Our Instructor

Shihan Jeff Davis
6th Degree Black Belt

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Master Jeff Davis, from Morgantown, West Virginia, has trained in more than two dozen Martial Arts Styles, and holds Certified Teaching Degrees in nine of those, including several different Japanese Grappling Arts (Judo, Aikido, Aikijutsu, Ju-jutsu, etc.). He has also earned four different Martial Arts Master's Degrees: Gyaku-Nami-Do Karate, Shorin-Ryu Karate, Pai-Lum Kung-Fu and Southern Chinese Kempo.

He began training in Judo when he was 8 years-old under the direction of Grand Master E. F. Thorner from Okinawa, Japan, a three-time national Judo champion (AAU). Almost immediately, Master Davis became immersed in several different forms of the Martial Arts, as he was soon able to train and perform with some of the greatest Martial Artists in the world, including Chuck Norris and World Middleweight Champion, Bill "Superfoot" Wallace.

In addition to his training in Kodokan Judo, Master Davis has earned rankings in Goshin Jujutsu, as well as several variations of the Aiki Arts (i.e. Aikido, Aiki-Jutsu, Aiki-Jujutsu), and has trained under such notable instructors as Sensei Carl Galey and Ruriko Masutani Sensei.

Master Jeff Davis has trained in various forms of Kung-Fu and Chinese Weaponry with such great instructors as Sifu Terry McLain, Sifu Tim Hairston, Sifu Charlie Brown, Sifu Brendan Lai, Sifu Tom Turcotte, Grand Master Daniel K. Pai and even the late Mr. Bruce Lee. He has trained in various forms of Karate, Kobujutsu (weaponry), Iaido & Kenjutsu (Japanese Swordsmanship) with such prominent instructors as Renshi George Papandreas, Shihan Oscar D. Alicea, Mike Farrell Sensei, Shihan Tony Farrell, Sam D. Pearson Sensei, Hanshi John Hamilton, Grand Master Ted Vollrath (also training in handicapped instruction methods), and Soke [Grand Master] Glenn R. Premru.

As an athlete, Master Davis was a National Level Competitor for 17 years. In 1976, he was ranked #3 as a fighter, by Chuck Norris and the United Fighting Arts Federation (UFAF), even though he was only fifteen years old, at the time. He fought Full-Contact Karate (PKA) for three years, and was the 1988 ASMA Black Belt National Champion in both Kata (forms) and Kumite (fighting).

In 1984, he started the Mountaineer Karate Classic Martial Arts Tournament, here in West Virginia, which eventually became the ASMA Nationals. The tournament has since been held in Florida. Now in semi-retirement from active competition, because of career ending injuries, suffered in 1989, Master Davis was told that he would never walk again, and nearly lost both of his legs. But after conducting his own rehab program, he competed only four months after the incident, winning the Black Belt Grand Championship Trophy in one of the toughest, and one of the last remaining "old-school" tournaments in the country, the Battle of the Carolinas.

Master Davis has now shifted his focus away from "Sport Karate", and has dedicated himself to promoting the Traditional/Classical Martial Arts. In 1984, he facilitated the reunion of the Master's World of Karate & Kung-Fu World Tour, and has reproduced/hosted this spectacular Martial Arts Master's Show many times since. He brought the Beijing Wu-Shiu Team (from main-land China) to Morgantown, on a good-will performance tour in 1986. Movie star Jett Lee was a young member of that team. Master Davis has produced and co-starred (with Shodai Gene Thorner) in the Martial Arts instructional video, The Missing Link, for Continental Cable Vision, and has been hosting a traditional Martial Arts Summer Camp since 2001, staffed by some of the greatest Senior Martial Arts Masters in America.

Holding the title of "Shihan" (master teacher), Master Jeff Davis is the Head Instructor at the Tao-Shiu-Kuan, School of the Martial Arts. He has been the Chief Instructor of the Gyaku-Nami-Do System, the National Chief Instructor for the A.S.M.A., he has many times been employed as the Head Referee for the Junior Nationals (KICK) held each year at Disney's Wide World of Sports, and has been the Hand Combatives Coach for the Mountaineer Football Program at W.V.U., teaching Martial Arts principles as they relate to the sport of football (hard/fast striking, quick & powerful disengagement techniques, explosive movement, flexibility, hand speed, etc.).

Here is a link to an article written by Bob Hertzel for the Dominion Post about Shihan Jeff Davis and the WVU Mountaineers. Dominion Post article