Meet the Sensei

Mr. Poitras has studied and trained in the martial arts for over 35 years with more than 30 years of teaching martial arts in the Western Pacific, Far and Middle East and stateside.  He has spent over eight years training in Japan and Okinawa. He has instructed U.S. Navy Military Police in Atsugi, Japan and U.S. Customs Air Interdiction Agents while performing Southern Border, Central and South American drug interdiction operations with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine.  He attended the U.S. Customs Defensive Tactics Instructor Course at Fort Benning Georgia while serving as an Air Interdiction Officer with U.S. Customs, Air and Marine Interdiction Division, Surveillance Branch-West, Corpus Christi. Texas. He performed Defensive Tactics and Control techniques instruction to CBP Officers while attending the CBP Academy at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC), Glencoe Georgia. He has served as a CBP Anti-Terrorism Contraband Enforcement Team Lead Officer (A-TCET- Houston [Air]), Counter-Terrorism Response Team (CTRT-Houston) member, and as an Outbound Enforcement Operations (EXODUS) Lead Officer. Mr. Poitras conducted investigations and interdictions of critical technologies, narcotic proceeds repatriation methods and illegal weapons exportation which create a clear and present danger to U.S. National Security.

​

     Mr. Poitras holds the following ranks: 7th Degree Black Belt (Kyoshi) in Matsumura Seito Shorin Ryu, 6th Degree Black belt (Renshi) in Matsubayashi Ryu and Yamanni Ryu Kobudo, 7th Degree Black Belt (Kyoshi) in Okinawan Hakutsuru (White Crane) Karate.  He is a 25-year retired Navy Veteran who has served as a Tier 2 Combat Air Crewman serving more than 20 years in the Western Pacific and Middle Eastern Theaters of Operation.  He is a graduate of the Navy's Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) and Desert Environment Survival Training (DEST) courses at Warner Springs, CA, Jungle Environment Survival Training (JEST) Cubi Point, Philippines, Cold Weather Environment Survival Training (CWEST) McMurdo, Antarctica and Deep Water Environment Survival Training (DWEST) throughout his Naval career. Kyoshi Poitras earned a B.S. in Aerospace Science from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and a M.S. in Strategic Security in Terrorism/Counter-Terrorism Studies from the National American University-Henley Putnam School of Strategic Security.