Allen Branch, CPT, SCS, NASM-PES  6th Degree Black Belt

Fitness One founder Allen Branch has 22 years experience in the field of Fitness and sports conditioning. He is a certified Performance Enhancement Specialist with the National Academy of Sports Medicine, Sports Conditioning Specialist, a  Certified Personal Trainer, a Kickboxing Master Instructor and has been certified in Resistance training biomechanics at the Cooper Institute in Dallas. He is also a member of an elite advisory board for the American Public University Sports and Health Sciences and Sports Management program.

Allen serves as Instructor, Instructor trainer and innovator of many different fitness disciplines over the last 15 years serving as a full time fitness trainer. He has been featured on WBFJ radio as the Personal Trainer for the Triad,  FOX 8 News and has been in numerous articles and publications in print.

Allen holds Black Belts in 6 styles of Martial Arts, representing 28 years of continued studies. These include Black Belts in Kickboxing, Ju-jitsu, Karate, Taekwondo,  Russian Sombo and in Israeli Krav Maga.Allen was also the first civilian Instructor to complete the Marine Corps Close Quarters Combat Instructor training course under the guidance of Mr. Cardo Urso. He was a featured Instructor at the renown Karate College at Radford University in Virginia, a key presenter at the 2000 World Martial Arts conference and has been featured in Instructional videos for specially designed training drills that have been distributed throughout the World.  His Martial Arts program is also officially recognized as the North Carolina representatives for Israeli Krav International, the most respected Krav Maga certifying body in the World.

Allen has a Masters Certificate in Project Management from Villanova University, and is featured curriculum adviser in the most comprehensive Kickboxing manual ever written. Voted fight trainer of the year in 2002, he is a protege of the legendary World Kickboxing Champion Joe Lewis and is Master trainer of one of only 12 official JLFS training centers  in the World. He has a 30-3-2 fight record, is a silver medalist in Sombo (Russian Submission Wrestling) and has competed in Boxing, Kickboxing, Sport Ju-jitsu, Sombo, and Sport Karate. He has taught 4 National Kickboxing champions, 3 East coast champions and 7 National ranking medalists in submission wrestling, as well as winning numerous victories and titles in a variety of combat sports over the last 15 years. He is the founder of American Martial Arts Systems, whose techniques and training methodologies are taught all over the globe. He recently has been promoted to master Instructor rank by his senior Instructor of 16 years Mr. Alan Jacobs, one the worlds finest personal protection specialists who has served as head of security for stars such as Whitney Houston and Meg Ryan. Together Branch and Jacobs formed American Martial Arts systems in 1991 and now nearly 1,000 students have learned the techniques and strategies this unique system has to offer, and AMAS remains the Triad areas leader in Martial Arts innovation and development.

  Allen now has turned his focus to full time teaching and fitness consulting, founding Fitness One Training Systems as a leader in one on one and group fitness instruction, youth and adult Martial Arts programming, Kickboxing and self-defense.  Fitness One  assists people of all ages with a wide range of services, including weight loss, muscle toning, injury prevention, sports conditioning and performance enhancement. He has a diverse training clientèle,  with clients ranging from age 10 to age 65.

Olinda Branch  BS, AFAA ADV CPT, GFI, 2nd Degree Black Belt

Olinda brings 20 years of experience to the Fitnessone team. A Certified Personal trainer, Advanced level CPT and Group Fitness Instructor, She is also certified in Mat Sciences, Zumba, Kickboxing and Yoga. She became a full time fitness instructor in 2000 and since has logged thousands of hours of Instruction to her list of credentials.

A much sought after personal trainer, Olinda brings a unique style of fitness training and a wide range of knowledge in the fields of nutrition, weight loss, program design and overall health to the Fitness One program that helps  clients reach the next level in their health and fitness goals.  

