soke Jeff Hall

Founder

Soke Jeff Hall has been shooting for over 60 years and has been a student of firearms combatives for 40 years. He has over 25 years of military and police experience, with a strong emphasis on SWAT. He has also studied traditional arts for 40 years, holding ranks of 3rd Dan in Kobudo, Ia Tate Do, and Jiu-Jitsu; 7th Dan in Shudokan and 5th Dan in Gosoku-Ryu and in Shizen-Na karate; and 10th Dan in Hojutsu. He is an NRA Distinguished Shooter, four weapon combat master, handgun combat master with 1911 and revolver, one of 25 Handgun Combat Masters in the world, a law enforcement Master Instructor, and currently studies Iaido and Arnis.

Hall is a retired Alaska State Trooper lieutenant who spent nineteen years on the pistol team and 12 years on the SWAT team and 14.5 years on the S.E.R.T.; he has used the techniques he teaches in combat. Hall travels across the U.S. and teaches nationally for several professional training associations. He has published numerous articles and has written several training manuals. He is an NRA certified instructor in handgun, shotgun, submachine gun, carbine, and precision rifle.

Hall shot competitively for many years and studied many styles and techniques in developing Hojutsu, after finding the military and police training inadequate. However, Hall’s focus on shooting is to survive lethal encounters. He prefers the Weaver Stance (the Modern Technique). While some styles of shooting may do well in competition, Hall prefers what is proven in real combat. Additionally, there should be commonality in all training- the way we fight with empty hands should flow to sticks to knives to handguns, long guns, and back to empty hands. In developing Hojutsu, we believe that “He is Best who trains in the Severest school”- we train hard so we can fight easy.

In 2007 he was inducted into the US Martial Arts Hall of fame, recognized as the soke, and recognized as a Ju Dan (10th Dan) and martial arts grandmaster. Numerous other Halls of Fame have also done so.

Hall is currently training for the Four Weapon Combat Master test, and to become the second ever to pass the Handgun Combat Master test with a revolver.

Rod Kuratomi

Sensei - Glendale, CA Dojo

Rod Kuratomi is a 7th degree black belt in Gosoku Ryu karate and is the President of the International Karate Association, Inc., formerly under Grand Master Tak Kubota, whom he trained under from 1981 to 2024. He is also a plank owner and black belt in Hojutsu. He has a 4th dan in traditional weapons, a 1st dan in Kubota jiujitsu, and is a certified Kubotan, NRA, and DOJ instructor. He has been teaching firearms since 2008. Kuratomi was International Grand Champion of both heavyweight sparring and weapons forms at the IKA 2000 World Cup Tournament. He has distinguished graduate ratings from Front Sight Firearms Training Institute in the use of the handgun, rifle, and shotgun and has trained at numerous firearms schools throughout the country. He is a retired Clinical Laboratory Systems Analyst where he worked at a major Southern California hospital for 29 years.

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Dave Grossman

Sensei at Large

LT. COL., U.S. Army (Ret.)
Director, Killology Research Group
www.killology.com

Lt. Col. Dave Grossman is a former West Point psychology professor, Professor of Military Science, and Army Ranger who is the author of many books, including On Killing (which is on the USMC required reading list), On Combat (also USMC required reading), Warrior Mindset, and Sheepdog! Meet Our Nation's Warriors, a book for protectors of all ages.

Col. Grossman’s research was cited by the President of the United States in a national address, and he has testified before the U.S. Senate, the U.S. Congress, and numerous state legislatures. He has served as an expert witness and consultant in state and Federal courts, and served on the prosecution team in UNITED STATES vs. TIMOTHY MCVEIGH. He helped train mental health professionals after the Jonesboro school massacre, and was also involved in counseling or court cases in the aftermath of the Paducah, Springfield, and Littleton school massacres.

