05/27/2026
Meet the man behind the legacy.
At Pursue Combat Academy, martial arts is more than training. It’s family, discipline, tradition, and purpose. From discovering martial arts as a child in Okinawa, Japan, to decades of training, teaching, and passing knowledge to the next generation, Sifu Jeremy Reed’s journey reflects dedication and a lifelong passion for growth.
Get to know the story, experience, and heart behind the instructor who continues to shape students, family, and future generations at Pursue Combat Academy.
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Sifu Jeremy Reed was born in Twenty-Nine Palms, California, to Marcus and Sandra Reed. Jeremy’s father, a retired Lt. Col. in the USMC, was stationed in various locations around the world. In the 1980s, Lt. Col. Reed received orders to be stationed in Okinawa, Japan. While in Japan, Sifu Reed went on an elementary school field trip to an Okinawan police training academy, where he was introduced to judo. This experience immediately drew him to martial arts.
Jeremy began training in his early teens. He holds belts in Taekwondo and Tang Soo Do, as well as an honorary black belt in Sanuces Ryu Jujutsu. He competed on the tournament circuit in Southern Maryland, earning multiple sparring medals and Championship Titles. In the mid-90s, he began training under Sifu Andre Parker in Western boxing and Jeet Kune Do (The Way of the Intercepting Fist). Sifu Andre Parker is a second-generation Bruce Lee student who earned his instructor’s license under the late Sifu Jerry Poteet. He was also mentored by other original students, including the late Sifu Jesse Glover and the late Sifu Ted Wong. Sifu Reed became Sifu Parker’s senior student and was later promoted to apprentice instructor at age 19. In 2002, Sifu Reed was inducted into the Black Belt Hall of Fame in Orlando, Florida.
Sifu Reed’s school, Pursue Combat Academy, is in Jefferson City, TN. He teaches alongside his two eldest children, Master Instructor Sifu Xavier Reed, age 25, and Sifu Corena Patton (formerly Reed), age 27. He also teaches his younger sons, Judah, Soren, and Rory, as well as his wife, April Reed.
After years of training and teaching, he trained alongside Sifu Ted Wong during a weekend retreat in the 2000s. Sifu Reed stated that as he watched Sifu Wong move and hit the heavy bag, he saw the essence of Bruce Lee. Sifu Wong inspired him to keep training regardless of his age. His goal now, after years of training and teaching martial arts, is to watch his grandchildren train in The Way of the Intercepting Fist.
