Biography

Kyoshi Jimmy "The Jet" Blann has been teaching martial arts since 1975. His dojo is located in Southaven, Mississippi, since its establishment in 1980. In April of 2015 the USA Karate Federation inducted Blann into the Hall of Fame for the Lifetime Achievement Award. The committee bestowed this honor on Blann the same evening they inducted five black belt students from his dojo, including his wife, Vicki Blann. As of 2015 he holds an eighth degree black belt in Shotokan Karate.

Besides Shotokan, Blann has experience in Tae Kwon Do and Kyokushi-kia. He also teaches boxing, kickboxing, and self-defense courses. He comes from a family of martial artists, his brothers, wife, and children all practice and teach, or have taught, at some point in their career. To date he has certified 300 black belts.

Jimmy "The Jet" Blann was the 1985 K.I.C.K. USA Welterweight Kickboxing Champion and a two-time K.I.C.K. World Welterweight Kickboxing Champion (1987, 1989). Kyoshi Blann was USA Karate Federation (USAKF) National Coach from 1991 through 1995. Sensei Blann was also National Coach for the USA National Karate-do Federation (USANKF) from 1996 through 2004. Blann also holds various accolades of his own (trophies, medals, plaques, etc.) through tournaments which he has participated in throughout the world.

Kyoshi Blann has trained a variety of champions who have followed in his footsteps on all levels of competition: local, state, national, international. Blann's Dojo often has a team ready for competitions on national and international levels. He hosts a yearly competition in honor of his father. For a period of time, when the DeSoto Sunrise Homes for boys and girls were in existence in Mississippi, Kyoshi Blann offered classes at no cost for the children in their care.
- IMDb mini biography by: Chad Bush