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He has learned from teachers and owner, Brad Haynes, at Awesome Martial Arts Academy in Clarksville. Haynes, 51, has been involved in martial arts for 33 years.
“ I had a friend, named Chris Taylor, who was going to martial arts and I was driving him to class and I would sit in the facility while he was in class,” Haynes said.“ This was back when I was 18 and I figured if I was going to be there, then I might as well take a class. He quit about 6-8 months later and here I am 32 years later. It was something I had an interest in with watching movies and things of that nature.”
From that experience with that class 33 years ago, Haynes has turned that experience into a business. It took him 17 years to become a black belt in jiu-jitsu last year. Additionally, when he started jiu-jitsu he was a fourth-degree black belt in taekwondo in 2009.
“ In martial arts, it’ s hard for somebody to be‘ the guy’ in the school to become the lowest of the low ranks,” Haynes said.“ It’ s a neat thing to start learning again. It’ s about self-discovery and when you’ re a beginner, it’ s learning not to quit. That’ s the biggest thing in learning how to be uncomfortable, but be comfortable in being uncomfortable. We’ re all uncomfortable in different times of our life, so learning how to be uncomfortable involves a lot of different things that are uncomfortable in our lives.”
That feeling of self-discovery led him six months after he started to help others. Along the way up the belts, Haynes said he“ had someone with him every belt.”
“ I tell this to my instructors all of the time in how we can change lives because that person( I don’ t remember his name or face) and he doesn’ t know he changed my life,” Haynes said.“ But he told me I was good at something and that’ s what the main thing is to how can we change people’ s lives by making them understand they’ re good at something and that’ s uncommon nowadays.”
Positivity has helped to lead Bartley become a blue belt, which you have to be 16 to receive that belt, the fifth highest among the belt groups. The sophomore in high school was bestowed the belt on Feb. 21.
“ It has taken a lot of dedication and hard work,” Bartley said.“ It isn’ t about the belt as it’ s more about the implementation. If you go chasing for a belt, then you earn nothing.”
With two high rankings in two martial arts under his belt, Bartley has continued to aim higher. The next goal for the sophomore is to belt up in han mu do, a dynamic Korean martial art focused on self-defense using joint locks, throws, kicks, striking and weapons to redirect an attacker’ s force. He is a senior orange belt in han mu do.
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PAGE NO. 18 NEWS AND TRIBUNE SPORTS MAGAZINE MAY / JUNE 2026