Terry Bullman’s name is familiar to many in Knoxville. He moved here in 1997 and lived downtown for many years before moving to his current home in Old North. After fighting in tough man competitions, he shifted to boxing in Knoxville and trained with Ace Miller. After boxing, he became an expert in the Israeli self-defense system, Krav Maga, and eventually opened his own gym, Bullman’s Kick Boxing and Krav Maga, now located in Bearden.
For long-time readers of this website, the name may be familiar because of an article I wrote six years ago announcing he would open a gym on Gay Street. It didn’t happen due to reasons far beyond his control. He never quite got past the idea of opening a gym somewhere near downtown and now that dream has become a reality as he opened Bullman’s South at 726 Sevier Avenue in the new City South building in January of this year.
The gym offers classes in self-defense, cardio kickboxing, yoga and kid’s self defense. The classes are available with a membership or with the purchase of a range of class packages. The space was built with garage doors, allowing for free flow of outside air in good weather. He said he loved the opportunity to be in a new building and is excited to be a part of south Knoxville. He said the area is filled with people moving about, walking and cycling, and he thinks the gym will be a good fit for the area.
He encouraged anyone who is interested in learning more, to download the Bullman’s app to see a full list of schedules and costs. He acknowledged the challenges of operating a gym in a pandemic, but said they have made a number of changes to ensure safety. Mask wearing onto the floor and off the floor is required, with masks only removed during training at which time participants are spaced out.
Hand sanitizer flows freely and they also have a more extensive cleaning program than ever before. Understanding that in-person classes may not be the best option for some at this time, all classes have been filmed and are online. An online-only memberships offers access to the videos, while a full membership offers access to the gym, as well as the virtual classes.
Interested clients are encouraged to take advantage of a free class to see if the gym is a good fit. Family memberships and student discounts are also available. Stop in an welcome one of south Knoxville’s newest businesses.