Mad Rock Martial Arts & Fitness
phone 709-788-2180

History & Lineage 

Michael Mullett – Sensei

Sensei Michael Mullett brings over 30 years of diverse martial arts experience to his role as Head Instructor. He began training in 1990 at the age of seven, starting in Kenpo Karate in Cambridge, Ontario. This early exposure instilled strong fundamentals, discipline, and competitive spirit that would shape his future training.

After relocating to Scarborough in 1993, Sensei Mullett continued his development in Okinawan Matsubayashi-Ryu Karate-Do, before returning to Cambridge where he earned his 2nd Degree Black Belt in Japanese Goju-Ryu Karate-Do.

Beyond karate, Sensei Mullett has trained extensively across disciplines:

  • Japanese JuJutsu (training continuously since age 14)

  • Judo (8 years of study)

  • Tai Chi (5 years of internal arts training)

This breadth of experience has resulted in a well-rounded, principle-based approach to martial arts—balancing tradition, self-defence, and personal development.

Sensei Mullett currently holds the rank of 5th Degree Black Belt (Godan) and the teaching title Renshi in Matsubayashi Shorin-Ryu Karate-Do through the Canadian Matsubayashi Shorin-Ryu Karate Association, under his instructor Vern Tilley, Hanshi, 9th Dan.

Teaching has been central to his journey. He began instructing children at age 14, opened his first professional dojo at 19, and has been teaching in the Bay Roberts area since 2019, opening a full-time training facility in May 2025. His instruction emphasizes discipline, humility, leadership, and practical application, ensuring students gain skills that extend far beyond the dojo.

Early Foundation

Alan Lachapelle – Kenpo Karate

Sensei Mullett’s martial journey began under Alan Lachapelle, founder of Super Kicks Karate in Cambridge, Ontario. Training there from 1990, this period provided a strong technical and motivational foundation.

Alan Lachapelle was a Kenpo Karate black belt and Canadian Kickboxing Champion, known for producing high-quality black belts—many of whom went on to open successful schools of their own. This environment emphasized hard work, confidence, and real-world application, values that remain present at Mad Rock today.

Traditional Okinawan Lineage

Vern Tilley – Hanshi, 9th Dan

Sensei Michael began training with Sensei Vern Tilley around 1994 during his time in Scarborough. This relationship would become the cornerstone of his traditional Okinawan karate education.

Sensei Tilley began his martial arts training in 1962 at Wong’s School of Karate in Toronto and discovered his lifelong calling in 1967 when he was introduced to Matsubayashi-Ryu, founded by Shoshin Nagamine.

In 1997, with approval from Takayoshi Nagamine, Sensei Tilley founded the Canadian Matsubayashi-Ryu Karate-Do Association (CMKA) and continues to serve as its Kaiso (Founder).

Sensei Tilley has:

  • Traveled repeatedly to Okinawa to train with senior masters

  • Maintained a direct connection to the art’s cultural and technical roots

  • Specialized in practical self-defence rooted in traditional kata and bunkai

  • Hosted numerous Okinawan seminars across Canada through CMKA

His influence is reflected in generations of instructors and leaders who uphold values of humility, discipline, respect, and lifelong practice—principles that define Mad Rock Martial Arts today.

Goju-Ryu, Judo & Goshin Jutsu Development

Sean Wilson – Sensei

During his teenage years, Sensei Mullett trained extensively under Sensei Sean Wilson, who served as his Goju-Ryu Karate-Do and Judo instructor.

Sensei Wilson was a Goju-Ryu black belt under Gregg Skoryk, and trained in Judo under Wayne Erdman and Bob Zettle of the Kitchener-Waterloo region.

During the late 1990s, while training under Sensei Sean Wilson, Sensei Michael Mullett was a senior student and actively involved in exploring the practical integration of karate, judo, and Japanese juJutsu principles within a self-defence context.

Goshin Jutsu was formally structured and named around the year 2000, emerging from this period of hands-on study, testing, and refinement. Under Sensei Wilson’s guidance, and drawing from their shared training experiences, the system began to take clear shape—blending:

  • Okinawan karate principles

  • Japanese JuJutsu techniques

  • Judo throwing and control methods

  • Modern self-defence concepts

This formative period laid the groundwork for what would become Goshin Jutsu as a defined system, and it continues to strongly influence Mad Rock Martial Arts’ emphasis on functional self-protection rooted in traditional structure and principles.

Continuing the Lineage

In 2003, Sensei Mullett returned to training under Sensei Vern Tilley, reaffirming his commitment to traditional Okinawan Matsubayashi-Ryu Karate-Do and ensuring his instruction remained directly connected to the art’s authentic lineage.

Our Philosophy Today

Mad Rock Martial Arts & Fitness represents:

  • Authentic traditional Okinawan karate

  • Cross-trained, reality-based self-defence

  • Instruction shaped by nationally and internationally respected teachers

  • A lineage grounded in integrity, not shortcuts

Every class taught at Mad Rock reflects decades of training, careful study, and respect for the martial arts as a lifelong path of growth, character, and service.

This is not just where we train—
This is where our lineage lives on.