Give the gift of fitness the Holiday Season. 1 Month of unlimited classes at Chandler MMA. Available now at CMMA front desk.
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Give the gift of fitness the Holiday Season. 1 Month of unlimited classes at Chandler MMA. Available now at CMMA front desk.
Master McGowan continues to evolve as a Martial Artist. He is a 2nd generation Bruce Lee student via the late Richard Bustillo, an authority on Jeet Kune Do Concepts. Master McGowan continues to train annually at The IMB Academy & is currently training in Judo under the tut-tillage of Scott Decker.
He was born & raised in Ireland. He emigrated to NY when he was 18 year old. After 12 years of studying Martial Arts in NY he, his Wife Kara & 2 boys Connor & Declan moved to Arizona to fill his dream to open his own school.
Master McGowan is a Active Ironman & Marathon competitor. He sits on the advisory boards of 2GetherWelive.com & Chandler Tullamore sister cities. He is passionate about bringing awareness to the community about individuals with Intellectual development disabilities (IDD).
Master McGowan who is Originally from Tullamore, bridges a gap between both Chandler Arizona & Tullamore Ireland through cultural, economy & educational exchanges.
My name is Rene “El Chingon” Leon and I am a very passionate martial artist. I started martial arts at the age of six practicing Tae Kwon Do. A year after I started learning Okinawan Kobudo Karate as well. I am currently a 5th Dan in Tae Kwon Do as well as a 1st degree in Okinawan Kobudo Karate.
At the age of 14 I started training in boxing. At 15 I started Brazilian Jiu Jitsu I am currently a four stripe blue belt.
At 16 I started learning HapKiDo and Muay Thai I am currently a 1st Dan in HapKiDo and the head Muay Thai trainer at Chandler MMA and Muay Thai Trainer at Torotech MMA in Tucson also MT trainer of UFC fighter Anthony Birchak. I also compete in Muay Thai with a record of 9-0, 3 wins by (T)KO.
At 19 I started learning Wing Chun, Kali and JKD under Grandmaster Bustillo from the IMB Academy making me a 2nd generation student of Bruce Lee.
At 23 I started Judo. I believe we need to be open minded and attempt to learn all martial arts to become a better well rounded martial artist. I like to compete because it’s a challenge and also to help me with understanding what works in martial arts and what doesn’t. I cross train with other top level fighters as much as possible to help me become a better martial artist and teacher.
BIO COMING SOON
Carlene stared her martial arts journey in 2006. She received her 1st Degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do with her daughter in June 2010 at JBMAA. During her training she competed in 3 sparring tournaments placing 1st in each.
She has been an instructor at CMMA since 2012 and currently holds a 3rd Degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do and 2nd Degree Black Belt in Combat Hapkido.
Outside of karate Carlene works for Avis Budget Group as a Territory Performance Manager for over 30 years. She is also a Certified Pound Pro Instructor.
Carlene continues her training in the arts and has a passion for teaching and works with each person as an individual to achieve their martial art/fitness goals.
Ulysses “Uly” Navarrete, or Mr. Uly as his students affectionately call him, began his martial arts career nearly 30 years ago in 1991 at Robinson’s Taekwondo in Sacramento, California under the tutelage of Grandmaster Clinton Robinson.
Over the years Mr. Uly has studied and trained in ATF and ITF styles of Taekwondo, Ed Parker’s American Kenpo, Jeff Speakman Kenpo 5.0 – a system derived from Ed Parker’s teachings which also incorporates Jiujitsu and Hapkido, and finally Okinawan Kenpo Karate Kobudo which includes open hand and traditional Okinawan weapons forms.
As a student of Okinawan Karate Kenpo Kobudo under Renshi Robyn Rush, Mr. Uly achieved the rank of Sandan, 3rd Degree Black Belt, in February 2018.
Mr. Uly continues to broaden his mind, body and spirit by also cross training in Muay Thai and participating in boot camp, core and fitness classes.
His proudest achievement has been watching his daughter and son on their own martial arts journeys proving his mantra that “The family that kicks together, sticks together!” They too are students in the Kenpo program at CMMA.
