STAN SCHMIDT
BIOGRAPHY

Stan Schmidt, "A Teacher of Teachers," is one of the world's most famous and internationally recognized karate masters. He was the first non-Japanese karate practitioner to attain the grade of 7th degree black belt from the Japan Karate Association (JKA) and is the only non-Japanese member of the Shihankai (Council of Masters) of the JKA/WF.

He has visited Japan dozens of times since 1963 to train with Japanese experts at the JKA's famous honbu (headquarters) in Tokyo. He is the Chief Instructor of the South Africa JKA with over 25,000 active students, and is a Founding Fellow of the International Karate Society (IKS). He is also the founder of the College of the Open Hand.

Mr. Schmidt holds a Masters Degree in Communications and has written many articles and books on karate, including the international bestsellers Spirit of the Empty Hand, Meeting Myself: Beyond Spirit of the Empty Hand, and Recognition A Karate Novel (with Randall Hassell).

He has appeared in and choreographed several martial arts movies (including cult favorites Kill or Be Killed and Kill and Kill Again), and has been featured in, narrated, and produced, many television programs including The Winning Blow. He was featured in and produced the acclaimed (and newly-restored) documentary-style feature movie Soul of Karate, and has also produced an instructional series of DVDs entitled Stan Schmidt Instructs Shotokan Karate.