About EP Martial Arts

EP Martial Arts was started by three friends searching for a better place to train and share their passion for martial arts with their community!

Bart Axelrod met Ty Wesley when he was teaching at the Seekonk YMCA 12 years ago. Bart immediately liked Ty and was very impressed with his skills and teaching ability. The class he took with Ty was great – he learned a lot and loved the sparring. Soon after, Ty stopped teaching at the Y and began running classes in his basement in Providence.

At the time, Bart was studying Judo at Celtic Judo in Rehoboth with his coach Wayne Dickenson He and his friend Al also worked out regularly with Ty. After a few years training in the basement and with their shared passion for martial arts, they decided it was time to find an adequate place to train and start their own school. 

It took a while to get off the ground but they finally opened Sanshou Fighting and Fitness on  September 2012. They later changed the name to San Shou Martial Arts because they weren’t just about fighting and they wanted parents to feel comfortable sending their kids to train.

Says Bart, “We’re having a lot of fun working out and teaching.  We have been joined by several great instructors teaching different arts and we now offer classes 7 days per week!”

‘Sifu’ Ty Wesley

Head Instructor Ariel Tyre Wesley, aka Sifu Ty, has been teaching martial arts for 30 years. He is a Level 10 Full Instructor in Traditional Wing Chun. He trained under Sifu Saladin Abdullah and was certified under Master Anthony Arnett, a direct student of Grandmaster William Cheung. Sifu Ty also trained in JKD Concepts and Filipino martial arts under Sifu Keith Allan.

Sifu Ty has competed in wrestling, kickboxing and San Da competitions. He is a former New England full-contact champion in three weight classes.

Sifu Ty has coached men, women and children to local and national championships in light and full contact San Da and Kickboxing as well as MMA.

Ty is a RI EMT C. He has been an active member of the Bristol, RI Rescue Squad since 2008. He has worked for the RI Hospital Emergency Department since 2001 and is a current member of the Lifepact Critical Care Transport Team.

Bart Axelrod

Bart Axelrod has been teaching Krav Maga since 2013.  He holds a black belt from KAMI, the Israeli Krav Magen Association, the largest Krav Maga association in Israel.  Bart has also received instructor certifications from several other associations, as well as a level 2 Instructor Certification from The Academic College at Lewinsky Wingate in Israel.  Bart holds a third degree black belt, (Sandan), in Uechi Ryu Karate and a brown belt, (Nikyu), in Judo.

In addition to teaching, Bart worked as a 911 paramedic in the Boston area for 12 years.

Wayne Dickinson

Introduced to judo by his Dad at age six, he competed as a junior in National and Junior Olympic competition. On the senior circuit he competed throughout the United States and Canada from 1986-2002. In 1996 at the National Championships in San Jose he went 5-2 in the 78kg division but lost the bronze medal match. In 1999 he won gold at 90kgs at the National Ladder Championships in Milwaukee and qualified to compete in the US Open at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. At the Open, he won his first two matches (BRA) & (PUR) but lost to World Bronze medalist Brian Olson in the quarterfinals and finished 9th. In 2001 he took Silver at 90kgs at the National Ladder Championships in Indianapolis.

In Masters/Veterans competition Wayne competes internationally and has won titles at the World Masters Championships, Pan-Am Masters Championships and National Masters Championships. He competed in the first ever World Masters Judo Championships in 1999 in Canada (Silver 35-39 90kg) and has six World Masters medals, including gold in 2009 in Atlanta. He is a 5-time Pan-Am Masters Champion, which includes wins in Montreal and the Dominican Republic. He is a 13-time National Masters Champion and has a total of twenty National medals. In 2013 Wayne represented the USA at the Asian Grand Masters Judo Championships (1-1) at the Kodokan in Tokyo. He was the 2009 Pan-Am Masters Tournament Director and competed in the event and won a gold medal. Wayne has written extensively on competition judo in The Masters, Judo Journal and Real Judo. He was featured in Sports Illustrated’s ‘Faces in the Crowd’ in 2003.  He is a USA Judo certified coach and a 5th degree black belt (Godan).

Mark Dennen

Mark Dennen has studied martial arts for 33 years. Since then, his studies include: Karate (Shoto Kan and American Freestyle), Tae Kwon Do (WTF and ETF), Kickboxing, Filipino Jujitsu, Arnis de Mano, Tai Chi (Yang Style), Sanshou and Krav Maga. Among his certification as black belts in Karate, Arnis de Mano and Filipino Jujitsu as well as 4th red in Tae Kwon Do. He was also a theatrical stunt fighter and actor specializing in sword and stick fighting, director and co-founder the children’s meditation program at the Providence Zen Center and a Certified Professional Geologist.

Jose Miguel Marte

Jose began his judo career in his native Dominican Republic. He gained valuable experience traveling with the Dominican team to several international competitions. He is a National Masters Champion (2007) and National Masters Bronze Medalist (2006). He represented the United States at the World Masters Championships in Canada in 2005 and in Atlanta in 2009.

He returned to the Dominican Republic in 2008 representing the United States and won a bronze medal at the Pan-Am Masters Championships in Santo Domingo.

Jose has also won gold medals in Masters divisions at the Am-Cans (Buffalo) and Liberty Bell Classic (Philadelphia). He holds the rank of Shodan, first degree black belt.

Bob Marsh

Bob started training right here at Celtic judo. Having been a wrestler, judo was a natural transition for him.

Bob has competed throughout New England and Canada bringing home numerous gold medals in the process.

Bob is a 1st degree black belt (Shodan).

Paul Whyte

Paul is a U.S. Army War Veteran from Operation Desert Storm/Shield. Paul has studied martial arts for 20 years. His studies include: Jeet Kun Do, Tae Kwon Do ITF, American Karate and Filipino Martial Arts including Arnis, Kali and Escrima. Paul holds a Black Belt in JKD under Sifu Christopher Fernandes and instructor apprenticeship in JKD under the late Sifu Keith Allan.

Tommy Kang

Tommy has been training for 25 years. He has been Grappling for over 10 years and Catch Wrestling is his specialty.Catch Wrestling is a hybrid form of free style wrestling and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.  It is a very practical and useful form of Grappling in self defense.  It is particularly effective because you use all parts of your body as weapons.

Marco Ferrer

Marco is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu brown belt under Tim Burrill and a Judo brown belt under Wayne Dickinson.  He also wrestled for 10 years. Marco competes in BJJ as well as Judo.