Matthew Mullins

Matthew Mullins is a five-time World Martial Arts Champion, pioneering martial artist, instructor, and one of the early innovators of modern martial arts tricking and Extreme Martial Arts (XMA).

With more than 35 years of martial arts training, Matt began his journey under legendary instructor John Sharkey at Sharkey's Karate Studio in Naperville, Illinois. Under Sharkey's guidance, he quickly rose through the competitive ranks, becoming a six-time NASKA National Champion and earning multiple World Championship titles while representing Team USA on the international stage. His success helped establish a new generation of martial arts performance athletes and contributed to the evolution of modern sport karate.

A 7th-degree black belt in Shorei-Ryu Karate and a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Ryron and Rener Gracie, Matt has dedicated his life to the study, evolution, and teaching of martial arts. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, he trained alongside fellow world champion Mike Chaturantabut, helping pioneer the transition from traditional sport karate into what would become known worldwide as Extreme Martial Arts (XMA)—a dynamic blend of traditional martial arts, acrobatics, and performance.

Matt's contributions to the growth of XMA and modern martial arts performance were featured in the Discovery Channel documentary XMA: Xtreme Martial Arts, which introduced the emerging sport to audiences around the world. He later founded the Sideswipe Performance Team, one of the most influential martial arts demonstration teams of its era. The team gained international recognition through live performances, competitions, and television appearances, most notably advancing to the Top 8 on America's Got Talent and reaching millions of viewers worldwide.

Beyond competition, Matt successfully transitioned his martial arts background into a career in film and television as an actor, stunt performer, and action designer. He is widely recognized for portraying Johnny Cage in Mortal Kombat: Legacy and has contributed action design and stunt work to productions including Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., The Defenders, Luke Cage, Runaways, and numerous feature films. His fight scene opposite Michael Jai White in Blood and Bone remains one of the most viewed martial arts fight sequences online.

Originally published in 2006, Train Like a Martial Arts Champion, Kick Like a Pro was among the first instructional books dedicated to teaching martial arts tricking through a structured, step-by-step curriculum. Twenty years later, Matt continues to teach, mentor, and inspire martial artists around the world through competition, instruction, action design, and the lifelong pursuit of mastery.