Master Carlos Machado, 8th Dan
Master Carlos Machado was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and began study at age four years of age. Master Machado has trained with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu founders Grandmaster Carlos Gracie and Grandmaster Helio Gracie. As well, Master Machado considers Carlinios Gracie as one of his teachers.
Carlos Machado's Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a program designed specifically to satisfy students' individual needs in martial arts whether they are self defense, competition, or health based. Mr. Caracci, as he is known in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, travels to Dallas, Texas to train with Master Machado on a monthly basis so as to bring world Class Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to the New Orleans metro area.
Master Carlos Machado's Titles:
Rio de Janeiro Jiu-Jitsu State Champion Middleweight Division Champion 82/83/84/85/86/87/88/89/92
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu National Champion Middleweight 83/84/85/86/87/88/89
Winner of 1997 Black Belt Superfight, Rickson International Tournament
Winner of 1997 and 1998 Pan Am Lt. Heavyweight Division
Winner of 1999 U.S. Open Superfight
Competitor at 2000 Abu Dhabi Tournament
2000 Mundial Masters Open and Middle Weight Champion
2005, Voted Best Instructor by Budo International Hall of Fame
2006 , Voted Instructor of the Yerar by Budo International Hall of Fame
Grandmaster J.R. West, 9th Dan
In 1973, Grandmaster West, at the time a Hapkido 3rd Dan, decided that it was time to begin to pass on the knowledge that he had acquired during his contact with the Korean Tiger Divisio(ROK Capital Calvary) while serving an extended tour as a communications specialist in Binh Dinh Province in the Central Highlands of South Vietman.
Hapkido was virtually an unknown art in the U.S. in May of 1970 when GM West, a Hapkido black belt since 1967, returned from S. Vietnam. After searching the U.S. he became associated with Master (now Doctor) He-Young Kimm, an extremely well educated and talented man with an incredible knowledge of Korean Martial arts including Hapkido and Yudo(AKA Judo). The two began a friendship that continues to this day, with GM West, until 1996, serving as the director of associate members for Dr. Kimm's World HanMuDo Assn., and Dr. Kimm teaching Hapkido clinics regularly at West's Hapkido Academy as well as acting as GM West's mentor and advisor. GM West has continued to strive to expand the knowledge and ability of all Hapkido practitioners with whom they have come in contact.. In 1996, Dr. Kimm wrote a Letter of recommendation for GM West stating that the time had come for GM West to take his place as a completely independent leader in the field of Hapkido.
Today the academy maintains a 5250 sq. ft. modern facility totally dedicated to the teaching of hapkido to men, women, and children in the Jackson suburb of Ridgeland, Mississippi. The facility offers the utmost in traditional hapkido instruction for those who are more interested in learning than they are in the color of their belt. Every Spring and Fall, Hapkido stylists from all over the world make the trip to Jackson, Mississippi to train at one on GM West's International Hapkido Seminars which continue to break all numbers in attendance and distance traveled.