Col. Grossman was called upon to write the entry on “Aggression and Violence” in the Oxford Companion to American Military History, three entries in the Academic Press Encyclopedia of Violence, Peace and Conflict and has presented papers before the national conventions of the American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Today he is the director of the Killology Research Group (www.killology.com), and in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks he has written and spoken extensively on the terrorist threat, with articles published in the Harvard Journal of Law and Civil Policy and many leading law enforcement journals.

Since his retirement from the US Army in 1998, he has been on the road almost 300 days a year, for over 18 years, as one of our nation’s leading trainers for military, law enforcement, mental health providers, and school safety organizations. His hobby is shooting. He has a black belt in Hojutsu, and in 2014 he was inducted into the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame.

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Robert Boothe

Sensei - Spokane, WA Dojo

Boothe is a senior police officer with the Spokane police department, serving as a S.W.A.T team sniper. He is also a master firearms instructor and master Defensive tactics instructor with the Washington State Criminal Justices Training Commission. Boothe is also lead instructor at the Basic Law Enforcement Academy, teaching firearms, defensive tactics and use of force. He is a 2nd dan in Taekwon-do, 1st dan in Hojustu, and a 1st dan in Hakka-Ryu Jujitsu.

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Charles Scott

Hanshi – Fairbanks, AK Dojo

Scott holds a 9th dan in Shudo-Kan, 8th dan in Gosoku-Ryu, 6th Dan in Aikido, 5th Dan in Jujitsu, 4th Dan in both Moo Doo Kwan and Tae Kwan Do, 3rd Dan in Iaido, and 2nd Dan in Hojutsu and plank owner. He has over 42 years in the Martial Arts, a PHd in Oriental philosophy, and is a Hall of Fame Grandmaster.

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Eric Adams

Kyoshi - Estes Park, CO Dojo
Soke-Dai

With 40 years of martial arts training, Adams holds a 6th Dan in Gosoku Ryu Karate; 7th Dan in Shudo-Kan Karate; 9th Dan in Hojutsu, 4th Dan in Yoshinkan Aikido and Okinawan Kobudo (traditional weapons); 3rd Dan Hakko ryu jiu jitsu; Certified law enforcement defensive tactics instructor in baton, expandable baton, side handle baton, chemical aerosol, control & restraint; Expert level Gunsite 250 class-1989; Thunder Ranch training in defensive pistol, urban rifle, urban rifle vehicle, shotgun, mid range rifle; Black sash 5 animal kung fu; 1st Dan in Hakko Ryu Jiu Jitsu and 35 years Wu style tai chi. He is also a certified law enforcement instructor in defensive tactics and firearms.

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Doug Tangen

Plank Owner - Burien, WA Dojo

Tangen has over 25 years of experience as a police officer and instructor. He is a master defensive tactics instructor, full-time firearms instructor at the Idaho POST academy, 2nd dan in Tae Kwan Do, 1st Dan in Arnis, and first Dan and plank owner of Hojutsu.

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Steven M. Ryan

Sensei – Boise, ID Dojo

Ryan is a retired Police Officer with 22 years experience. A former SWAT Team Commander, Mr. Ryan continues to teach firearms and S.W.A.T. to law enforcement and military agencies. His martial arts background includes a black belt in KoKonDo Karate, a brown belt in Jokedo Judo, and study in several other arts. Mr. Ryan was one of the original black belt plank owners in Hojutsu. He is currently a private security contractor in Iraq.

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Greg Lawson

Sensei - Austin, TX Dojo

Lawson is a detective with the Travis County Sheriff's Office. He has taught pistol, shotgun, rifle, impact marksmanship and tactics, and is a police defensive tactics instructor. He is a former S.W.A.T. team member, Army Paratrooper, Navy Operations Specialist, and Air Force Firearms Instructor. Lawson is a 1st dan in Taekwon-do, 1st dan in Hojustu, and 1st dan in Hakka-Ryu Jujitsu.

