Mr. O. is a 4th Degree Black Belt in American Kenpo. (EPAK) He also holds a 2nd Degree Black Belt in Ryu-Kyu Kenpo, Chinese Kenpo and Okinawan Kobudo (weapons) – Odo Lineage, and Sho-Dan in the Okinawa Kobudo Doushi Rensei-kai.

Mr. O. began his training in July 1984. He enjoys continually training and sharing the knowledge with the eager and willing. However, he always values being the student as well.

In November 2003, Mr. O. took his training to the next level in Kenpo by joining the Larry Tatum Kenpo Karate Association (LTKKA). The LTKKA is one of the largest worldwide American Kenpo organizations in existence. Mr. O. is excited and proud to be a personal student of 10 th Degree Grand Master Larry Tatum, as well as, being personally mentored by 7 th Degree Senior Professor Clyde T. O’Briant.

Mr. O. currently is married and resides in the South Hills of Pittsburgh. In his spare time he enjoys collecting and watching DVD movies and rooting on his favorite sports team- the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Robert Metz (1st Degree Black)
“Sergeant Major” Metz is the former Senior TAC NCOIC of the U.S. Army Ranger School having more than 22 years military experience. SGM Metz was one of the founding fathers of the Army’s Gun Truck Alley initiative, which prepared Army reserve soldiers for Convoy Survivability Operations in light of lethal ambushes extant in Iraq and Afghanistan. Further, he has been interviewed by several media sources as a Subject Matter Expert in respect to the Improvised Explosive Devices, which are so prevalent in attacks against Coalition Forces deployed in the Middle East. SGM Metz’s present duty is as the Operations Sergeant Major for a Division level Command. He is also a retired Homicide Detective with 11 years experience. As a police officer Mr. M had been certified as both a Pressure Point Control Tactics Instructor as well as a Close Quarters Combat Instructor.

Mr. M earned his Brown Belt in Ryu-Kyu Kenpo in 1993 and is a Lakan Guro (1st Degree Black Belt) in the Filipino martial art of Kali-Silat having begun this training in 1997. Mr. M. has been professionally teaching soldiers, law enforcement officers and select civilians since 1982. His current martial focus includes, but is not limited to: hostile subject control tactics, plural assailant response platforms, edged-weapon / blunt force trauma instrument neutralizations and pressure point exploitations designed to enhance strikes at a geometric rate.

Mr. M has been studying American Kenpo Karate since August 2003 and is a 1st Degree Black Belt in the art. He joins Mr. O. in taking PKA to the next level in Kenpo as a Larry Tatum Kenpo Karate Association (LTKKA) Charter School. The LTKKA is one of the largest world-wide American Kenpo organizations in existence.

Mr. M earned his BA from the University of Pittsburgh graduating Cum Laude at an accelerated time of only two and a half years. His graduate studies at Carnegie Mellon University were interrupted when he was mobilized for military service in 2003. Professionally, Mr. M is a Board Certified Myofascial Trigger Point Therapist with his own practice as well as employed by UPMC Passavant Hospital. Myofascial Trigger Point Therapy is a discipline that is a therapeutic modality used for the relief of pain and dysfunction originating in the muscles and connective tissue; “myo” means muscle and “fascial” refers to connective tissue. The goal of MTPT is recovery from, or a significant reduction in, pain and postural dysfunction. This is achieved through systematic and comprehensive use of a variety of soft tissue manipulation techniques.

Mr. M currently is married and has four children. In his spare time he enjoys watching his favorite sports team- the Pittsburgh Steelers, ultimately becoming convinced that the blood in his veins is colored black and gold.

Bonnie Rodgers (1st Degree Black)
Ms. Rodgers began her Martial Arts training in 1993 and achieved one of her milestone goals on November 22, 2003, that of Sho-Dan, 1st Degree Black.

She has been a valued addition to the instructor core for many years, loved and respected by students and parents alike.

Ms. Rodgers made history in the South Hills by becoming the first female Black Belt Instructor in the over 26 years of training that our school has been giving to the community in the South Hills. —– That’s truly History!

Ms. Rodgers graduated with honors attaining a Master’s in Nursing as Family Nurse Practitioner in 1998 and can be seen frequently in numerous emergency rooms throughout the city either “patching” people up or simply seeing patients.

She has been to Europe and strives someday to make it to the Grand Canyon and also camp in the basin.