Shihan Lemuel Muhammad was born in Chicago, Illinois on September 14, 1971. He began studying and training in the martial arts in 1985 at the age of 14. His first teacher was Sensei Gregory Myrick, 5th Degree black belt in Shorin Goju-Ryu Karate. Sensei Myrick was instrumental in young Lemuel developing a sound foundation in martial arts. Shihan Lemuel Muhammad later studied briefly with now Hanshi Larry Tankson. In 1994 he met Grandmaster Abdul-Azziz Muhammad–then known as Professor Anthony–whom he affectionately refers to as “GM”, and immediately became his student. Shihan Lemuel Muhammad is a 28-year devotee of VSK Jiujitsu.
Shihan Lemuel received his black belt in VSK Jiujitsu in 1999. Through consistent training and dedication, Shihan Lemuel was promoted to 4th degree black belt in 2004. Shihan Lemuel founded the VSK Jiujitsu Institute of Self Defense in 2006. Shihan Lemuel retired from competition in the Professional Karate Commission as a 10-time Black Belt Grand Champion. In 2011, he became a Black Belt Hall of Fame induction recipient, an honor he received once again in 2019. After many years of exemplary work promulgating the system of VSK Jiujitsu, Shihan Lemuel became the most prolific student master of Grandmaster Abdul-Azziz Muhammad. On September 14, 2019, Shihan Lemuel Muhammad was promoted to the rank of 6th degree black belt and received ceremonial throws from Soke Li’l John Davis.
Since beginning his training with GM, Shihan Lemuel Muhammad has attained several prestigious awards and trained more than 1,000 students. In 2018, Shihan opened the largest VSK Jiujitsu training facility in the United States, Martial Arts World. He has written two books: “VSK Jiujitsu Basics” (First and Second Edition) and “VSK Jiujitsu: Movement and Timing” and produced a plethora of exemplary training DVDs. Shihan Lemuel Muhammad is a career martial artist and oversees the day to day operation of Martial Arts World and is available for seminars and consultations.