Gene has been a lifelong student of Martial Arts & Combatives with more than 25 years of training and teaching. It Started with learning Hand-to-Hand Combat while in the United States Army, and teaching Army Combatives and Bayonet while assigned as a Drill Sergeant to the 2nd Infantry Training Brigade at Harmony Church Fort Benning, Georgia.

After earning a 3rd Degree Black Belt in Aikido and Instructor status in Krav Maga, he started branching out, training in more realistic combative systems, Kelly McCann's Kembativz Brand & Michael Janich’s Martial Blade Concepts. 

Gene has had the opportunity to train with Kelly McCann on several occasions and was given the chance to attend the Kembativz Instructor Course in 2017 and was honored to receive official recognition as a Prospective Instructor in Kembativz. He has been an Assistant Instructor at several Kembativz’s Brand Seminars. 

He has trained with Michael Janich on numerous occasions, including several trips to the Martial Blade Camp in Colorado.  He received his Associate Instructor & Certificate of Proficiency in Sep 2021.

He is currently a Study Group Leader for Martial Blade Concepts in Winston-Salem, NC. Gene continues his training in Martial Blade Concepts, and is currently enrolled in the Self Defense Training Systems & Martial Blade Concepts Distance Learning Programs. 

He also continues to be a student of understanding violent attacks, practical self-defense, and the mechanic/physiology of the human body to further his ability to teach effectively and with knowledge.  

Instructor Certifications:

3d Degree Black Belt Seidokan Aikido

Associate Instructor Krav Maga Association

Associate Instructor Martial Blade Concepts

Certificate of Proficiency Martial Blade Concepts

Instructor-in-Training Kembativz Brand

Defensive Tactics Instructor  International Martial Arts Council of America

 Front Sight 4-day Defensive Handgun Course Las Vegas, NV (Sep 2006)  

Martial Blade Concepts Training:

Associate Instructor (Certificate Number #098) (Sep 2021)

Certificate of Proficiency (Certificate Number #101) (Sep 2021)

Martial Blade Camp Attendee:

Keystone, CO (Aug 2014; Aug 2015) 

Estes Park, CO (Sep 2019; 2021; 2022; 2023)

Breckenridge, CO ( Sept 2024)

Martial Blade Concepts: Distance Learning Program (currently enrolled)

MBC 2-Day Seminars with Eric Mayes:

Las Vegas, NV (Jan 2015)

Gilbert, AZ (Apr 2015; Apr 2017; Apr 2018)

Tempe, AZ (Nov 2015; Oct 2016; Oct 2017)

Mesa, AZ (Oct 2018; Oct 2019)

Rapid City, SD (Nov 2020)

Skill Intensive Workshop with Eric Mayes
Orlando Florida: Dec 2023 

MBC Under the Sun with Michael Janich: Phoenix, AZ (Dec 2018)

Martial Blade Concepts Seminar with Adam Boyce:

Scottsdale, AZ (Mar 2019)

Martial Blade Concepts: Core Skills Seminar with Eric Mayes:

Gilbert, AZ (Apr 2019; Apr 2021)  

Pacific Blades Seminar Series:

Anaheim, CA (Oct 2020) 

 Advanced Skills Seminar with Michael Janich
Pacific Blades IX
Anaheim CA: (Mar 2024) 

Sobadiwan Escrima Seminar with Eric Mayes- Part II 

Anaheim, CA (May 2021) 

Black Hills Annual MBC Seminar with Michael Janich
Rapid City, SD (May 2021;  Apr 2022; May 2023)

Progressive Skills Seminar With Michael  Janich

Columbus, OH  (Aug 2021; 2022; 2023; 2024)

Martial Blade Concepts/Counter-Blade Concepts Progressive Skills Seminar with Michael Janich San Francisco, Ca (Feb 2022)

2 Day MBC/CBC Seminar with Michael Janich

Portsmouth, NH (Nov 2022)

 MBC Fundamentals Skills Workshop with Eric Kaltenborn
Savannah, GA Apr 2024 

Kembativz Brand Training:

Kembativz Instructor Certification Program (Instructor-in-Training) Fredericksburg, VA (Jul 2017)  

Kelly McCann’s Combatives Self-Defense Course  (Aug 2016)

Kelly McCann Combatives 2: Stick & Ground Combat  (On-Going)

Kelly McCann's 3-Day Kembativz Sudden Violence Course

Las Vegas, NV (May 2015) 

Kelly McCann's 2-Day Combatives Principles Application Seminar 

San Francisco, CA (Dec 2016)

Kembativz 2-Day Unarmed Combatives Seminars:  

(Assistant Instructor) 

Wichita, KS (Sept/Oct 2017)

Phoenix, AZ (Jan 2018)

Kansas City, MO (Jun 2018)  (Firehouse Style)

Kembativz Active Shooter Countermeasures Presentation (Oct 2017)

Kembativz Brand Streetwise Presentation (Dec 2016; Sep 2017) 

Krav Maga Training:

Krav Maga Association:

Instructor Certification (Associate Instructor Level 1)  

Fayetteville, AR (Nov 2013)

Krav Maga Global:

KMG Crash Course (2-day Intensive & Instructor Pre-Certification) Scottsdale, AZ (Mar 2016)

Ultimate Krav Maga: 

Combatives Course Certificate of Completion (Apr 2016) 

Urban Krav Maga: 

Common Street Attacks Defense Course Certificate of Completion (Jun 2016)

Israeli Krav Maga Association:

Self Defense intro & Core Combatives (Mar 2019)  

Misc Combatives Training:

Force Options:

Personal Protection & Self Defense Instructor Course Phoenix, AZ (Sep 2004) 

Edged Weapons Defense Course Chandler, AZ (Jan 2005)

International Martial Arts Council of America: 

Defensive Tactics Instructor Course Chicago, IL (Jul 2005) 

Self Defense Training Systems Combatives:

SDTS Distant Learning Program (currently enrolled)

SDTS Reality Check Course  (Feb 2015)

SDTS Combatives FAST Course (Nov 2018)

SDTS Aware Course (Jun 2024)

SDTS One Shot Fight Enders Course (Jun 2024)

SDTS 60 Minute Self Defense Course (Jun 2024)

SDTS Guardian Weapon Retention Module (Jun 2019)

SDTS WWII Defendu Module (May 2024)

SDTS Combatives Module 1 (May 2019)

SDTS Combatives Module 2 (May 2019)

SDTS Combatives Module 3 (July 2019)

SDTS Combatives Module 4 (Jun 2021)

SDTS Combatives Module 5 (May 2024)

SDTS Combatives Module 6 (Jun 2024)

SDTS Combatives Module 7 (Jun 2024)

SDTS Combatives Module 8 (Jul 2024)

Archangel Protective Intelligence:

Covert Combatives (Apr 2023)

Crisis Response International ( Israeli Counter Terrorism Training School):

Active Shooter/Workplace Violence & Terrorism Attack Course (2.5 Hours) (Jun 2019) 

Peter Sciarra Integrated Combat Systems: CQC Workshop Tempe, AZ (Sep 2013) 

W. Hock Hochheim Confrontations Seminar Scottsdale, AZ (Feb 2014)

Tony Blauer's SPEAR University: 'Essentials of Personal Defense' (Coaches Prep Course)  (Jun 2014)

SPEAR Training:

Be Your Own Body Guard Workshop: Kernersville, NC (Jul 2024)

Grossman Academy:

Certificate of Completion "On Combat" 8 Hour Program (Sept 2014)