Olinda has trained athletes for soccer, baseball, football, volleyball, triatholons and running. She has also worked with police and fire personel preparing for fitness testing requirements. Olinda holds a 2nd degree Black belt in American Martial Arts Systems, a first degree black belt under Joe Lewis and was a gold medalist in the 1998 Sombo Submission wrestling nationals. 

She is a Red Cross water safety Instructor and also offers private swim lessons for people of all ages, specializing in aquatics programs working with seniors and small children.

Olinda is available for fitness consultations, personal training, nutrition guidance and program design. She can reached at trainer@myfitnessone.com

Josh Tufte CPT, 5 th Degree Black Belt

U.S. National Kickboxing Champion

Josh Tufte, Sr. Student and Instructor AMAS, 4th Dan, CPT, has over 13 years of experience in Mixed Martial Arts, Karate, Boxing, Kickboxing, Krav Maga, Tae Kwon Do, Sombo, Judo, Jeet Kun Do and other fighting styles.  Josh started training when he was just 9 years old; he earned his 1st Black Belt at the age of 11.  Martial Arts has been a part of his everyday life ever since. Holding a 4th Degree Black Belt under Allen Branch and a 3rd Degree Black Belt under Joe Lewis, Josh is the youngest person in the world to hold those degrees under both instructors.  Josh was on the original staff of four of Allen's schools working as a trainer and instructor for children and adults.  In 2004 Josh received the "Trainer of the Year Award" for AMAS. He has trained thousands of students over the years.  Josh is the senior student under Allen Branch, training with him for longer than anyone else continuously.  He has contributed to developing training drills for AMAS and promoted more than a dozen Black Belts in the system.  Josh has trained side by side with legends in the martial arts world all of his life. 

Josh also has his Certified Personal Trainer Certificate from AFPA, a prestigious certifying body for personal trainers.   Josh has trained more than a dozen champions in Boxing, Kickboxing and MMA, specializing in stand up fighting.

Josh started competitive fighting at the age of 16. Josh's titles include the Virginia State, Central East Coast, Mid-Atlantic, x2 East Coast, USA, and North American and is a 4 time Tough Man Champion.  Josh is ranked 1st in the world in kickboxing by WKKO and 2nd in the world in Kickboxing by the IKF.  He has over 20 wins in boxing and kickboxing.

Josh is the senior student and lead assistant instructor at American Krav Maga and is currently in phase one of launching a new “Go home safe” program for kids. 

Tracy Green, CPT

Tracy Green is an AFAA Certified Personal Trainer,  Certified Group Instructor, Kickbox fitness Instructor and Black Belt in American Martial Arts Systems. Tracy also has taught youth Karate and Martial Arts as well as private and group women's self-defense classes. 

Tracy is First Aid and CPR certified, and has also worked as a lifeguard and water aerobics instructor, specializing in the senior population in water exercise.

A competitive Kickboxer, Tracy trained and fought for the East Coast title in 2008 and placed 2nd against the reigning National Champion, in her first competitive endeavor.

Tracy is currently serving as a Personal trainer, Martial Arts Instructor and Self Defense instructor for Fitness One and is available for consultations, private and group training and self-defense classes.

Jon Phipps

Jonathan has been training in martial arts for more than 25 years. He has trained in Isshin-Ryu Karate, Judo, Jujitsu, Jeet Kune Do, American Karate (3rd Dan), Allen Branch's American Martial Arts Systems (2nd dan), Joe Lewis Fighting Systems (2nd dan), and Krav Maga (Blue Belt). 

Jon has been nationally ranked in Karate point fighting and has a passion for searching the globe to find the best in Martial Arts techniques from all styles.

Jonathan feels that he has been blessed with many great instructors over the years and has found that his passion is in teaching what he has learned to his students. Jonathan says nothing beats seeing the confidence and self esteem of a new student grow as they train and learn martial arts.  The people that come in are more than just students their family.

