Judo

  Dr. Rick Sparks

• BJJ Black Belt with One Degree (IBJJF Certified)
  • 2 Time Champion, many time medalist, international masters level BJJ
  • IBJJF Certified BJJ Referee
  • TN BJJ Federation Board of Advisors
  • TN BJJ Federation Chief Referee
• Judo Sandan (3rd Degree Black Belt, USJA Certified)
  • Judo National Championship Silver Medalist
  • Certified Judo Referee
  • Silver Life Member USJA
• Additional Style Ranks include:
  • Blackbelt Shingitai Jujitsu
  • Blackbelt TaeKwonDo
  • Blackbelt Hapkido
  • Blackbelt Goshin Jiujitsu
• Over 10 years martial arts coaching experience
• Co-developer of Ethical Martial Arts Training System (EMAT)
• BS, MS, PhD in Engineering Science, MA in Philosophy, MBA
• Scientist with over 80 peer reviewed articles/abstracts.
• Former Captain, Nuclear Medicine Science Officer, United States Army Reserve
• Owner CDE Dosimetry Services, Inc.

  Most Notable BJJ Competition Results:

• 2011 Pan American Black Belt Seniors Silver Medalist Open Weight
• 2008 Pan American Brown Belt Seniors Bronze Medalist
• 2007 Pan American Brown Belt Seniors Silver Medalist
• 2007 Campeonato Internacional de Master e Senior (AKA Masters Worlds) Brown Belt Bronze Medalist
• 2005 Campeonato Internacional de Master e Senior (AKA Masters Worlds) Purple Belt Champion
• 2005 Campeonato Internacional de Master e Senior (AKA Masters Worlds) Open Weight Purple Belt Silver Medalist
• 2005 Pan American Purple Belt Seniors Bronze Medalist
• 2004 Tennessee State Champion (Masters Purple Belt Open Weight)
  
• 2004 Campeonato Internacional de Master e Senior (AKA Masters Worlds) Blue Belt Champion
  

  Recent Judo Competition Results:

• 2011 National Championship Silver Medal Black Belt Masters (73 kg)
• 2011 Tennessee State Silver Medal Black Belt Masters (<81 kg)
• 2010 UT Inviational Gold Medal Black Belt Masters (<81 kg)
• 2010 UT Invitational Silver Medal Black Belt Adult (73 kg)
• 2010 North Carolina State Championship Gold Medal Black Belt Adult Division (73 kg)
• 2010 North Carolina State Championship Gold Medal Black Belt Masters Division Lightweight (<81 kg)

Judo: Seniors = Adult
BJJ: Seniors = Masters

Full Bio

My Instructors and Lineage

Some Pictures From Competition

Friends and Legends I Have Met (Pictures)

Certifications

My Small Appearance in Grappling Magazine

My Appearance in the Helio Soneca Interview by Tinguinha

 

Judo

Dr. Michael Carter

• Judo Yondan (4th degree black belt) USJA (since 1998)
• BJJ Brown Belt
• 6 Time Southeastern Judo Champion
• 2 Time State Wrestling Silver Medalist
• Trustee Life Member of United States Judo Association
• Judo Coach for 25 years
• Previous Certifications include:
  • Senior Judo Coach
  • Judo Referee
  • Nage-no-kata instructor
• Former Wrestling Coach
• Co-developer of Ethical Martial Arts Training System (EMAT)
• Additional Various JuJitsu Style Ranks include:
  • Shingitai Jujitsu Godan (5th degree black belt) awarded (2000) by JohnSaylor
  • Daito-ryu Aikijujutsu Brown Belt from Paul Carter and Kawabe Sensei
• PhD in Education
  • Concentration: Educational Psychology
  • Specialization: Applied Educational Psychology
  • Emphasis: Human Learning and Development
  • Dissertation: Reasoning for Wisdom in Emotional Education
• Instructor (assistant> associate> tenured) of Psychology for 9 Years
• Owner of Carter Consulting (teaching and coaching personal leadership)

 

Notable Competition Results:

• 6 Time Southeastern Judo Champion
• 2 Time State Wrestling Silver Medalist
• Too many local, state, and regional Judo championships to list
• 2008 Helio Soneca BJJ Tournament Champion
  

 

Gavin Enck

• Black belt received from Rolyer Gracie and Rosendo Diaz
• Collegiate Wrestler

 

Judo

John Miller

• BJJ Purple belt received from Rick Sparks
• BJJ Blue belt received from Helio Soneca
• Judo Brown belt received from Rick Sparks

 

Judo Competition Results:

• Tennessee State Championship Silver Medal

 

Justin Headrick

• BJJ Purple belt received from Rick Sparks
• Blue belt received from Rick Sparks

 

Notable BJJ Competition Results:

• 2011 Tennessee State Championship Silver Medalist Gi
• 2010 Tennessee State Championship Gold Medalist No-Gi Advanced
• 2010 Smokey Mountain Open Gold Medal No-Gi Advanced
• 2009 Smokey Moutain Open No-Gi Champion
• 2009 Smokey Moutain Open Gi Silver Medalist
• 2008 Tennessee State BJJ Silver Medalist

 

Students: Hall of Champions

BJJ

Judo

Chris Miller Blue belt received from Rick Sparks BJJ Green belt received from Samuel Braga Judo Green belt received from Michael Carter Notable BJJ Competition Results: 2010 Smokey Mountain Open Bronze Medal Gi 2009 Tennessee State Championship Silver Medalist Gi Wrestling Regional Bronze Medalist Gold and Bronze Tournament Victories 90-20 overall record

