RANDALL HASSELL
BIOGRAPHY

Martial Arts Illustrated magazine called Randall Hassell "Shotokan's Great Communicator" and "The spiritual voice for a generation of karate-do practitioners." The Fighter magazine said Hassell is, "hands down, the world's finest, most authoritative karate-do writer."

Senior Editor of Tamashii Press, Chief Instructor of the American Shotokan Karate Alliance (ASKA), and a Founding Fellow of the International Karate Society (IKS), Hassell began Shotokan training in 1960 with Sensei Hidetaka Nishiyama and is a first generation American to pioneer Shotokan karate, introducing it to the St. Louis, Missouri area in 1961.

Hassell was a member of the Japan Karate Association from 1960 until 1984, when he formed the American JKA Karate Association with other senior non-Japanese instructors Ray Dalke, Leslie Safar, Dick Gould, and administrator A.R. (Dick) Allen. He is currently President of the American JKA Karate Association-International (AJKA-I).

While majoring in English Literature at Washington University in St. Louis, he began an intense, formal study of the history and philosophy of the martial arts in general, and karate-do in particular.

To date, this study has led to the publication of more than 100 articles in numerous periodicals around the world, and more than 28 books including:

Recognition: A Karate Novel (with Stan Schmidt);
The Karate Experience: A Way of Life;
Conversations with the Master: Masatoshi Nakayama;
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Karate;
Shotokan Karate: Its History and Evolution (New, 2007 Updated Edition);
Karate Ideals;
The Karate Spirit;
Karate: Zen, Pen, and Sword;
Karate Training Guide Volume 1: Foundations of Training;
Karate Training Guide Volume 2: Kata--Heian, Tekki, Bassai Dai;
Samurai Journey (with Osamu Ozawa).

In addition to teaching in his own dojos and at various YMCA's and school districts in the St. Louis, Missouri metro area, Mr. Hassell oversees the instruction and administration of thousands of students nationwide in ASKA and AJKA-I affiliated clubs, and he travels extensively, teaching, lecturing, and officiating.