ABOUT US

Kamal Shalorus, also known as “The Prince of Persia”, Kamal has fought the absolute best in the world in the WEC, UFC, and ONE FC promotions. Kamal was born on the border of Iran and Azerbaijan in a small village consisting of farmers and shepherds. A natural athlete, Kamal began training at an early age where he excelled at amateur Wrestling, and from there his career was born. He began traveling internationally for wrestling and won two world championships before representing the United Kingdom in the Olympic Trials. Kamal eventually made his way to Austin, Texas, where he began fighting as a Mixed Martial Artist. With less than 7 Fights, Kamal fought seasoned veterans Bart Palaszewski and Jaimie Varner, before entering the UFC. Kamal’s resume includes Raphael Dos Anjos (the former UFC lightweight champion), Jim Miller (the most UFC wins in the lightweight division), and Khabib Nurmagomedov (the UFC lightweight top contender). Kamal can now be find competing for ONE Fighting Championships or teaching his students at District Martial Arts.

Scott Dance has been training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for more than 12 years and is one of the most talented Black Belts in the area. By way of Kentucky, Scott moved to the Washington D.C. Area after college where he began to teach and train at an even higher level. Scott teaches Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and no-gi submission grappling, and is constantly improving on and off the mat. Scott has won and competed in multiple Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competitions, including competing in the Finals of the Metamoris Challenger series, IBJFF and UAEJJF regional, National and World championships. Look for Scott’s advanced Brazilian Jiu Jitsu teachings (and protect your neck!) every day of the week.

A high level brown belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Sam Shawa has some of the strongest grips in the game. Having trained for more than a decade, Sam is well versed in the art and practices with an attention to detail that is rivaled by few others. Sam has traveled throughout the United States, spending time in Austin, Texas training with fellow District Martial Arts’ instructor, Kamal Shalorus. Sam also teaches Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and no-gi submission grappling.

Charles DiGisco has been training in all disciplines of Mixed Martial Arts for nearly 9 years. By way of New Jersey, Charles moved to Washington D.C. and attended American University, after which he stayed and worked for the Department of Defense as a Consultant. Charles has competed in both amateur Mixed Martial Arts and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. He can also be seen as a color commentator on UFC Fight Pass as well as the local DC promotion Cagezilla. When not on the mat, Charles can be heard talking about all things fighting with Steven Muehlhausen on their podcast, “The Fight Junkies” available on ITunes.

Another New Jersey native, Mark Cirello is a former NCAA Division 1 wrestler who trains in all areas of Mixed Martial Arts. Mark attended Blair Academy in NJ, one of the most elite prep schools for wrestling in the country, before moving to American University where he competed for four years in three different weight classes. A true renaissance man, Mark is also an accomplished artist, specializing in surrealist-realist paintings. When not on the mat teaching or training, Mark can be found in front of his easel painting his next piece! Cirelloart.com

Richard Dittler has been studying Krav Maga since 2006 and teaching since 2009. He was certified as a Krav Maga Global instructor by KMG Founder Eyal Yanilov, and has trained with senior Krav Maga experts including Zeev Cohen, Amnon Darsa and Ilya Dunsky. Richard has completed speciality instructor courses on self defense for women, kids, transport, third-party protection and combat mindset. Richard is a certified Personal Defence Readiness instructor with Blauer Tactical Systems, and has trained with founder Tony Blauer. Richard has a background in Goju-ryu karate and judo. Richard is from Australia, but has also trained in the USA , Japan and the Middle East. He is a Royal Australian Navy veteran and has worked in Afghanistan, Iraq and East Timor. Richard’s classes incorporate elements of self defence tactics, mental and physical skills and combatives.

Teddy Endale is a professional Martial Arts instructor and certified personal trainer. He is also the owner and founder of Teddy’s Fitness Boxing. He has trained in many different styles of Martial arts such as Karate, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Krav Maga, American Kickboxing, Muay-Thai and Western Boxing. Coach Teddy has been teaching Kickboxing, Thai-Boxing, and Boxing since 2004. He is a Black Belt in Karate and Kickboxing under Master Neil Ehrlich. Teddy started training in Martial arts in 1997at the age of 20. He got into Martial arts so he can learn how to defend himself and get in better shape. He immediately fell in love with it and has been hooked ever since. Coach Teddy has a deep passion and incredible patience for training all levels of Muay Thai and Boxing students, from beginners to professional fighters. As a Muay Thai and Boxing instructor, his focus is teaching technique first. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to his students and clients.