New Orleans. In June 2003, Barry fought twice at the Art of War: China Comes to Atlanta event in Atlanta, Georgia where he won both a US National Sanshou team spot and the SKF World Heavyweight Championship by knocking out Paul Gurevidius with a high kick. In November 2003, as a US National team member, Barry participated at the 2003 World Wushu Championships in Macau, winning a silver medal in the −90 kg/198 lb division. He visited China numerous times from 2002 through 2008, amassing over fifty amateur bouts while competing in one of Shandong's stadiums and training with Chinese National Sanshou team at the Shaolin Temple. On December 18, 2004, he won the K. Superstar Championship in New Orleans by KOing John Dixson, and a month later in Gulfport, Mississippi, he won the Kings of Kickboxing tournament by stopping Marshall Berger with low kicks in the final. K-1 (2005–2007) Having taken part in K-1 tryouts held in Las Vegas in 2004, Barry was recruited by kickboxing's premier organization and made his promotional debut against Scott Lighty in a tournament reserve bout at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2005 in Las Vegas on April 30, 2005, losing for the first time in his career by split decision. In June 2005, he met with American kickboxing great Duke Roufus while he was commentating on an event in Biloxi, Mississippi and the two became close when Barry stayed with Roufus in Milwaukee, Wisconsin after losing his home in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina, a tragedy which also claimed the life of his grandmother. After switching to Roufus' gym in Milwaukee, Barry won his first K-1 fight in his sophomore appearance when he knocked out Mark Selbee inside the opening frame at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2005 in Las Vegas II on August 13, 2005. Later that month Barry's grandmother was killed in Hurricane Katrina. He fought to a split draw with Russian Kyokushin Karate stylist Aleksandr Pitchkounov in a non-tournament bout at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2005 in Tokyo Final at the Tokyo Dome on November 19, 2005. They rematched in the tournament reserve match at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2006 in Las Vegas on April 29, 2006, and Pitchkounov won by split decision. Following this, Barry moved to Amsterdam to train under four-time K-1 World Grand Prix Champion Ernesto Hoost at "Team Mr.