PHOTOS provided / CLICK to enlarge and view at your own pace.

Tony Jacomet will provide a program for the Bluffton Area Chamber of Commerce on Friday, December 12 at 7:30 a.m. at Bluffton Town Hall.

By Paula Pyzik Scott

In November 2025, two students at Jacomet’s Martial Arts, 121 S Main St, Bluffton, became the first Gen Yuan Kempo black belts produced at the school. What makes this even more special is that the two are father and son, Josh and Jason Gillespie.

Instructor Tony Jacomet notes that Josh and Jason have taken private lessons, attended summer camps and taken every opportunity to advance their skills.

Guests at their November tests were discipline founder and Jacomet’s instructor Shane Lear and Adelyn McKinley, another certified instructor who teaches with Lear. The tests were also attended by upper-level students from the Bluffton school.

Jacomet explains that black belts signify that you have mastered the basics of a martial arts system. It is the biggest milestone and takes months of preparation. He explains that studying martial arts combines both mental and physical preparation: “You can go for a run and put on your headphones and not really think about it. With martial arts, you have to keep the other person safe.”

He describes the test as a showcase in which students use light, controlled contact. This was “a big day for the school and for the students. I hope it’s the first of many.” Jacomet noted that the school has a very low injury rate while still challenging students.

See also Dojo tucked into S. Main St location offers classes for children, teens and adults

◾️