Andrew Stolarik is a certified teacher in Georgia who specializes in teaching special education and physical education. I was born and raised in the Ohio Valley with not much to do until one day my parents asked me if I wanted to take karate lessons. Being a little boy I was excited about learning the same moves that I had watched the “Karate Kid” use to defend his honor, so naturally my parents enrolled me in classes and then from that point on I was hooked. Over the past 26 years I have studied a variety of styles and have rank in seven forms of martial arts. I have seen and met a lot of people from all walks of life. Some I still keep in contact with and others were just passers. After high school graduation I attended Wheeling Jesuit University where I studied psychology along with judo and taekwondo. It was here that my views and knowledge of self-defense really expanded and seeing how the grappling arts were useful when combined with the kicking arts. Under the direction of Dr. Larry Driscoll I achieved a yellow belt in judo and a red belt (brown belt under modern colors) in taekwondo. After four of college I had earned a B.A. in psychology so now I need another home to practice my martial arts.
I found the school Ohio Valley Jiu-Jitsu School that was headed up by David Vannest. At first sight I was hooked by the way he taught his style of jiu-jitsu. It was combat oriented with some sportive aspect mix in. Within a couple of years I obtained my first jiu-jitsu rank as a blue belt. It was this rank, the knowledge that I had obtained from my college days and David’s instruction that carried me to a black belt in Judo and traditional Jiu-Jitsu.
After I received my blue belt rank under Dave I decided to move to the southland (Georgia) to look for a job. I had the degree but no job, now was the time to become self- supportive and raise a family. Once I started work I began to look for a new school to continue my training and it was this new school that led me to my study of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. I started to train at the Itto School of Self-defense under Tommy Lunsford in Judo and Shin Shin Jiu-Jitsu. As the years passed I earned my Black Belt in Judo and in Shin Shin Jiu-Jitsu. Tommy belonged to an organization that had many experienced martial artists and some I found to be quite good. Others I found to be all talk with little substance, however, it was all good because I became friends with Dr. Larry Beard and Professor Larry Brooks. Both individuals have helped me out tremendously with techniques but I also became good friends with them on a personal level. It is under Professor Larry Brooks that I’m currently studying Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) and have obtained a purple belt.
After my Black Belt testing I met another individual that would change my outlook on physical fitness and my personal endeavor to learn self-defense. His name is Arjan Scott Hicks and he was my Muay Thai coach. Under him I had a winning Muay Thai fight record of 8 wins and 4 loses. The training I received from Arjan Hicks was the best. When I was finished fighting I was in the best shape of my life; Thank you Arjan. It was this experience that compelled me to compete in strongman contests, obstacle races and jiu-jitsu tournaments all of which I have placed quite well.
Currently, I train and teach at High Octane Fitness/Hybrid JiuJitsu & Martial Arts along the side of Tim Hart. Tim also has many accomplishments to his credit.
My current rankings are:
- Sandan (3rd degree Black Belt) in both Yudo (Korean Judo) and traditional Jiu-Jitsu under Tommy Lunsford
- Purple belt in BJJ under Professor Larry Brooks
- Blue Belt in Combative Jiu-Jitsu under David Vannest.
Each of them has their own organization and I am a member of each.
I also conduct personal training combining my past experience of old school weight lifting, kettlebells, circuit training, bodyweight conditioning and strongman experience. It is a unique blend where every workout is different from the last one. My main objective in training is to protect myself and my loved ones and to not be ashamed to take off my shirt.
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