Fitness One founder

Allen Branch

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, WXII and has been in numerous articles and publications in print.

Allen holds Black Belts in 6 styles of Martial Arts, representing 30 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 is exclusively in the North Carolina Area the Regional Training Center for FAST Defense, (Fear Adrenal Stress Training) and holds certifications in Adult Self-Defense, Weapons training, Childrens Instruction, Ground Fighting and is a Certified “Bulletman” Instructor, an elite team of Self-Defense Instructors from around the world who teach real-world defense. He offers private, small group and corporate Self-Defense training seminars around the globe for anyone looking to gain insight on real world self-defense.

 Allen has a Masters Certificate in Project Management from Villanova University, and is a 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 trained one World Champion,  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.

Allen was 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  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 over one thousand 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. Alan Jacobs is one of the Worlds Leading Bodyguard, personal protection and defense specialists.

This level of reality based training is unmatched any where in the United States.

Allen Branch now offering Martial Arts and Fitness Instruction

  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 4 to age 76.

Allen can reached at 336-655-4558 or emailed at Trainer@myfitnessone.com

Alan Jacobs Bio

Alan Jacobs graduated from ESI's Executive Protection Program in 1994 and almost immediately went to work in New York City working close personal protection for a well known corporate client.  Shortly afterwards, Alan worked in bail fugitive recovery where he worked on some major cases in Florida and West Virginia.  He also worked in undercover narcotic trafficking cases and coordinated efforts with ATF,  DEA and NYPD.  In the same year, Alan traveled to South Africa with the security detail for Whitney Houston, and shortly thereafter was hired as the full time Security Director for Ms. Houston.  He worked as Ms. Houston personal protection agent for eight years.

Senior Advisor, Amercian Krav Maga Combatives 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 was one of the first to train Israeli Martial Arts in the USA starting with Hisardut, and then to Krav Maga.



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.



Jacobs has worked with  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.



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.