Dr. Brett as he is known, has trained in the martial arts since he was 11 years old training with some old French Canadian Wrestlers in how to induce pain on the mat. When he was in high school, he was introduced to Sambo. First through the only English book in Sambo published by FILA and next through training with the USMC Greco Roman Wrestling team. Most of the Marines also competed in Sambo. One of his good high school friends was a Sambist on the US Air Force team and he also showed Dr. Brett techniques in Sport Sambo. Later on he was shown techniques in Combat Sambo by a Russian wrestling coach.

He got his first black belt in Choi Shin Do (took him 10 years), a system of Hapkido, Yudo, Korean Jiu Jitsu, Tae Kwon Do and Western Boxing. During this time he met and trained with various Soviet ex-pats in Sport and Combat Sambo. His next instructor certificate came from Remy Presas in Modern Arnis while living in Portland, OR. There he met and trained with a walking encyclopedia of Asian Martial Arts, Charles Wilk, an acupuncturist with black belts/sashes from so many famous instructors. He earned two certificates from Mr. Wilk, a black sash and a black belt in Black Dragon Gung Fu and Aikijujitsu. At this time he started training with Kelly Worden, who would become a big influence in Dr. Brett's integration of the Sambo Wheel. He eventually got a teaching certificate from Datu Kelly Worden.

Before that, his travels led him back East to train with the prominent instructors of American Sombo, Bruce Jones, Mark Densberger and Scott Anderson. He earned a fourth degree Black Belt and continues to learn and train with Scott Anderson, the greatest scholar and technician of American Sombo today. He moved back to the Pacific Northwest and opened a Sambo School. Here he continued his Sambo training by meeting with many ex-Russians of the rapidly growing Slavic community in Portland. Regularly they would meet in the back room of a video store and trades ideas, techniques and stories. These Russians were always puzzled that an Americanski knew so much about Sambo and their culture.

Dr. Brett trained extensively with Vladimir Vasiliev to understand the Soft School of Sambo. Finally, he obtained his Savate Coaching certificate from Paul Buitron III and training in Zapota. He has also trained, sparred, fought in many boxing and kickboxing gyms around the country and there are many, many more people who have influenced Dr. Brett's development as a martial artist, Combat Sambist and instructor.