Meet Our Instructors

Master Nestor Folta is an 8th Degree Black Belt and Master Instructor certified by the Uechi-Ryu Karate-Do Association, with over 40 years of training and teaching experience. He is the founder & owner of the Chantilly Family Martial Arts (CFMA), Okinawa Karate & Cultural Center (OKCC), Academy of World Champion Nestor Folta (AWCNF), and the Okinawa Cultural Center (OCC) in Chantilly, Virginia. A seven-time World Karate Champion, Master Folta is the only non-Okinawan to have trained directly under Grandmaster Kanei Uechi and to have completed all belt promotion tests up to 8th Degree Black Belt in person at the World Headquarters (Soke Shubukan) in Futenma, Okinawa. He remains actively dedicated to preserving and teaching traditional Okinawan Uechi-Ryu Karate.

Nestor “Koichi” Folta is a 4th Degree Black Belt in Uechi-Ryu Karate with over 20 years of training and teaching experience. Fluent in Japanese, he trained extensively in Okinawa and maintains strong connections to the birthplace of Uechi-Ryu Karate. He is an All-Okinawa Karate Champion (Team Kata – Middle School) and continues to train and instruct at the Okinawa Karate & Cultural Center, emphasizing traditional technique and disciplined practice. In April 2025, he tested for and earned his 4th Degree Black Belt under Master Nestor Folta and Master Sadanao Uechi, President of Uechi-Ryu Karate-Do Association (Soke from Okinawa).

Kenyu Koga Sensei is a 2nd Degree Black Belt in Uechi-Ryu Karate with over 12 years of training under the guidance of Master Nestor Folta. His practice emphasizes discipline, precision, and continuous improvement through traditional Okinawan methods. In April 2025, Kenyu Sensei tested for and earned his 2nd Degree Black Belt under Master Nestor Folta and Master Sadanao Uechi, President of Uechi-Ryu Karate-Do Association (Soke from Okinawa). He continues to train and instruct at the Okinawa Karate & Cultural Center.

Mayumi Folta Sensei is a 2nd Degree Black Belt in Uechi-Ryu Karate with over 20 years of training through the Academy of World Champion Nestor Folta. A native of Naha City, Okinawa, Japan, she is a certified Cultural Ambassador for Okinawa, maintains strong ties to Okinawan culture and tradition. In addition to her karate training, she has long been involved in traditional Okinawan Eisa drumming, recently added cultural dance and continues to practice and support the cultural foundations of Okinawa.

Mark Salum Sensei is a 1st Degree Black Belt in Uechi-Ryu Karate with over 20 years of martial arts training. His background includes extensive study across multiple traditional and modern martial systems, contributing to a well-rounded and practical understanding of self-defense. Sensei Mark began his Uechi-Ryu training at the Shubukan Headquarters Dojo in Okinawa under Soke Sadanao Uechi and later continued his training under Master Nestor Folta at the Okinawa Karate & Cultural Center. In April 2025, he earned his 1st Degree Black Belt under both instructors and continues to train and teach both karate and kobudo at the OKCC.