Martial Arts Experience and Credentials

**Willie Sims with his instructor, Guro Dan Inosanto and training partner, Jaell Ledford**
March 2016 | Marina Del Rey, California | Inosanto Academy of Martial Arts

Credentials

Inosanto International Instructor’s Association

Apprentice Three Instructor
- Lee Jun Fan Gung Fu & Jeet Kune Do
- Filipino Martial Arts

M.K.G. International Instructor Association

Level 1 Instructor
- Specialized advancement in Muay Thai, JKD, Kali, MKG Phase Method

Areas of Specialty

Experience

Teaching and Business Ownership

Instructor training and apprenticeship since 2007
Martial Arts Instructor since 2010
Owner/Head Instructor/Curriculum Designer of Sims Martial Arts Training, founded in 2015

Practitioner Seminars

Inosanto Seminars 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2009 (144 hours)

Thai Boxing Association Seminars 2011, 2010 (16 hours)
Savate Seminars (Professor Salem Assli) 2016 (3 hours)
MKG Camps 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010 (112 hours)

Instructor Seminars

Inosanto International Instructor Association Conference 2016 (8 hours)
M.K.G. International Instructor Conference 2016 (10 hours)

Student Residencies

Inosanto Academy of Martial Arts | Marina Del Rey 2016 (120 hours)
M.K.G. | Seattle 2016 (20 hours)

Continuing Education

Boxing | Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

“It is an instructor’s duty to keep learning.”

— Willie Sims

A Note On Progressing in Martial Arts

I am deeply thankful for the esteemed instructors I have had the chance to learn from, and I am deeply proud of the experience and credentials I have earned. That pride in large part stems from how those credentials were given to me.

Over the years, I’ve seen many studios treat skill advancement “tests” or even instructor credentials primarily as a revenue generator. As a result, many students could chase certificates by simply signing up for a test and paying for them.

I was fortunate to never request instructorship. Rather, was invited to teach and was then recommended by Inosanto’s senior instructors to join the Inosanto International Instructor Association.

To me, this is the true way to progress, and it is more akin to how I’ve witnessed Guro Dan Inosanto as well as my Brazilian Jiu Jitsu instructors recognize their students’ progress.

While I am proud of my certifications and credentials, I do not believe a certificate alone indicates the qualify of an instructor, nor does it mean an instructor has achieved an end goal in their training.

I believe it is an instructor’s duty to keep learning and approach martial arts as a lifestyle. This is so they can communicate a love for learning and self-improvement, a respect for other cultures, and a sense of responsibility for how and when to apply defensive techniques. This is a mentality that I developed from witnessing Guro Inosanto and understanding the training methodologies that Sijo Bruce Lee championed in many of his teaching and writings.

I strive to be a well-rounded martial artist, and help develop well-rounded martial artists who can realize their potential through training plans that focus on their immediate goals while planting the seed for lifelong health and well-being.