BJJ

Judo

Alex Basiri BJJ Blue Belt received from Rick Sparks Judo Orange Belt Recieved from Rick Sparks   Notable BJJ Competition Results: 2011 Smokey Mountain Open Bronze Medal Gi 2010 Smokey Mountain Open Silver Medal Gi 2008 Tennessee State BJJ Champion 2008 Helio Soneca BJJ Tournament Champion

BJJ

Zack Smitley Blue belt received from Rick Sparks Notable BJJ Competition Results: 2010 Smokey Mountain Open Gold Medal No-Gi 2010 Smokey Mountain Open Bronze Medal Gi 2009 Tennessee State BJJ Champion No-Gi 2009 Tennessee State BJJ Silver Medalist Gi 2009 Smokey Moutain Open BJJ Gi Champion 2008 Helio Soneca BJJ Tournament Silver Medalist MMA Record: 1-1

 

BJJ

Kayla Stephens Blue belt received from Rick Sparks Notable BJJ Competition Results: 2011 Tennessee State Championship Silver Medalist Gi 2010 Tennessee State Championship Gold Medalist Gi 2010 Smokey Mountain Open Gold Medal Gi 2009 Tennessee State Championship Gold Medalist Gi

BJJ

Eric Horton Blue belt received from Rick Sparks   Notable BJJ Competition Results: 2009 Tennessee State Championship Gold Medalist 2009 Kentucky BJJ Open Championship Gold Medalist

BJJ

Judo

Allan Ho Blue belt received from Rick Sparks Judo Brown Belt received from Mike Takata Notable BJJ Competition Results: 2010 Smokey Mountain Open Gold Medal Gi 2009 EGO Grappling Tournamant Bronze Medalist Judo Competition Results: 2009 - Waynesville Fall Brawl - 2nd place - Advanced 2008 - Ippon Open - 1st - Novice 2007 - Ippon Open - 3rd place 2 x Divisions - Novice 2006 - UT Martial Arts Club Tournament - 3rd place - Novice 2005 - UT Martial Arts Club Tournament - 1st - Novice 2005 - Waynesville Fall Brawl - 1st place - Novice 2005 - Cumberland Judo Classic - 3rd place - Novice

BJJ

Judo

Jeremy Sizemore Blue belt received from Rick Sparks Judo yelow - green belts received from Shawn Mason Notable Competition Results: BJJ 2010 Tennessee State Championship Gold Medalist Gi Judo 2010 North Carolina State Championship Silver Masters 2010 UT Invitational Silver Masters

BJJ

Brad Wilcox Blue belt received from Rick Sparks Notable BJJ Competition Results: 2010 Tennessee State Championship Silver Medalist Gi 2010 Smokey Mountain Open Gold Medal No-Gi 2010 NAGA National BJJ Championships Bronze Medalist

BJJ

Darryl Lawson Blue belt received from Rick Sparks Notable BJJ Competition Results: 2010 Tennessee State Championship Silver Medalist Gi 2010 Smokey Mountain Open Bronze Medal Gi

BJJ

Dan Hoggatt Blue belt received from Rick Sparks Notable Competition Results: BJJ 2011 Smokey Mountain Open Silver Medal No-Gi 2011 Smokey Mountain Open Bronze Medal Gi 2010 Tennessee State Championship Gold Medalist No-Gi 2010 Smokey Mountain Open Gold Medal No-Gi 2010 Smokey Mountain Open Bronze Medal Gi 2009 Tennessee State Championship Bronze Medalist Gi 2009 Tennessee State Championship Bronze Medalist No-Gi 2009 Smokey Moutain Open Silver Medalist 2009 Kentucky BJJ Open Championship Bronze Medalist Wrestling 2004 Blount County Champion 2004 All County 2003 Blount County Silver Medalist MMA Record: 1-1

BJJ

Judo

Jason Roberts Blue belt received from Rick Sparks Judo Yellow - Green belts received from Edmon Begoli Notable Competition Results: BJJ 2011 Tennessee State Championship Gold Medalist Gi 2011 Smokey Mountain Open Gold Medalist Gi Judo 2007 UT Invitational Gold Medal

 

BJJ

Richard Eggers Blue belt received from Rick Sparks Notable Competition Results: BJJ 2011 Tennessee State Championship Gold Medalist Gi 2011 Tennessee State Championship Bronze Medalist No-Gi 2011 Smokey Mountain Open Gold Medal Gi 2011 Smokey Mountain Open Bronze Medal No-Gi

 

BJJ

Darla Oringderff Blue belt received from Rick Sparks Notable Competition Results: BJJ 2011 Tennessee State Championship Bronze Medal Gi

 

BJJ

Emily Mannescmidt Notable Competition Results: BJJ 2011 Smokey Mountain Open Bronze Medal Gi

 

BJJ

Judo

Ben Burton Judo Yellow belt received from Tarek Monier Judo Orange belt received from Rick Sparks and Edmon Begoli Notable Competition Results: BJJ 2011 Smokey Mountain Open Bronze Medalist Gi Judo 1995 ETSU Tournament Gold Medal 1995 Waynesville Gold Medal 1996 TN State Judo Championships 4th Place MMA Record: 4-3