Jon founded the AMAS kids program at the Family Life Center and has taught there for nearly 8 years, before relocating all of his programs into the Multi-Faceted programming at Fitness One.

Alan Jacobs

Senior Advisor, Amercian Krav Maga - Alan Jacobs has a distinguished career in Martial Arts & Executive Protection that has spanned over 4 decades. 

In 1999 Jacobs was inducted into the International Body Guard Hall of Fame as

“International Protection Specialist of the Year”   presented by Grand Master John C. Kantzler of the Eastern USA International Martial Arts Association.

A  Master level Black Belt, Jacobs is proficient in Judo, Taekwondo, ju-jitsu, American kick boxing, aikido etc. Jacobs also  won the NC State Games  senior division championship in sparring and forms,  2 years in a row.  He also served on the International Taekwondo Federation  - Demo team for ITF Founder-  General Choi Hong Hi, the founder of Taekwondo, on his only visit to North Carolina. After operating traditional Martial Arts academies in Greensboro and Charlotte, North Carolina, Jacobs decided in 1990 to abandon the “ in the box”  thinking of those systems and train only a select few in his newly designed system of what was then called American Martial Arts, which incorporated Israeli fighting arts along with Asian and American styles.

Jacobs has earned an International reputation and professional living at the highest levels of the bodyguard / executive & dignitary protection / anti- Stalking and high risk bounty hunter professions. Jacobs was the first technical advisor to the national television series “The American Bounty Hunter.”

In 1994 Jacobs graduated from prestigious Executive Security International Academy earning his Certified Protection Specialist degree (C.P.S) in the Executive Protection Program.

Almost immediately Jacobs went to work in New York City working close personal protection for a well known Fortune 500 corporate client.  Shortly afterwards, Alan worked in bail fugitive recovery where he worked on some major cases internationally.  He also worked in undercover narcotic trafficking cases and coordinated efforts with ATF, DEA and NYPD and returned some dangerous fugitives to custody.

In the same year, Alan began working with the security detail for Whitney Houston, and shortly thereafter was hired as the full time Security Director for Ms. Houston and family.  He worked as Ms. Houston's Director of Security and personal executive protection agent from 1997 to 2002. 

Jacobs has worked in over 32 countries and served as Director of Security and close personal protection agent on several World Tours throughout Europe, Turkey, Asia, China, Brunei, Australia and many others.

Jacobs provided Executive Protection to  Principal's at such Internationally prestigious events as the MTV music awards ( U.S. & Europe), Grammy Awards, Academy Awards, HBO specials ,BET Awards, Music Video's, television shows ( Saturday Night Live ,The Tonight Show, David Letterman show, Rosie O'Donnell show, Late Lick - Ireland, Wetten Das – Germany, Top O the Pops – England, etc) , Fashion Shows ( Dolce & Gabbana, Versace, etc), Major motion pictures such as The Preachers Wife & Cinderella (  security for Whitney Houston), In the Cut ( security for Meg Ryan), Honey ( security for Rodney Jerkins)and  many Fortune 500 and Political clients such as  Presidential candidate Alan Keyes , Former President George H.W. Bush, General Norman Schwartzkopf and other high profile clients.

Jacobs's dynamic real-world experience as a team leader, team member and doing 1 on 1 protection, walking the walk, doing the work, sets him apart in the Martial Arts & Executive protection arenas.

Jacobs now serves as senior advisor/Instructor for American Krav Maga and is available for consultancy services, Corporate or Group lunch & Learn sessions, seminars, etc on a contract basis.

Ashlie Reid, AFAA Group Primary Fitness Instructor, Lead Kettlebell Trainer

Ashlie Reid is the lead Kettlebell trainer at Fitness One, earned her AFAA Group certification and is the driving force behind the “7 day meal plan” and the research that goes into the Fitness One nutrition information. MORE BIO INFORMATION TO COME

Allen can be reached at 336-655-4558 or by e-mail at trainer@myfitnessone.com