W. Bush's secret service team members in Texas. Cullen was also a bodyguard for actors Arnold Schwarzenegger and Wesley Snipes. Martial arts has allowed Cullen to travel to Japan, Europe, the Caribbean and China for seminars. He's earned black belts in Goju, Okinawan Kempo, Judo, Japanese Jiu Jitsu, Okinawan Sword and Chinese Kempo. In 2012, Cullen also received the 10th Degree Black Belt and Soke by the World Head of Family Sokeship Council, the highest authority worldwide for Soke rank recognition and verification, in Florida. Cullen uses his skills to train four men who fought in the UFC, was the head wrestling coach at Glenwood Middle School for six years and was a member of the 1995 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Roughneck Wrestling National Championship team at the University of Findlay. Through the years, Cullen has also been recognized for knighthood by the Imperial Russian Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, Ecumenical Foundation in 1992 and received the Grandmaster Award from the Ateru Gojo Ryu Karate Ryu in 2013. Best of Findlay Also in January, the Academy of Martial Arts Studies was awarded the 2022 Best of Findlay for martials arts studios. Cullen has been teaching at his dojo on Crystal Avenue since 1979. He oversees training of students ages 3 to73 and teaches several classes a week to all ages, levels and abilities. "We're the best kept secret in Findlay," Cullen said. "We don't bang our chests, we're just here." When Cullen isn't at the dojo or teaching martial arts, he is teaching English to University of Findlay students as a professor in the Intensive English Language Program. He's often quoted as saying, "I'd rather see slow, snappy and strong than fast, sloppy and wrong."