Robinson Martial Arts Staff
Grand Master Randy “The Mighty Munchkin” Robinson
Grand Master Randy Robinson is a managing partner of Robinson Martial Arts in Marion, NC. He began his martial arts training in Chinese Kempo under Professor Martin Buell at his Aiea, Hawaii school in 1972. Two years later he moved to southern California where he studied Shotokan Karate under Sensei Phil Jarvis. Here he was promoted to assistant instructor and earned the nickname “The Mighty Munchkin” for his aggressive fighting style. After relocating to his home state of North Carolina he began training in Goju-Shorin Karate with Dr. James Dozia, and Yoshitsune Ju-Jitsu with world renowned Soke Michael DePasquale, Jr.
He had a highly successful career as a national level competitor with a long list of wins. He is a two-time AAU Champion and Division Winner of the Battle of Atlanta. In 1991, he was ranked a top-ten competitor in North America by the North American Sport Karate Association.
After gaining experience training, competing, and teaching for decades Randy received strong support and encouragement from Goju-Ryu founder, Bill McDonald, to create and new style of karate based on his varied training and experiences. Following this advice he founded the Sakura-Ryu™ style of karate, a martial arts system based on the principles of Goju-Ryu, Shorin-Ryu, and Chinese Kempo. The new fighting system was built upon basic Okinawan karate principles, but incorporated many non-sport Kempo style self-defense techniques in order to help students be better prepared for real street confrontations. In 2015 Sakura Ryu™ was recognized by the International Kuro Bushi Martial Arts Organization and was officially launched as a new style of karate.
Randy holds an 10th degree black belt in Sakura Ryu™ Karate, a 7th degree black belt in Goju Shorin, and is a certified Yoshitsune Combat Ju-Jitsu instructor. He is the current Executive Director of Sakura Ryu Karate Systems and Editor-in-Chief of The Martial Arts Extraordinaire Magazine. Randy is an inductee into the U. S. Martial Arts Hall of Fame, an inductee into the American Martial Arts Alliance Who’s Who Legends Hall of Fame, an inductee into the Action Martial Arts Magazine Hall of Honor, an inductee into the Masters in the Martial Arts Hall of Fame, an inductee into the Sport Karate History Museum, an inductee into the Kuro Bushi Martial Arts Organization Hall of Honor, and the recipient of the American Martial Arts Alliance Couples in Business Award along with his wife Carolyn. He serves on the American Martial Arts Alliance Board of Advisors, the American Martial Arts Foundation Board of Advisors, and the Kidz Action Martial Arts Choice Awards Board of Advisors. He is a life member of the American Independent Karate Instructors Association, a life member of the Kuro Bushi Martial Arts Organization, and a certified judge on the Dojo Organization tournament circuit. He is a contributing author for the Elite Martial Artists in America compilation book and has been featured in both Who’s Who in the Martial Arts and Martial Arts Success Magazine. Randy is also a freelance writer and holds a degree in Literature from the University of North Carolina at Asheville.
Sensei Carolyn Robinson
Instructor/Director of Business Affairs and Finance
Carolyn is a managing partner for Robinson Martial Arts in Marion, NC. She became interested in martial arts for self-defense while traveling on the national tournament circuit with husband, Randy, and son, Scot. Carolyn began training in Goju-Shorin Karate in 1991 and as she trained and became more involved with her family’s competitions, she enrolled in coaching classes and certified as an AAU Karate Coach.
She graduated from Hardbarger College in Raleigh, NC, with an accounting degree and attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville and East Carolina University majoring in English.
Carolyn holds a 3rd degree black belt in Sakura Ryu Karate and a 3rd degree black belt in Goju-Shorin Karate. She is an inductee into the Masters in the Martial Arts Hall of Fame, receipient of the American Martial Arts Business Award with husband Randy, serves on the board of Sakura Ryu Karate Systems, is the creator and head instructor for the innovative Sakura Ryu Tiger programs, serves as coach for the Robinson Martial Arts competition team, teaches Women’s Self Defense seminars, and is the director of all business and financial affairs for Robinson Martial Arts.
Kyoshi Scot Robinson
Program Consultant
Scot began his martial arts training in Chinese Kempo and Shotokan under his dad in 1984. After his family relocated to their home state of North Carolina he began training in Goju-Shorin Karate with Dr. James Dozia, and Yoshitsune Ju-Jitsu with world renowned Soke Michael DePasquale, Jr.
He had a highly successful career as a national level competitor with a long list of wins that included the Battle of Atlanta, Burlington Nationals, and two AAU karate championships. In 1991, he was ranked as a top-ten competitor in North America by the North American Sport Karate Association.
After years of training, Scot worked with his dad to launch the Sakura Ryu™ style of karate, a new martial arts system that became officially recognized as a new style in 2015.
Scot holds an 8th degree black belt in Sakura Ryu™ Karate, a 6th degree black belt in Goju Shorin, and is a certified instructor of Yoshitsune Combat Ju-Jitsu. He serves as a board member of Sakura Ryu Karate Systems, is an inductee into the Sport Karate History Museum, the Action Martial Arts Magazine Hall of Honor, and is the recipient of the 2015 Excellence in Teaching Martial Arts Award. In 2016 he received the Action Martial Arts Magazine Hall of Honor Ambassador to the Martial Arts award. He holds Bachelor’s Degrees in both Psychology and History from the University of North Carolina at Asheville; a Master’s Degree in Special Education/Behavior Management from Western Carolina University; and a Master’s Degree in Historical Archaeology from University of Leicester in Leicester, England. Scot is currently a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology at Western Carolina University. He is also a writer whose credits include Black Belt Magazine.