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Verlin Rector

Sensei - New Mexico Dojo

Shihan Rector is a deputy sheriff in Farmington, NM. Rector has over 40 years of Martial Arts background. He is an NRA certified Instructor and Life Member, New Mexico CCW Instructor, and Active Gunsite Alumni, including pistol ,shotgun, carbine, and scout rifle. He is currently a 7th Dan TaeKwon-Do ( H.C.Kim's System of Albuq. N.M .), 2nd Dan Hojutsu, and a Bailiff at a State District Court.

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Fabio M. Federico

Based in Rome, Italy. Hojutsu 1st dan. NRA Law Enforcement Tactical Shooting, Select-Fire Instructor and Life Member. Kapap Instructor; Glock 18, Steyr AUG operator; Bushmaster, Smith & Wesson MP, and Glock Advanced Armorer. NMIA, IALEFI, IACSP, ILEETA member. IDPA, GSSF competitor. CCW in AZ, CT, FL, ME, NH, NV, PA, UT, VA.

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Scott Denning

Denning is a Deputy Sheriff in Idaho with over 18 years experience. He is a certified law enforcement instructor in Defensive Tactics, SWAT, Firearms, Ground Fighting and Impact Tools. He is also a certified military instructor in Combatives and firearms. Denning has served as a US Marine Scout Sniper and is certified as an advanced LE Sniper. He is an NRA Law Enforcement Tactical Shooting Instructor for rifle, shotgun and pistol. Denning has over 25 years experience in martial arts and holds a 1st dan in Pangai-Ryu Karate, Taekwon-do and 2nd dan in Hojutsu-Ryu. He also holds a Brown belt in Kodenkan Jujutsu.

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Norman Hood

Sensei, South Bend, IN Dojo
Chief of Operations

Norman Hood retired as a Command Sergeant Major from the US Army after 24 years of service, and then spent six years with the Alaska State Troopers before entering Government Security Contract positions. Norm has more than 35 years of experience in operational law enforcement, training, logistical and support planning for private security companies, military and state police organizations, as well as 28 plus years conducting rifle, pistol and shotgun training, including Concealed Carry courses as an independent contractor with a private firearms academy in Alaska and as a former adjunct instructor at Blackwater Worldwide, Inc.

Norm is an NRA instructor and holds the “NRA Distinguished Expert Pistol” rating. He is a member of the International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association (ILEETA) and is certified by the State of Indiana as an Emergency Medical Responder, the State of Illinois as a Certified Firearms Instructor, GLOCK Professional as a GLOCK Armorer, and FEMA as an Active Shooter Responder Trainer. Norm is Shodan, 1st Dan (Black Belt) in Hojutsu-Ryu (the Martial Art of Shooting).

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Gary J. Glemboski

Sensei, Savannah, GA Dojo

Hanshi Glemboski has studied karate for over 45 years. Gary is currently a 9th dan black belt (Shihan) in Shorinken Karate, 3rd dan Hakko Ryu Ju Jitsu and 3rd dan in Hojutsu-Ryu. Hanshi Glemboski has won several grand championships and over 100 awards for fighting, kata, and weapons competition. A police officer for 40 years (24 years as a SWAT officer/Commander), he is also a certified law enforcement Defensive Tactics Instructor and has trained the presidential security personnel in Bogota, Columbia. He graduated from the Rogers Shooting School with certifications in both handgun and shotgun and has trained with many well-known martial artists and firearms instructors. He is an NRA certified instructor in handgun, shotgun and precision rifle and several other disciplines.

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Jim Lentz

Jim attended the University of Cincinnati majoring in Criminal Justice. Jim served 6 years in the United States Marine Corps Reserves as a Military Policeman. Jim has 20 years’ experience in Martial Arts, Self-Defense and personal protection.

Jim is certified as an NRA Instructor, and has achieved the rank of Nidan in Kenpo Jui Jitsu. He is also a Shootfighting instructor, Hojutsu instructor, and women's self-defense lecturer.

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