Congratulations
Master
Scott Sullivan
To all my fellow Martial Artists,
Scott Sullivan
Let me tell you about one of the people I’m most proud to have mentored in this industry, Dr. Scott Sullivan.
Scott is the rarest of combinations: a heavyweight kickboxing champion, a high-level Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, and a theological scholar with a Ph.D. in philosophy. That’s impressive on its own, but what truly sets Scott apart is what he and his incredible wife Brandy have built in the heart of Houston.
When Scott joined our inner circle, he already had the pedigree. He’d fought in the ring in Tokyo, Moscow, and Las Vegas, and he’d earned his stripes as a 3rd-degree BJJ black belt under one of the most respected lineages. But like many martial artists, he hadn’t yet translated that talent into a business that matched the depth of his skills or the scope of his mission.
Fast forward to today, and the transformation has been nothing short of extraordinary.
Scott and Brandi have grown Bam Bam Martial Arts into one of the most trusted and impactful academies in the United States. They’ve created a powerhouse school that not only produces top-tier martial artists but has made a difference in the lives of thousands of families. The impact they’ve had on the community, on kids finding confidence, adults regaining purpose, and families becoming stronger together, is something every school owner should aspire to.
But here’s what really gets me excited as a coach and mentor: Scott took the principles we teach in Martial Arts Wealth Mastery and ran with them. He didn’t just “learn” the systems—he executed at a high level. When I started working with him, he was already running a top 10% school. Now he’s easily in the 1% - even .1% of the top schools in North America. He refined his staff and student culture, implemented scalable systems, and turned his passion into a thriving, sustainable business that operates with professionalism and purpose.
Even more importantly, he’s done all of this without compromising the quality of his teaching or the values he holds dear. He’s living proof that a world-class martial artist and a deep-thinking scholar can also be a world-class entrepreneur and community leader.
Scott and Brandi are the kind of people who make this work incredibly fulfilling. They’ve built something real. Something that changes lives. And they’ve only just scratched the surface of what’s possible.
Proud doesn’t even begin to describe how I feel watching their continued rise.
Greg Moody
8th Degree
Go2 Karate Recognition Board Member
Congratulations, Dr. Sullivan, on being selected for the Go2 Karate Lifetime Recognition Award. This is an incredible and well-deserved honor.
Your dedication to martial arts and the impact you have made through Bam Bam Martial Arts is inspiring. With over 30 years of teaching experience, a fourth-degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and recognition from prestigious organizations like the Jiu-Jitsu Federation of Rio de Janeiro and the Associação Oriente de Jiu-Jitsu, your legacy in the martial arts world is clear.
Beyond your accomplishments on the mat, your academic achievements and contributions as an author and speaker have made a lasting difference. From your nationally recognized textbook on logic to your work promoting the importance of traditional philosophy, your influence reaches far beyond the walls of your academy.
What stands out most is your heart for your students and your unwavering commitment to being the best husband, father, and teacher you can be. Your belief that martial arts helps people become more fit, safe, and happy is evident in everything you do, and your students are a testament to that.
Dr. Sullivan, congratulations again. Your work is changing lives, and this award reflects the difference you continue to make every single day.
With respect ,
Denise Morin
5th Degree
Go2 Karate Recognition Board Member
Go2 Karate Editor
First off—there aren’t many people who can throw a kick, be an expert in Jiu Jitsu, then turn around and explain Aristotelian virtue ethics and run one of the most successful schools in the country. But Dr. Scott Sullivan? He does.
I’ve known Scott for over a decade, and in that time I’ve seen what a rare combination of ability, intellect, and humility looks like in action. He’s not just a third-degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He’s a heavyweight kickboxing and shootboxing champion, a successful business owner, a published academic, and a teacher in the truest sense of the word.
But what matters more—what really makes Scott (well… Dr. Sullivan or Professor Sullivan depending on context) different—isn’t the trophies or the titles. It’s how he’s impacted thousands of students and families by building a school that’s about so much more than martial arts.
You walk into Bam Bam Martial Arts, and you immediately know this isn’t just a “let’s-roll-and-punch-some-pads” kind of place. It’s structured. It’s focused. And it’s filled with kids who are really learning discipline, character, and respect—not just talking about it.
It’s very important to mention Brandi Sullivan who is also behind the success of their school. She’s not “helping out”—she’s leading. Scott said it himself: she’s his amazing wife and partner. Brandi helps make Bam Bam the kind of place where students feel like they belong from day one.
Together, they’ve created an environment where kids can thrive, where parents are supported, and where kids walk out not just stronger—but better. Scott’s philosophical background gives their program depth. Brandi brings warmth and organization (and more brains) that keeps everything running like the top school that it is.
