Professor Mark Walls

• 1st Degree Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Matial Arts training

Mark Walls is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructor at McGinnis but he has a long history in training various Martial Arts:

• In 1981 at the age of eleven he began martial arts training in the art of Jee Do Kwan.

• In 1984 he began training at the Fist of the Tiger School of Martial Arts under Mr. David Peeler while continuing to practice the art of Jee Do Kwan.

• He earned his Black Belt in 1988 in the art of Jee Do Kwan from Mark Tucker and Marc Cox.

• After committing himself to the Fist of the Tiger style of martial arts he earned his Black Belt from Mr. Peeler in 1990 and continued to study, train and teach under Mr. Peeler.

• In 1992 he began studying the art of Ryukyu Kempo (Okinawan Karate) under Dan and Ed Lake of the Dillman Karate Institute.

• In 1995 he earned his Black Belt in the art of Ryukyu Kempo.

• In 1996 he began training in the art of Judo and Jujitsu under the United States Judo Association (USJA) through Ed Byers at the Seven Owl Dojo in Charlotte, North Carolina.

• Also in 1996 he began training in the art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under Professor Luis “Sucuri” Tagno.

• In 1998 he began his career as a Law Enforcement Officer with the City of Mount Holly, North Carolina.

• In 1999 he earned a continuing education certificate from the Chinese Cultural Center in Illinois. This was a 200 hour continuing education course on Traditional Chinese Medicine as it relates to the Martial Arts.

• In 2000 he earned his Black Belt in Jujitsu and became a Level One Coach in Judo through the USJA. 

• In 2002 he became certified through the North Carolina Justice Academy as a specialized instructor of Subject Control and Arrest Techniques (SCAT) which allows him to instruct law enforcement personnel how to defend themselves, control resisting subjects and make arrests safely.

• In 2005 he honorably accepted the role of head instructor of the Fist of the Tiger School of Martial Arts from Mr. David Peeler.

• Also in 2005 he became certified as an instructor in Basic and Advanced Ground Defense for Law Enforcement by Carlson Gracie Jr.

• In 2007 he became certified through the United States Department of Homeland Security to teach self defense to airline crew members in wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

• In 2011 he became a certified Pressure Point Control Tactics Instructor for law enforcement personnel through PPCT Inc.

• Also in 2011 he became a certified instructor of Gracie Survival Tactics for law enforcement through the Gracie Academy. 

• On April 19, 2014 he was awarded his 4th degree Black Belt in Fist of the Tiger Martial Arts by Mr. David Peeler.

• On January 17, 2020, he was promoted to Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu by Maestro Carlson Gracie Jr.

Throughout his years of training and studying the martial arts Mark has had the opportunity to train in other arts not mentioned above. Arts such as: Kung Fu, Tai Chi Chuan, Modern Arnis, Submission Wrestling, and Boxing.