Outside of martial arts Mr. Uly works with school districts all over the country providing online literacy solutions aimed at helping kids become better readers. He is a firm believer that literacy is the cure for poverty and provides the opportunity for every child to change their stars.
For close to two decades, Mr. Panhorst wanted to learn practical and tacPcal self-defense techniques. He eventually found the eclecPc form of Hap Ki Do taught by Master McGowan. He began his journey in 2011, was presented his black belt in 2014, and earned his second degree the following year.
Mr. Panhorst likes showing people how effecPve and fun Hap Ki Do can be and teaches it with his own perspecPve. He really enjoys helping students develop skills to escape from threatening situations.
Mr. Panhorst is almost always at boot camp in the mornings and is perpetually learning Muay Thai. Someday, he’ll become a frequent parPcipant in Brazilian Ju Jitsu classes.
When not teaching a class, taking a class, bringing his daughters to a class, or driving his daughters’ car pool, he’s running his business, solving technology problems for his clients. Mr. Panhorst received his computer science degree back when tablets were things made out of stone. He enjoys running the trails at South Mountain and pretending to be proficient with musical instruments.
Robyn Rush-James got her start in martial arts on the week of her twenty-first birthday. She started training in Okinawan Kenpo Karate Kobudo under Shihan Larry Isaac in Jacksonville, North Carolina and received her Shodan rank in Sept 1995. Robyn currently lives in Arizona and in the over 20 years of training & teaching she currently holds a sixth degree black belt in Okinawa Kenpo Karate Kobudo since 2010.
Okinawa Kenpo Karate Kobudo is her primary art, However, in 1997 she additionally achieved her conditional black belt in American Freestyle Tae-kwon-do by Master Francis Pineda & Mike Erickson as a supplemental and complimentary art. Since then, she has been an ambassador to the arts and has for several years taught both okinawa & korea based systems within other schools and incorporated the kobudo weapons system into a program that is taught in several types of schools with the primary arts of Tae Kwon Do, Hapkido, and/or Jhoon Rhee TKD.
Ms. Rush has had the opportunity to compete in tournaments all over the nation including Battle of Atlanta, The World Championships and The Compete. During her underbelt ranks she also got to compete at the NC State games, NC Nationals, and the I.A.M.A. Championships. In 1996 and 1997 she was rated #1 on the MARRS of AZ competition circuit in the sparring, forms and weapons divisions. She was also rated nationally in NASKA #5 in forms and #5 in sparring and #8 in weapons. Ms. Rush has been inducted into the 2000 World Karate Union Hall of Fame as “Female Competitor of the Year” and the US Martial Arts Hall of Fame also as “Female Competitor of the Year”. During her time as a local & national competitor, she also started & trained and performed with a weapons performance demo team on stage at the Desert Classic 1999 Tournament, and at regrouped another demo team to perform at JB Martial Arts Academy’s Grand Opening in 2007. Most recently in 2013 Ms. Rush was inducted into the US Martial Arts Hall of fame for “Master Instructor of the year”and into the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame – Hall of Hero’s as “Okinawa Kenpo Black Belt of the year”. Additionally, Ms. Rush currently serves as the AZ state director of the UMAA, and is a lifetime member also. She also is a member of IDEA Health & Fitness Association Code of Ethics, and a lifetime member of the Marine Martial Arts Federation.
Connor McGowan started Tae Kwon Do at age 3 under the tutelage of his Dad and ChandlerMMA school owner, Connor graduated the Dragon program and started sparring where he found his true passion. As being a member of the school now for over 10 years, Connor has competed in Muay Thai and wrestling tournaments, loves to take BJJ with his friends and assistant teaches 3 days per week. Connor has built many a great friendship and relationships with our students and loves help others achieve their goals.
Connor has achieved the rank of Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do and Muay Thai and continues his education to one day become a Master Instructor. He has now achieved his Junior Master status February 2018.
Started at CMMA in 2007 at age 4 1/2.