You might think with this background—champion fighter, published Ph.D., thought leader—Scott would be arrogant or aloof. It’s the opposite. He’s humble, constantly learning, and obsessed with improvement. That humility is contagious—his team, his students, and yes, even other school owners feel it.
Dr. Scott Sullivan, with Brandi by your side, you’ve built more than a martial arts school. You’ve built a life-changing community, a leadership machine, and a place where kids grow up stronger—not just physically, but mentally and morally. I haven’t met anyone with this unique combination - and for that, this Lifetime Achievement Award is well-deserved.
Respectfully,
Stephen Oliver
9th Degree
Founder, Martial Arts Wealth Mastery
Coach to the Top 1% of School Owners Worldwide
An Interview With Master Scott Sullivan - Go2 Karate Lifetime Achievement Award Winner
Conducted by Dr. Greg Moody, Chief Master, Go2 Karate Magazine
Interview Highlights:
Dr. Greg Moody, Chief Master, Go2 Karate Magazine:
"I'm here with Grand Master Jeff Smith, who is a Mile High Karate, Martial Arts Wealth Mastery, and a seven-time world light heavyweight kickboxing champion. Did I get all that right, sir?"
Grand Master Jeff Smith:
"Good job."
Dr. Greg Moody, Chief Master, Go2 Karate Magazine:
"We're here in Dallas, Texas and we're at the Martial Arts Wealth Mastery event, and I'm really excited about interviewing Grand Master Smith."
Grand Master Jeff Smith:
"Thank you."
Dr. Greg Moody, Chief Master, Go2 Karate Magazine:
"I've known you for many years and you've had such an incredible career in martial arts. Can you tell us about when you started and how you got into it and where it went from there?"
Grand Master Jeff Smith:
"Well, I started in Texas back in 1964 with Jhoon Rhee, who started in Texas, and one of his black belts had a program at the university in my hometown, Texas A&I University in Kingsville, Texas. I started as a white belt there under him and was able to not just get my white belt from him, but stay with him all the way till he promoted me to ninth degree black belt, which is the highest rank in Taekwondo that you can receive while you're still on this earth. And that was just a few years before he passed."
Dr. Greg Moody, Chief Master, Go2 Karate Magazine:
"Well, that's exciting. I mean, you must have learned a lot under him. What kind of lessons were important that you feel like he taught?"
Grand Master Jeff Smith:
"Well, he graduated from the University of Texas as an engineer."
Dr. Greg Moody, Chief Master, Go2 Karate Magazine:
"I didn't know that."
Grand Master Jeff Smith:
"So, he was very technical and with everything that he taught, he taught the mechanics of the movements. So, it was the laws of physics, so not just kick this way, punch this way, but how the angle was to generate more power, and he used a lot of his physics formulas to get this whole system of his. So, he was very detailed in the martial arts training, and then he was one of the first pioneers also in the martial arts business. We had 12 schools there in Washington DC when I graduated from the University of Texas A&I in 1970, I went to Washington DC and taught for him for 25 years and ran his schools and grew him from four schools then I hired the staff and got the staff from his different Jhoon Rhee schools around the country. We ended up with 12 schools over the next three years."
Dr. Greg Moody, Chief Master, Go2 Karate Magazine:
"Wow, I remember when I was in DC, it was all about Jhoon Rhee everywhere."
Grand Master Jeff Smith:
"He's everywhere. There was nobody in Washington, DC that didn't know who Jhoon Rhee was. And our telephone number, we ran these commercials on TV all the time, and his kids were on there, and his slogan was, "Nobody bothers me." His kids would say that at the end. Everybody got a big kick out of that. And then, "Call USA-1000 for more information." And so, there wasn't anybody who didn't know the number. So, every time we'd go somewhere, and I was with Jhoon Rhee, they'd go, "Oh, look. It's USA-1000.""
Dr. Greg Moody, Chief Master, Go2 Karate Magazine:
"That's pretty amazing. Well, so he actually started martial arts. He was a martial artist, of course, but very, very good at business and very, very good with you as part of his team there."
Grand Master Jeff Smith:
"Yeah. And he had four schools already when I came in 1970. But he moved to Washington DC after he graduated in 1960 and started his schools. And he didn't move to Washington to start schools. Even starting a Taekwondo program at the university. He was training out on the lawn, and some of the students saw him and wanted him to teach them. So, they did a big demonstration at the Student Union Ballroom, and he had a hundred people that wanted to train. And so, he started training all these people, and like Allen Steen and Pat Mercer are, some of his first black belts were students at the University of Texas. And then when he went to Washington DC in 1960 when he graduated, he was going to get an engineering job. That's why he went to Washington."
