About Duke and Our School

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu:  Think of collegiate wrestling in a Gi (Judo Legacy) with a very different set of rules. 

Speaking of Gis, each student will receive a school approved Gi as part of their membership upon signing up to train at Marshall Arts Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.  In addition to wearing a Gi, there is a style of Jiu Jitsu that rolls without Gi, and this martial art method is known as “No-Gi.”  For No-Gi, practitioners wear tights under shorts as a rash guard with long sleeve or short sleeved shirts). The rules in No-Gi Jiu Jitsu are very similar to Gi Jiu Jitsu.  All students are barefoot in class wearing a Gi or not and feet must be clean.

Now that you have an idea of what my school is all about I , let me tell you who I am:

I was born Manuel A. Murphy in March of 1962 to Angelita and Thomas P. Murphy on an American Army base in Stuttgart, Germany.  After returning to the U.S., I spent my youth moving up and down the east coast as a result of my dad’s army career. My folks started calling me “Duke” (a family name) before I even knew my legal name. When my dad retired from the Army, my family moved to San Diego, California where I attended Chula Vista High School (CVHS).  At CVHS, I played football and I wrestled, I was catcher for the Spartans, and “ran” track and field, focusing mainly on shot put. As a CVHS senior, I was captain for each of my team sports, including football, wrestling, baseball, and track and field and was voted most “Outstanding Male Athlete of 1980,” as well as the “Sam Wolfsdorfer Trophy” winner for the best student athlete/leader at CVHS. Later that year, after graduation, I won the “US National Greco Roman Wrestling for 18 and Under” Championships, representing the US.

At college, I wrestled at Palomar Junior College for 2 (two) years, winning a scholarship to Cal State Fullerton, where I I competed at the D1 level for two and a half seasons.  Upon graduation from Fullerton with a degree in Physical Education (Physiology Emphasis), I entered Naval Flight Training, where I qualified to fly on E-2C Hawkeyes as the Mission Commander and CIC Officer in two Fleet squadrons. The second half of my 20 year Navy career focused on the operation of missile systems for the Navy and Air Force.  I retired as Lieutenant Commander in 2008 to become first a DoD contractor, then a civil servant for 4 years, only to return to contracting after accepting an offer to work for the Air Force Standoff Weapon Applications Center (SMAC) as the Maritime Fires Liaison. 

It was always a dream of mine to run a martial arts/combat defense school that I couldn’t/wouldn’t realize without the proverbial rug of financial security being pulled up from under me.  It was just never the right time to change careers, putting everything on the line, until it most definitely was time. Leaving behind a lifetime of what was familiar, I seized this extraordinary opportunity to build a school that I now hope will produce strong, healthy, and confident community leaders, who in turn, will assume the necessary leadership roles in our communities. That’s you, btw! 

I started learning Jiu Jitsu in 2017 with the benefit of many years of wrestling at a national level “under my belt.” And with Mike and the LBBA’s support and training, I’m now a purple belt. With Mike remaining as my mentor, I estimate that earning a black belt will take me (approximately) a further 5 (five) more years. My hope is that this love I have for Jiu Jitsu can be shared or passed on to inspire kids and adults alike throughout Marshall and North East Texas to embrace this physical and mental challenge.  From the day you join this school, I will teach you this martial art, and with practice and physical conditioning, you will improve and gain the confidence to step up and protect yourself and your loved ones if the situation calls for it.