Steel City Martial Arts was opened in the late 1990's. Sensei Achille had been teaching at the Yamane Karate dojo for 10 years. When YKD closed many of his students wished to continue the quality training that they had received from him, because it was not available anywhere else. With the encouragement of his students and his love for the martial arts, Steel City Martial Arts was born.
           
These ten years of teaching was only a small part of Sensei Achilles’ martial arts history. He began his training as a young teenager in the art of Japanese Jiu-jitsu. His overall fascination with the martial arts has lead him to explore the art of Judo. He began to feel a need to round out his skills and become proficient in every facet of self-defense. He trained in and received a black belt in both Tae Kwon do and Japanese karate. At this point he had entered his thirties and throughout the years had become a force to be respected on the tournament circuit. Although he had become proficient in so many of the arts, he could not help but feel that there must be a way to combine all of the skills that he had learned into one efficient fighting system, suitable to use for self-defense.
           
Sensei Achille's search for instruction to combine all of his skills into self-defense training that was both effective and practical lead him to train with Shihan Sejiero Yamane. This gentleman was trained by his own father, who was a self-defense instructor in the eastern military. Mr. Yamane was an expert in both Japanese Jiu-jitsu and Tai-jitsu karate. Shihan Yamane helps Sensei Achille to polish his skills and learn the value of brute strength vs. technique.    Sensei Achille earned his black belts in both Japanese jiu-jitsu and tai-jitsu karate faster than any of Shihan Yamane's previous students.
           
With the opening of Steel City Martial Arts, being a mature and respected martial artist, Sensei Achille realized the satisfaction that he received by imparting the knowledge that he had acquired over many years of training to his own students. He became aware that seeing his students excel was more gratifying than any trophy that he had earned.
           
He became obsessed with becoming the best instructor that he could be. With the introduction of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu into the United States, Sensei became intrigued with the skills that this art had to offer. With the skills that he had acquired in Japanese jiu-jitsu and judo, the transition to Brazilian to Jiu-jitsu felt very natural. Sensei then decided that adding these skills to his arsenal of talents was something he had to do. He then actively sought out Professor Pedro Sauer for his reputation and philosophy. Sensei Achille trained with Professor Sauer, the instructor quickly realized that Sensei Achille's years of training and dedication to his arts made him a perfect addition to the Gracie, Team Pedro Sauer Association of Martial Arts. Instructor Achille after many years of training earned his black belt in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. Professor Sauer gave him the honor of presenting a Gracie black belt to him. This makes Sensei Achille the only Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Black belt in the Greater Pittsburgh area.
           
Sensei and his students have not disappointed Professor Sauer and have brought more Brazilian Jiu-jitsu team awards to the Gracie name than any team in the area. Sensei Achille himself has been competing across the country. In 2007 our instructor won the U.S. Nationals with a gold in his division and silver in the absolute open weight division, he also returned home with a silver medal from the Pam Am games. He is respected as a law enforcement tactics instructor, conducting numerous seminars for law enforcement officers in the area. He has conducted self-defense seminars for women and shared his knowledge with many owners and instructors from other academies who train at SCMA on a regular basis. Achille is also the Vice President of the Pennsylvania Brazilian Jiu-jitsu federation. Sensei and his staff have been instrumental in organizing some of the largest Brazilian Jiu-jitsu tournaments in the Greater Pittsburgh area. With the love of his family and support of his staff of instructors, Sensei Achille has made the name Steel City Martial Arts, synonymous with legitimate martial arts instruction in the Pittsburgh region.