Our Instructors & Staff Members

Our Instructors have spent many years devoted to training in the art of Taekwondo and other martial arts and have attained a certain level of expertise to qualify them as teachers and also mentors.

Through extensive testing, certification and tournament level competition, our staff has attained mastery in this martial art and now enjoy sharing their skill and passing it on to their students. Here are a few of American Martial Arts Academy - Kentucky's instructors and other staff members, starting with Bong Yul Shin:

Bong Yul Shin  (Grandmaster) Grandmaster Bong Yul Shin is considered to be one of the Founding Father's of Taekwondo in America. He is respected nationally and world-wide as a leading martial arts authority. Grandmaster Shin is one of the highest-ranking martial arts instructors certified by the World Taekwondo Federation. As a 2-time Korean National Champion, Grandmaster Shin came to America and began teaching martial arts in 1960. He established the first Moo Do Kwan school for Taekwondo and other martial arts in 1963 in St. Louis, Missouri, which is still in full operation. Grandmaster Shin has a Master's Degree in Physical Education and retired from the prestigious Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri as a Professor of Physical Education. He has authored and co-written many articles and books, including the best-seller "TAE KWON DO FORMS: Complete & Official Forms of The World Tae Kwon Do Federation." Grandmaster Shin celebrates well over 45 years of excellence in martial arts instruction in America. Grandmaster Shin holds a 9th degree Black Belt in Taekwondo, Judo and Hapkido. In addition to directing instruction at his national martial art schools spanning from California to Florida, Grandmaster Shin hosts a variety of national martial arts seminars. He has consistently sponsored and hosted Taekwondo tournaments in Missouri twice a year, including the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) National Judo Championships and the former United States Taekwondo Union (USTU) 1986 Junior Olympic National Championships. Grandmaster Shin is the President and Founder of the National Gateway Moo Do Kwan Association. He serves on the Board of KYHA as a Technical Advisor for Korea. Grandmaster Shin also serves as the Missouri State Representative to the World Organization of Mixed Martial Arts (WOMA). Grandmaster Shin is a Founding Member of the International Council on Martial Arts Education (ICMAE), which was established in 1978 by high-ranking martial arts educators for the "development and promotion of martial arts education and to build a spirit of friendship and cooperation among all martial artists." Serving as a former Representative to the Korean Olympic Board for several decades, Grandmaster Shin helped select members for the Olympic Judo team, and is currently assisting with selection criteria for the Korean Olympic Taekwondo Team. Grandmaster Shin has held many prestigious titles and garnered numerous awards, including the Martial Arts Hall of Fame, for his many achievements in martial arts. It is a great privilege to have Grandmaster Shin as our Honorary Director and liaison to Kukkiwon, Headquarters of the World Taekwondo Federation.

Mariano Floro III  (Master Instructor) Master Floro is the President and Founder of AMAA. He began his martial arts training over 38 years ago, initially studying Taekwondo, Judo and Hapkido at Grandmaster Shin's Moo Do Kwan school in St. Louis, Missouri. As a teenager, Master Floro received his 1st Dan Black Belt in Taekwondo certified by the World Taekwondo Federation under Grandmaster Shin's instruction. Through the years, Master Floro successfully competed in numerous Taekwondo competitions, including the 1985 National Taekwondo Championships and has won many medals, trophies and state championships. With an Air Force ROTC academic scholarship, Master Floro graduated from St. Louis University in May 1985 with a Baccalaureate in Science-Biology Degree. Although he relocated all over the country due to his military career, Master Floro continued to train in Taekwondo and studied a variety of other martial art forms & self-defense methods, such as Judo, Hapkido and Uechi-Ryu Karate-do. Despite military deployments, Master Floro maintained a close & loyal contact with Grandmaster Shin and adopted the Tenets of Taekwondo philosophy as a way of life. Master Floro has received numerous awards for his outstanding military and community service, notably including the Aerial Achievement Medal awarded by the Secretary of the Air Force in 1995 for sustained meritorious achievement while participating in extremely hazardous aerial flight during Operation Provide Promise, which resulted in successful delivery of emergency food and supplies critical to citizens of Bosnia-Herzegovina. In 2003, Master Floro was recognized for his community service by the Governor of Kentucky, Gov. Paul Patton, and was awarded the title of "Kentucky Colonel" with a lifetime membership in "The Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels." In July 2005, in recognition of his accomplishments and promotion of excellence in martial arts, Master Floro was honored with the "2005 Distinguished Master of the Year Award" and was presented with a beautiful trophy. With this prestigious award, Master Floro was also inducted to the Universal Martial Arts Hall of Fame. An exceptional businessman, Master Floro received the "2005 National Leadership Award" by the National Republican Congressional Committee and was appointed to serve as the Honorary Chairman of the Business Advisory Council (BAC) for the state of Kentucky. He is expected to play a crucial role in efforts to involve top business people in the process of government reform. The BAC is dedicated to making sure that small business has a voice in Washington. Master Floro is a 5th Dan Black Belt in Taekwondo under promotion by Grandmaster Shin. Master Floro is also a USAT certified Coach and has successfully coached students of all belt degrees to win National Championships and medals at numerous state and national competitions. Master Floro is dedicated to continuing the legacy of excellence in martial arts established by Grandmaster Bong Yul Shin.

Ian (Mariano) Floro lV  (Head Instructor) Mr. Ian Floro is the eldest son of Master & Mrs. Mariano Floro and is the Head Instructor of the Academy. His martial arts training began at the age of 9, and he developed a deep respect and devotion for Taekwondo as a way of life. He is currently pursuing a degree in Biology at the University of Louisville. Mr. Floro is a WTF certified 2nd Dan in Taekwondo under the promotion of Grandmaster Shin. He has vast experience in tournament competition and has won medals at state and regional levels in both AAU and USTU championships. With an AAU Coaching Certification, Mr. Floro helps Master Floro coach Junior students to victory. We congratulate Mr. Floro on his many achievements and applaud his dedication to Taekwondo as a way of life.

Brian Porter, MD  (Black Belt Instructor-Karate) Brian Porter, MD has numerous credentials and accomplishments. We will be updating this section shortly to detail them.

Mike Cruz  (Black Belt Instructor-MMA & Self Defense Programs) Mr. Cruz has over 20 years of experience in martial arts. He has a Black Belt in Taekwondo and has trained in Jeet Kune Do, Wing Chun, Kali, Indonesian Martial Arts, Boxing, Muay Thai and weapons. Currently, Mr.Cruz is a subordinate to Master Surachai, a well known Muay Thai Master. Mr. Cruz specializes in striking techniques and self-defense that incorporates the Muay Thai perspective. He has even developed a "Women Only" self-defense course at the Academy. Visit his website at rockcruz.proelite.com or watch his tv show on channel 75 on Saturdays at 7pm. Promos for the "RAW Defense" class for women will be airing soon. Watch Shooter Russell's MMA Fight Scenes at shooterrussell.proelite.com.

For more information about the American Martial Arts Academy - Kentucky staff or training programs, please contact us at 502-499-4889 or by clicking here.