Dustin Whittemore
Life Member - United States Ju-Jitsu Federation (USJJF) ®
Life Member - USA Traditional Kodokan Judo (USA-TKJ) ®
Life Member - United States Martial Arts Federation tm
Senior Instructor - Examiner for the USJJF
Associate Instructor - Examiner for the USA-TKJ
Arkansas Regional Representative for the USJJF and USA-TKJ
Member-Technical Committee USJJF& USA-TKJ
Renshi Dustin Whittemore grew up on a farm in Clifty, Arkansas. He began training in martial arts in 2006 at the age of 16. He spent the first part of his life attending school in Huntsville, and working on the farm. As a junior in high school, he was overweight and struggled with being picked on and self-esteem. Looking for a way to change his situation, he began training in Japanese Ju-jitsu. In the first year of training, he lost a lot of weight and started building self-confidence. This sparked a love for martial arts and started him down a lifelong path to pursue excellence in martial arts.
After a year of training in Ju-jitsu, he also started attending a weekly judo class at NWA Judo. He attended clinics in Judo under Ed Thibedeau over Judo katas, strategic use of rules, and effective kuzushi tips. In 2010 he attended clinics with Sensei Phil Porter, and in 2016 he trained with Annmaria De Mars.
In 2011, Renshi Whittemore moved to Eureka Springs, Arkansas, and in 2013 he met and began training at the Black Belt Mastery Center in Jiu-jutsu, Shinobijitsu, Iaijutsu, Kenpo, meditation and outdoor survival. He has trained in the dojo 3 to 4 days a week for the past 15 plus years, as well as training and research at home on non dojo days, and started teaching as an assistant instructor in 2009, and has continued to teach ever since. He has hosted self-defense seminars for men and women, and helped referee at Judo and Ju-jitsu tournaments.
Renshi Whittemore strongly believes in giving back to the community and has volunteered at different facilities. He strongly believes in the old ways of Bushido.
He has spent time studying and learning from old martial art classics and resources such as Living the Martial Way, The Art of War, The Book of Five Rings, The Bansenshukai, and many more. He also has completed and received certification to teach several different methods of meditation.
In the wake of the 2020 pandemic, he spent a lot of time working on a martial art style he is developing named Sui Hasu Ryu Jujitsu, which means Water Lotus School of the gentle art. The water lotus is a symbol of enlightenment in the eastern mindset and is a reflection of what he hopes to accomplish with the style of Martial Arts he is creating. Taking all the best aspects that he has learned down his martial art path from different schools and teachers, he is determined to create a system that will make the world a better place on and off the mat. It focuses on teaching the student right from the start to investigate how to adapt the skills they are learning to their own body.
With his art, Renshi Whittemore hopes that he can help give students an effective way to learn to defend themselves as well as exposing them to different martial doctrines to help them become well rounded warriors. He also hopes to greatly deepen his understanding of the arts in the process, so that he can continue to give back to the martial arts community.
To give back to the community where he lives Renshi Whittemore teaches police officers, medical professionals, EMTs, firefighters, and for staff at drug / alcohol rehab centers in onsite workshops. He hopes to help these professionals help become more secure in their jobs as well as have effective tools to safely handle resistant people they encounter in their work. He also teaches weekly classes to the public.
