OUR INSTRUCTORS

At St. Matthews Martial Arts in Louisville, KY, you will have the chance to learn from some of the most talented and experienced instructors in the Shaolin Kempo Karate system.

Master Joan Richert

My favorite part of teaching is when someone understands or grasps a concept and then succeeds in making it their own.

Master Joan Richert is a 10th Degree Black belt in Shaolin Kempo Karate. She is one of only five people in the Villari’s Studios of Self Defense to have been awarded that rank and is the only woman at that level. She began training in 1974, and in 2006 she was named one of the Seven Dragons. This group was identified by Grand Master Fredrick J. Villari as the foremost authorities of the art. Master Joan holds a Bachelors of Science in Exercise Science from Ball State University. She is also a Certified Exercise Fitness Instructor from The American College of Sports Medicine. In addition to Shaolin Kempo Karate, Master Joan has training in Jujitsu, Filipino Martial Arts, and Aikido.

Master Alan White

Martial Arts is really a personal journey. A big part of what I get to do is help students discover how much they are capable of. I get to support them on their journey of accomplishment. My students make me proud every single day, and it is so rewarding.

Master Alan has studied Shaolin Kempo Karate since 1993, and has been an instructor for over 15 years. In November of 2009, he was awarded the rank of Master, 5th degree black belt. He has studied a variety of martial arts over the years, including Aikido and Kali. He has also trained in Maemoto Kenjutsu, which is a family style of the samurai sword, or katana. He’s taken the experience of those other martial arts to enrich his Shaolin Kempo Karate. In 2011 he was named to the Villari Eagles, a list of only about 20 master level instructors in the United States and Canada.

Master Chris Gray

My favorite part of teaching is going through the journey from white belt to black belt again. Every person or potential student that comes to our dojo is essentially a different set of raw materials, experiences, and tendencies. As an instructor I have to be able to make the same black belt. It is an enriching experience.

Master Chris began training in Shaolin Kempo Karate under Master Richert in 1994. He was awarded the rank of Master in February of 2010. His TaiJiQuan (Tai Chi Chuan) training began with Master Richert, who taught him the 37 postures of the Chen Man Ching Form. In 1998 Master Chris continued his studies of TaiJiQuan with Robert Grant, in the tradition of Kevin Akers and Gia Fu Feng, learning the ‘Peking Set’, Qi Gong and Pushing Hands. He has since learned the 13 postures, 16 postures and the Yang Cheng-Fu TaiJiQaun sets. Currently, Master Chris is continuing his studies of Shaolin Kempo Karate, Ignacio Kali/Escrima, and TaiJiQuan.

Master Jimmy

My favorite part of teaching is helping a student who is struggling with something difficult and then seeing the look on their face when they accomplish it.

Mister Devin

What I like about teaching kids and adults is helping them learn what martial art method works best for them. Every student has their own preferred way of self defense, whether it’s due to body type, mentality, personal experience, or if they simply “like dragon moves best.” For example: Teaching a student that assumes their smaller body makes them weak how to gain power from the floor or other methods that don’t require a huge body frame.