Our Instructors
Grandmaster Robert Cutrell is the Founder of the North American ChunJiDo Association and the Chunjido International Martial Arts Organization. Grandmaster Cutrell is a 10th Degree Black Belt which is the highest rank in martial arts, and has been recognized as one of the top self-defense experts in the world. He is a six time Hall of Fame inductee and was recently inducted into the Action Martial Arts Magazine Hall of Fame for his “Outstanding Contribution to the Arts.” In addition to being a 10th Degree Soke in the art of ChunJiDo recognized by many world organizations including the WOMA/ World Head Soke Council of Japan, Grandmaster Cutrell also holds high ranking black belts in Taekwondo, Kempo, Nippon Jujitsu, and Simmey-Do Karate.
In 2008 Grandmaster Cutrell was prominently featured in a stamp treasury album published by the Chinese government in commemoration of the martial arts during the Beijing Olympics. The book contains pictures of 650 of the most prominent martial artists in the world, and Grandmaster Cutrell was selected as one of the representatives from the USA. Grandmaster Cutrell is also a member of the Simmey-Do Karate Federation, the Martial Arts Council of Elders, the International Grandmasters Society, the United States Martial Arts Association, and many other highly respected martial arts organizations from around the world.
Grandmaster Robert Cutrell specializes in advanced self-defense training and has an extensive knowledge of traditional martial arts principles and application. In addition to sponsoring international training camps in Evansville, Indiana, his hometown, Grandmaster Cutrell has conducted seminars across the United States, Canada, and Europe. He has also instructed several national and world champion competitors.
Senior Director, Sensei Nancy Cutrell
Sensei Nancy Cutrell, Senior Director of the North American ChunJiDo Association, manages all ChunJiDo operations in the US and is the USA National Director for the Chunjido International Martial Arts Organization. Sensei Cutrell is also a member of the Chunjido International Martial Arts Advisory Council. In 2006, Sensei Cutrell was inducted into the World Martial Arts League Hall of Fame as the “Female Self-Defense Expert of the Year.” Sensei Cutrell has also won national championships, and in 2007 competed for the USA at the Open Black Belt World Championship, finishing 3rd in the world in women’s fighting.
Sensei Cutrell has retired from competition and now dedicates herself to the administration of the North American ChunJiDo Association. Sensei Cutrell has developed charitable events through the Kentucky Hemophilia Foundation that provide college scholarships to young people and financial support to families suffering from hemophilia.
Sensei Nathan Meredith, a Senior Instructor in the North American ChunJiDo Association, began his study of martial arts in 1996 under the direction of Grandmaster Robert Cutrell. Sensei Meredith currently holds a 4th Dan Black Belt in ChunJiDo and also in the art of Taekwondo. Sensei Meredith has been instrumental in developing the Student Handbook of the North American ChunJiDo Association and has also contributed several articles outlining the rank requirements and belt progression within the art of ChunJiDo.
In addition to being an instructor for the North American ChunJiDo Association, Sensei Meredith is also the Indiana State Taekwondo Representative for the Chunjido International Martial Arts Organization and is responsible for overseeing all Taekwondo operations for the organization in the state of Indiana. Sensei Meredith is a national and international level competitor and in 2007 competed for Team USA at the Open Black Belt World Championships in Toronto, Canada.
Sensei Kyle Lawton, a Senior Instructor in the North American ChunJiDo Association, began his martial arts studies in 1993 in the art of Shotokan. In 1998 Sensei Lawton started training in the art of ChunJiDo under the direction of Grandmaster Robert Cutrell. Sensei Lawton currently holds a 4th Dan Black in ChunJiDo and Kempo Jitsu, as well as a 1st Dan Black Belt in Shotokan. In addition to being an instructor in the North American ChunJiDo Association, Sensei Lawton is the Director of the American Kempo Jitsu Association. Sensei Lawton also promotes and sponsors martial arts seminars through the American Kempo Jitsu Association.
Sensei Lawton is a national and international tournament competitor, and in 2007 competed for Team USA at the Open Black Belt World Championships in traditional Japanese/Okinawan forms. Most recently Sensei Lawton was cast in a martial arts action scene for the upcoming feature film, “Silence of the Belle.”
Sensei Logan Howell, a Senior Instructor in the North American ChunJiDo Association, began his study in the art of ChunJiDo in 1997 under the direction of Grandmaster Robert Cutrell. Sensei Howell holds a 4th Dan Black Belt in ChunJiDo and also in the art of Nippon Jujitsu. Sensei Howell, an avid grappler, is also studying Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Eikoku-Ryu Jujutsu, a system developed by Professor James Moclair of England.
Sensei Howell is a national and international competitor and was the World Heavyweight Sparring Champion and the Traditional Korean Forms World Champion, competing for Team USA at the Open Black Belt World Championships in Toronto, Canada in 2007. In addition to instructing in the North American ChunJiDo Association, Sensei Howell is active in coaching Jujitsu and teaching seminars.
Shihan Salam Kahil was born in Beirut, Lebanon in 1967. In 1980 Shihan Salam started to practice kyokushinkai karate. His teacher was Grandmaster Hashem Makki, the branch chief of the Lebanese Kyokushinkai Organization. In 1984 Shihan Salam received his Black Belt in Kyokushin. In 1988 he came to Odessa, Ukraine to study and teach karate.
In 1991 Shihan Salam developed his own style, Simmey-Do karate or the “Way of the Bright Spirit.” It is a mixed style with a strong Kyokushin karate base with the addition of jiu-jitsu and kickboxing. During this same time Shihan Salam also founded the International Simmey-Do Karate Federation that presently has branches in Russia, Ukraine, Pakistan, Armenia, USA, Germany, England, Iran, Brazil and many other countries around the world.
