STAN SCHMIDT
BIOGRAPHY

Stan Schmidt is the world's highest-ranking, non-Japanese JKA Master.

Schmidt 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 JKA Shihankai (Council of Masters).

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). All of these books will again be available from Tamashii Press, very soon!)

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 television programs and other videos including The Winning Blow.

He was featured in and produced the acclaimed documentary-style feature movie Soul of Karate (currently being digitally restored and available once again from Tamashii Press soon), and has also produced an instructional series of DVDs entitled Stan Schmidt Instructs Shotokan Karate.

Tamashii Press is proud to be Mr. Schmidt's worldwide publisher since 1982.