Mr. James Shepard Jr.

Mr. Shepard is the owner of GMAS and head instructor of Hapkido and NSI Arnins/Worden Defense System. Mr. Shepard has been studying martial arts for 16 years, first studying Hapkido under Grandmaster Kwan Seek Hyun and Master Soon-Joon Ahn in Chicago. He continued training in Bloomington under instructor Arlo Welty and currently holds a 3rd degree black belt in Hapkido, working under Master Bryan Robertson. Mr. Shepard further studies Datu Kelly Worden's Natural Spirit International/Worden Defense System and is a Full instructor Level 3 teaching the NSI Arnis/Worden Defense System class and kickboxing. Mr. Shepard also holds a 2nd degree blackbelt in Taekwondo. He further studies JKD/Kali/Eskcrima in the Martial Concepts method and studies Pekiti Tirsia Kali and Balintawak. During his time in the ranks, Mr. Shepard has worked security and VIP bodyguarding at several local venues. He hopes to bring a range of knowledge and practical real-world application/experience to let the student master key fundamental elements of the art. In understanding the deeper concepts and principles, they might better "connect the systems".



Mr. Eric Scheid

Mr. Scheid, a 3nd Dan TKD Black Belt, began his martial arts training in 1984 at the Korean Tae Kwon Do Academy (KTA) in Washington, IN earning his 1st Dan Black Belt in 1988. He has also trained in Ryukyu Kempo (Green Belt), Modern Arnis, Shaolin Kung Fu and Hapkido (Green Belt) while staying active in marital arts through 1997. Mr. Scheid joined Guardian Martial Arts Studio in 2015 after a long break and prompting from his wife, Christy, and son, Sawyer, who is also a student at Guardian.

Mr. Scheid is living proof that it’s never too late to (re)start. Mr. Scheid enjoys incorporating his mixed-martial arts and physical science (engineering PhD) background into the traditional Tae Kwon Do taught to the students at GMAS.​

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Mr. Mike Schneidt


A member of the U.S. Navy, a full time career at NSWC Crane, and several lengthy overseas assignments along the way, makes Mr. Schneidt's faithful and consistent training in martial arts all the more remarkable. He earned his 1st Dan in Hapkido at GMAS on September 8, 2017, and his 1st Dan in Tae Kwon Do December 6th 2019. He earned his 2nd Dan in Taekwondo October 2022. He is also a High Blue belt in NSI Arnis/WDS. Mr. Schneidt instructs Taekwondo each week, and it should be noted that he and his five children, all train together in martial arts at Guardian.



Miss Lyra Schneidt

Lyra Schneidt is a 1st dan black belt in Tae Kwon Do and teaches the Lil Kicks class on Saturdays along with her sister Ava. She joins fellow Black belt instructors by assisting Mr. Schneidt with Lil Kicks instruction and teaches TKD during the week at times.