In 2009 Shihan Salam was promoted to 4th Dan Black Belt in ChunJiDo by Grandmaster Robert Cutrell and was appointed as the Director of Europe and Asia for the Chunjido International Martial Arts Organization. Shihan Salam is also a member of the Chunjido International Martial Arts Advisory Council. In addition to his own art of Simmey-Do, Shihan Salam also teaches the art of ChunJiDo at his main dojo in Odessa, Ukraine.
Sensei Michelle Lankford, an Instructor in the North American Chunjido Association, began her study of martial arts in 1998 under the direction of Grandmaster Robert Cutrell. Sensei Lankford currently holds a 3rd Dan Blackbelt in Chunjido. She is a devoted wife and mother of two beautiful little girls, who she one day hopes will find just as much joy doing something they love as she has found in the martial arts. Sensei Lankford is also very passionate about volunteering for organizations such as Special Olympics and Easter Seals Rehabilitation Center. She is a 1997 graduate from the University of Evansville in Evansville, IN.
Sensei Michael Dockery, an Instructor in the North American ChunJiDo Association, began his study in the art of ChunJiDo in 2001 under the direction of Grandmaster Robert Cutrell. Sensei Dockery holds a 3rd Dan Black Belt in ChunJiDo and also in the art of Simmey-Do, a Kyokushin-based art developed by Shihan Salam Kahil in Odessa, Ukraine. In addition to instructing in the North American ChunJiDo Association, Sensei Dockery is the Indiana State Simmey-Do Representative for the International Simmey-Do Karate Federation.
Sensei Dockery is a national and international competitor and was the Middleweight Sparring World Champion competing for Team USA at the Open Black Belt World Championships in Toronto, Canada in 2007.
Sensei Makenzie Adler, an Instructor in the North American ChunJiDo Association, began her martial arts studies in 1998 in the art of Shotokan. In 2005 Sensei Adler started training in the art of ChunJiDo under the direction of Grandmaster Robert Cutrell. Sensei Adler currently holds a 3rd Dan Black in ChunJiDo and a 2nd Dan Black Belt in Shotokan. In addition to being an instructor in the North American ChunJiDo Association, Sensei Adler is a national and international tournament competitor, and in 2005 competed for Team USA at the World Karate Championships in Niagara Falls, Canada.
Sensei Andrew “A.J.” Naas began his study in martial arts in 1998 in the art of Shotokan. In 2005 Sensei Naas started training in the art of ChunJiDo under the direction of Grandmaster Robert Cutrell. Sensei Naas currently holds a 3rd Dan Black Belt in ChunJiDo and a 1st Dan Black Belt in Shotokan. Sensei Naas is an avid competitor in sparring, empty hand kata, and is very proficient in several weapons including nunchakus and the bo staff.
Sensei Naas was a member of the 2004 WKA USA Team, competing in Basel, Switzerland and the 2005 WKA USA Team, competing in Niagara Falls, Canada. Sensei Naas was the 2006-2008 Alliance National Points Champion and a member of the United States National Martial Arts Team each of those years. He is a 2007 and 2008 Inductee into the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame as well as the 2007 and 2008 Alliance Black Belt Competitor of the Year. Sensei Naas was also one of three ChunJiDo students cast in a martial arts action scene for the upcoming feature film, “Silence of the Belle.”
Sensei Naas is 17 years old and a junior at Evansville Day School, where he is the high school varsity basketball captain, Most Valuable Player for the varsity golf team, Junior Class President, Student Council Secretary and a member of the National Honor Society. Sensei Naas loves music and plays the trumpet and drums. He also enjoys weightlifting and bodybuilding. Sensei Naas plans to attend law or medical school after he graduates high school in 2011.
Grandmaster Alex Laikov, of Moscow, Russia, began his martial arts training over 25 years ago and for the last 17 years has specialized in self-defense and hand-to-hand combat training for such organizations as the Russian National Association of Bodyguards,the Defense Ministry Russian Federation, and the Russian Special Forces.
Grandmaster Laikov holds Black Belt rank in several arts including Krav-Maga, Vale-Tudo, Kakuto Ju Juitsu Daido-Ryu, Kenpo Karate, and others.
Grandmaster Laikov is a certified international judge, has sponsored hundres of tournaments and seminars across Russia.In 2009 Grandmaster Laikov was awarded his 3rd Dan Black Belt in the art of ChunJiDo and began instructing Grandmaster Robert Cutrell’s art of ChunJiDo in Moscow, Russia.
Eric Minar, an Instructor in the North American ChunJiDo Association, began his study in the art of ChunJiDo in 1997 under the direction of Grandmaster Robert Cutrell and received his Black Belt in 2003. Mr. Minar has competed in numerous tournaments winning trophies, including Grand Champion, in forms, breaking, and sparring.
Mr Minar operates the Mel Korum YMCA ChunJiDo Academy in Puyallup, Washington and, in addition to instructing in the North American ChunJiDo Association, Mr. Minar has served in the United States Air Force for over 10 years. Mr. Minar has taught Taekwondo in Ramstein, Germany and self-defense for the Air Force while stationed in Iraq.
Connor Straw, an Assistant Instructor in the North American ChunJiDo Association, began his study of martial arts in 2000 in the art of Shotokan. In 2002 he started his training in the art of ChunJiDo under the direction of Grandmaster Robert Cutrell and currently holds a 2nd Dan Blackbelt. Mr. Straw is an avid tournament competitor and has competed in tournaments throughout Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois, and Tennessee. In 2005 Mr. Straw won the Martial Arts Alliance National Tournament Grand Champion in Terre Haute, Indiana and in 2007 was the Alliance National Points Champion for his age division.
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