Meet the Team
Our Exceptional Team
Passion Meets Purpose
For our Aplomb Martial Arts Kansas City instructors, teaching martial arts is not just a hobby or a job – it is their passion and full-time career. At the same time, they are also students, continuously striving to improve their skills and expand their knowledge. Our instructors constantly refine their teaching skills to make your martial arts training experience fun and exciting.
Founders
Starting with his first experience grappling at just 3 years old, Glen Bartlett has dedicated over 40 years to perfecting his prowess in any and every form of martial arts. Although he began his professional career in the business world, he found that he wanted to live his life doing what he loved—martial arts. He ultimately decided to play to his strengths in both business and martial arts by opening his first dojo, followed by many others. In 2020, he created Aplomb Martial Arts with his wife, Janell, as a martial arts franchise in Kansas City with a family-friendly environment where students and instructors can reach new heights with unrivaled support.
Glen plays a pivotal role in the franchise by constantly seeking and coordinating new opportunities for the Aplomb community to grow. He takes a hands-on approach to personal development, working closely with each and every dojo and leading regular training and tests. Even after all these years, sparring (and grappling) is still Glen’s favorite part of martial arts.
Janell Bartlett has spent almost 30 years cultivating her skills as a martial artist, coach, athlete, and leader. Her power and movement stem from her diverse background in athletics, including dancing and figure skating. Once she discovered martial arts, however, she leaped into the art form with full force and never looked back. After many years of practicing, teaching, and fighting, she and her husband Glen opened Aplomb Martial Arts in 2020 to create a close-knit community where students and instructors alike can hone their craft, celebrate their successes, and face their challenges head-on.
Armed with her education in business psychology, she uses her unique skills and insight to make strategic marketing and outreach decisions for Aplomb Martial Arts. She works alongside Glen to train and hire skilled instructors, run master seminars for students, and manage their dojos with passion, focus, and growth in mind. Her favorite thing to do in the dojo is partner work and her favorite move, in her words, is a classic “wicked side thrust kick.”
Chief Instructors
Meet our newest instructor to join the Aplomb Martial Arts family! Bio coming soon!
“My favorite part about being an Aplomb instructor is working with and helping people of all ages. I have so much fun helping kids with listening and focus, while also teaching them fun and awesome ninja moves. For the teens, seeing their confidence in themselves grow, and watching them become young leaders is very rewarding. As for the adults, it is very fulfilling creating an environment where I can push them to be their best selves while experiencing a positive and supportive culture where learning is never ending.”
“I love teaching personal lessons. Group classes are awesome of course. But I love when I get to have that time to discuss with my students what their individual goals are, and then work through our personal training to achieve those goals as well as teaching them new material, body mechanics, and technique to further their rank advancement.”
“The culture at my dojo is fun, exciting, challenging, personal growth oriented, and full of movie quotes and 80’s music. Being part of Aplomb means having an entire team to workout with, support one another, and share ideas with. My favorite part about my job is making people laugh and enjoy their training. It’s AMA-zing to be able to instill confidence in my students and help them take the lessons they learn in the dojo into their lives.”
“My favorite part of being an Aplomb instructor is getting to change student’s lives and make a difference. It is also great to have a job where I’m not at a desk all day! When it comes to the Aplomb system, I love the whole program from white and up; how each student gradually learns body mechanics, and how their movement, strength, and flexibility advances as they do.”
“My favorite part of being an instructor is creating a space where people can challenge themselves, have fun, and discover just how much they’re capable of achieving. With a lifelong love of martial arts, I love bringing creativity and energy into each class while helping every student find their own path to success. My background in theatre and music has taught me that great teaching is about more than knowing the material, it’s about finding creative ways to connect with the people in front of you. I love bringing that same sense of energy, play, rhythm, and even a little performance into martial arts. No two students learn the same way and figuring out what makes something click for someone is part of the fun. If students leave class having learned something, challenged themselves, and laughed along the way, that’s a great class.” – Jason Bauer
“My favorite part of being an Aplomb instructor is watching the growth and progression of each student. Coming from a background in education, there is nothing more rewarding to me than being alongside someone as they work toward a goal, especially when it’s something they started out believing they could never do. Whether it’s gaining self-confidence, becoming stronger or more flexible, mastering a new technique, or simply realizing they’re capable of more than they thought – I love getting to witness that moment when it finally clicks. There are so many opportunities for growth at Aplomb, and getting to celebrate those accomplishments with our students is easily my favorite part of being an instructor.” – Casey Bauer
Come meet us!
Want to learn more about our AMA-zing instructors? Contact us about questions, classes, and more!
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