Who is Jeff Bedard anyway?

Bedard has been president of USA Karate Clubs, Inc. since 1991.  He is a veteran competitor and coach with more than 400 personal appearances at major championships to his credit.  He has also trained thousands of area residents and produced over 350 domestic and foreign champions to date. His travels across five continents give him a unique perspective on martial arts training and culture. His athleticism, technical knowledge, and philosophy are the result of those experiences.

A Jordanian named Bassam Ramaha introduced Bedard to Kyoshi Shoko Sato in 1997.  At a Christmas meeting in Caracas, Venezuela that year Kyoshi Sato asked Bedard to represent the World Shitoryu Karate Federation in America.   Kyoshi Sato sent his son Kenji Sato to live with Bedard in St. Louis, Missouri and teach him the Shitoryu curriculum.  Subsequently, Bedard immersed himself in WSKF affairs.  Since 1998 he has participated at every major WSKF event and championship including the world tournaments of 2000, '03, and '06 - leading his group to a bronze medal in team kumite at the 2006 WSKF World Championship.  In 2003 he was appointed executive director following the retirement of USA Shito-Kai founder Leonel Perez of Miami, Florida.  In 2005 he was asked by Kyoshi Sato to unilaterally establish a national headquarters and administrative system to govern USA Shito-Kai operations in the US.  Bedard has shown himself to be a trusted, loyal member of the Shito-Kai organization.

Regarding WSKF business, the past ten years Bedard has rarely spoken publicly. He has been relegated to working behind the scenes awaiting his turn at the helm. While he has been producing division winners for years for the WSKF and American national federations (AAU, USA-KF, and current NGB USA-NKF) he remains largely unknown. Only recently has he been allowed to speak as the voice of the USA Shito-Kai.

Daisuke Sato (Kyoshi Sato's oldest son), an executive for the Chevron-Texaco company stationed in Asia, has coached Bedard on Karatedo protocol.

"Over the past ten years Sensei Bedard has proven himself to be a competent athlete, coach, and organizer for the federation", said Daisuke Sato.  "Absent a background in traditional Karate-do he needed time to assimilate the culture. His ability to communicate has improved to the point that the WSKF and Kyoshi Sato are more comfortable allowing him to express his vision more freely.

Bedard's profile at a glance:

Positions
Executive Director, USA Shito-kai
President, USA Karate Clubs, Inc.
Owner, Family Martial Art Center
Director, Governor French Karate Academy
WSKF Rank: 4th Dan
USA-NKF Status: Referee D/Judge A
2007 FBI Records Search - Clear
2007 Shito-Kai National Team Coach
4^th Dan World Shitoryu Karatedo Federation
     Certified by Shoko Sato, Caracas, Venezuela
3^rd Dan Black Belt Karate Association
    Certified by Jim Smothers Sr., St. Louis, Missouri
Certified in Jun Fan, Kali, Muay Thai, and Pentjat Silat
     Daniel Inosanto / Paul DeThouars
American Sport Education Professional 
     University of Illinois, Urbana
USA-KF State/League Referee
USA-NKF Judge A/ Referee C license
2000 World Shitoryu Karate Federation Award of Excellence
     Awarded by Kenei Mabuni & Ken Sakio
Coach of the Year 1995-1999 - Mississippi Valley Regional Sport Association-  
     (Over 200 U.S. and Pan-American champions to date)
1998 USA-Karate Federation Pioneer’s Award
     For spearheading the Olympic movement in Missouri
1994-97 Andrew Woods Award of Excellence
     Awarded to the top 1% of martial art clubs in North America
1991 Young Master’s Award
     Black Belt Karate Association

Stylistic Background:
Shitoryu Karate
Western Boxing
American Kickboxing 
International Kickboxing
Jujitsu
Shoot-wrestling 
Pentjak-Silat 
Lee Jun Fan
Kali-Escrima-Arnis de Mano 

Athletic Accomplishments
Bedard has amassed lengthy competitive records with:
World Shitoryu Karatedo Federation (WSKF)
USA National Karatedo Federation (USA-NKF)
USA Karate Federation (USA-KF), 
Amateur Athletic Union (AAU)
American Shotokan Karate Association (ASKA)
Japanese Karate Organization (JKO),
World Kickboxing Council (WKC), 
Karate International Council on Kickboxing (KICK),  
International Kickboxing Federation (IKF). 

He has coached adult and junior teams at the 
WSKF World Championships
WSKF Pan-American Championships
WSKF Venezuelan National Championships
WSKF Mexican National Championships
WSKF United States National  Championships
PUKO Junior Pan-American Championships
U.S. Open Karate Championships
USA-NKF National and Jr. Olympic Championships 
USA-Shito Kai National Championships
USA-KF National Championships 
AAU National and Junior Olympic Championships
ISKC American Shotokan Championships

As USA-NSK National Team Coach
WSKF World Championships
2000 - Tokyo, Japan
2003 - Moscow, Russia
2006 - Tokyo, Japan
USA-NKF National Championships
2005 - San Jose, California - (2nd place)
2006 - Charlotte, N.C. - (1st place)
2007 - Charleston, WV. - (2nd place)

Individually:
2004, 05 USA-NKF Sr. Men’s Champion
3-Time International Gold Medalist
3-Time U.S. Middleweight Kickboxing Champion
3-Time U.S. National Karate Champion
6-Time USA-KF National Medalist
NASKA National Self Defense Champion
U.S. Jujitsu Association Silver Medalist
NACKKA Full Contact Karate Champion
USA-KF National Team member
USA-NSK National Team member
15-Time Missouri/Illinois State Karate Champion
7-Time Missouri State Tae-Kwon-do Champion