If the six styles of black belts around Allen Branch's waist don't announce him as a martial arts pioneer, his title-holding students and roster of MMA classes will. As founder of American Martial Arts Systems, Allen is committed to educating all comers on kickboxing, Krav Maga and other combative disciplines. He has honed his trademark jabs under Joe Lewis—an apprenticeship that puts him one degree of separation away from Bruce Lee, and two away from Mars, god of war.

Though he has set and continually raises the self-defense bar, Allen is also an advanced-level CPT and group fitness instructor who is certified in mat sciences, cross training, kickboxing and the use of kettle bells. There, group classes embrace NASM's Optimum Performance Training model, mixing several types of training into kettlebell, TRX suspension, and weight loss workouts. Programs differentiate their drills from those of the "big box gyms" by incorporating real-life movements and unpredictable routines. The gym is accessible to all ages, scheduling several youth courses on agility, karate, and snapping the man in half when you lose at "Operation".