Ranks Achieved -
Yondan 4th Degree Black Belt in Ju-Jitsu (USJJF)
Yondan 4th Degree Black Belt in US Taiho-Jutsu (USJJF)
Sandan 3rd Degree Black Belt in Judo (USA-TKJ)
Nidan 2nd Degree Black Belt in Dai Sui Ryu Shinobijutsu (BBMC)
Nidan 2nd Degree Black Belt in Nagano Ryu Jiu-jutsu (BBMC)
Menkyo Shoden in Dai Sui Ryu Shinobijutsu (BBMC)
Contact info for Renshi Dustin Whittemore -
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: Water Lotus Martial Arts
Life Member - United States Ju-Jitsu Federation (USJJF) ®
Life Member - USA Traditional Kodokan Judo (USA-TKJ) ®
Life Member - United States Martial Arts Federation tm
Senior Instructor - Examiner for the USJJF
Associate Instructor - Examiner for the USA-TKJ
Arkansas Regional Representative for the USJJF and USA-TKJ
Member-Technical Committee USJJF& USA-TKJ
Renshi Dustin Whittemore grew up on a farm in Clifty, Arkansas. He began training in martial arts in 2006 at the age of 16. He spent the first part of his life attending school in Huntsville, and working on the farm. As a junior in high school, he was overweight and struggled with being picked on and self-esteem. Looking for a way to change his situation, he began training in Japanese Ju-jitsu. In the first year of training, he lost a lot of weight and started building self-confidence. This sparked a love for martial arts and started him down a lifelong path to pursue excellence in martial arts.
After a year of training in Ju-jitsu, he also started attending a weekly judo class at NWA Judo. He attended clinics in Judo under Ed Thibedeau over Judo katas, strategic use of rules, and effective kuzushi tips. In 2010 he attended clinics with Sensei Phil Porter, and in 2016 he trained with Annmaria De Mars.
In 2011, Renshi Whittemore moved to Eureka Springs, Arkansas, and in 2013 he met and began training at the Black Belt Mastery Center in Jiu-jutsu, Shinobijitsu, Iaijutsu, Kenpo, meditation and outdoor survival. He has trained in the dojo 3 to 4 days a week for the past 15 plus years, as well as training and research at home on non dojo days, and started teaching as an assistant instructor in 2009, and has continued to teach ever since. He has hosted self-defense seminars for men and women, and helped referee at Judo and Ju-jitsu tournaments.
Renshi Whittemore strongly believes in giving back to the community and has volunteered at different facilities. He strongly believes in the old ways of Bushido.
He has spent time studying and learning from old martial art classics and resources such as Living the Martial Way, The Art of War, The Book of Five Rings, The Bansenshukai, and many more. He also has completed and received certification to teach several different methods of meditation.
In the wake of the 2020 pandemic, he spent a lot of time working on a martial art style he is developing named Sui Hasu Ryu Jujitsu, which means Water Lotus School of the gentle art. The water lotus is a symbol of enlightenment in the eastern mindset and is a reflection of what he hopes to accomplish with the style of Martial Arts he is creating. Taking all the best aspects that he has learned down his martial art path from different schools and teachers, he is determined to create a system that will make the world a better place on and off the mat. It focuses on teaching the student right from the start to investigate how to adapt the skills they are learning to their own body.
With his art, Renshi Whittemore hopes that he can help give students an effective way to learn to defend themselves as well as exposing them to different martial doctrines to help them become well rounded warriors. He also hopes to greatly deepen his understanding of the arts in the process, so that he can continue to give back to the martial arts community.
To give back to the community where he lives Renshi Whittemore teaches police officers, medical professionals, EMTs, firefighters, and for staff at drug / alcohol rehab centers in onsite workshops. He hopes to help these professionals help become more secure in their jobs as well as have effective tools to safely handle resistant people they encounter in their work. He also teaches weekly classes to the public.
Ranks Achieved -
Yondan 4th Degree Black Belt in Ju-Jitsu (USJJF)
Yondan 4th Degree Black Belt in US Taiho-Jutsu (USJJF)
Sandan 3rd Degree Black Belt in Judo (USA-TKJ)
Nidan 2nd Degree Black Belt in Dai Sui Ryu Shinobijutsu (BBMC)
Nidan 2nd Degree Black Belt in Nagano Ryu Jiu-jutsu (BBMC)
Menkyo Shoden in Dai Sui Ryu Shinobijutsu (BBMC)
Contact info for Renshi Dustin Whittemore -
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: Water Lotus Martial Arts