Established as the Aikido Academy of Self-Defense in 1997, Carter's Academy continues to provide top quality instruction in the art of Nihon Goshin Aikido and Gracie Jiu-Jitsu in Lexington, South Carolina. Our owner and head instructor, John Carter, is a Certified Black-Belt Instructor in Nihon Goshin Aikido and a Certified Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Level 1 Instructor. He has 27 years of experience in martial arts and has taught men, women and children from all walks of life. Carter's Academy is one of the largest Nihon Goshin Aikido schools in the United States and is also a Certified Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Training Center authorized by the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Headquarters Academy in Torrance, California.