A team of smart & passionate martial artists
Nick Smith
Nick Smith started Hill Country Karate in 1983 with one location in New Braunfels, Texas. His program currently has 32 locations, an active instructor base of over 40 Black Belt instructors and an annual weekly enrollment as high as 1500 students. Mr. Smith has trained and promoted well over 275 individuals to the rank of Black Belt. He has hosted and directed more than 230 tournaments with competitors numbering from 300-1600 over the past 40 years. Nick is recognized as one of the nation’s top tournament directors and is requested by the International Sport Karate Organization to judge and officiate the World Finals Divisions of their tournament that is televised on ESPN every year.
Nick’s other accomplishments include:
• 8th Degree Black Belt – American Karate (1985)
• 8th Dan Black Belt – Superfoot Systems (1985)
• 6th Dan Black Belt – World Tiger & Crane – Goju Ryu Karate (2008)
• 1st Degree Black Belt – Cha-yon Ryu Tae Kwon Do (1982)
• 1st Degree Black Belt – Pekiti-Tersia Kali (1990)
• Silat Suffian Bela Diri Team Leader (2015)
• Silat Suffian Bela Diri Regional Director (2017)
• Silat Suffian Bela Diri Global Tactical Director (2018)
• Adaptive Combative Class Instructor at the US Armed Forces Center for the Intrepid (2011)
• Board of Directors member for NASKA (North American Sport Karate Association – 2022)
• Owner/Promoter “Cowboy Up! World Championships” (NASKA World Tour – 2022)
• Combat Pistol, Duty Rifle & Combat Shotgun Instructor (USCCA/L J N & Associates – 2019)
• North American Professional Martial Arts member (1997)
• North American Professional Martial Arts Cardio Karate Instructor (1997)
• Dog Brothers Martial Arts Instructor (2001)
• Kabaroan Eskrima of Filipino Barons Associate Instructor (2001)
• Real Safe/Know & Go/Bullyguard Instructor (2006)
Nicki Freeman
Nicki Freeman is Director of Cypress Warrior Martial Arts. She began her training under Hill Country Karate in New Braunfels, Tx in 2007. She earned her Black Belt under Director Nick Smith in 2011 and has been an instructor ever since. Ms. Freeman began teaching in Cypress in 2015.
David Lange
David Lange started Space City Martial Arts in 1980 and has been a cornerstone of martial arts excellence in La Porte (1980), Baytown (2015), and Mont Belvieu (2024). Our certified instructors, who are expertly trained under Space City Martial Arts and T.A.S.K., are committed to continuously enhancing their skills in techniques, self-defense, and forms. Our primary goal is to provide an unparalleled experience in American Karate, driven by our inspiring motto: “What the mind can perceive, the heart can believe, the body can achieve.”
