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Bushido International Society 

 

Bushido International Society Award

 

Membership in the Bushido International Society is the most prestigious award given by the United States Karate-Do Kai, recognizing the organization's most spirited competitors. This award follows the tradition established by Master Robert A. Trias of inducting the United States Karate Association's most spirited competitors into the Trias Interntational Society.

Founded in 1995, Bushido Society members met each year to interview competitors for acceptance into the Society. During the years 2017-2019, Sensei Koeppel considered focusing the USKK's activities more on seminars and less on tournament competition.  With support of the organization's membership, competition was discontinued in 2019. Following the change of focus, the Bushido Society suspended activities.

To honor Bushido International Society members, history and traditions, background information and a list of members are provided below.

 

Members of the Trias International Society Hall of Fame founded the Bushido International Society to honor Grandmaster Robert A. Trias and to continue with the recognition of outstanding, world-class competitors.

 

Acceptance into the Bushido Society is the Award - bestowed upon new members by existing members, who had once proven themselves in competition and undergone the scrutiny of the Society. The award is issued to those competitors who embody the way of Bushido through their training and lifestyle, exhibited through their loyalty and knowledge, their skill and ability to utilize techniques, and their adherance to the principles and ethics of Karate-Do. Although many competitors are considered for membership each year, only a select few are accepted. The standards are extremely high, and to those not accepted it is still considered an honor to be nominated.

 

Candidates must be black belt members of the USKK, selected by automatic nomination or personal nomination by a Society member. Automatic nomination is achieved by winning one of the following National Points Championships: Black Belt Kumite/men, Black Belt Kumite/women, Black Belt Kata/men, Black Belt Kata/women, Black Belt masters Kumite, Black Belt Masters Kata, Black Belt Kobudo, Black Belt Kata (over 40), Black Belt Kumite (over 40). Personal Nomination requires a Society member to formally recommend the nominee for consideration.

 

All nominees must submit a resume to the Bushido International Committee two weeks prior to the annual meeting. Nominees are then interviewed at the meeting by all Bushido Society members present. During the interview, nominees are questioned about their karate background, personal training and tournament accomplishments, and are judged by their sense of honor, character and respect.

Bushido International Society Members

The founding fathers of the Bushido International Society

(in the order they were inducted into the Trias International Society):

Master Phillip Koeppel

Mr. James McLain

Mr. Parker Shelton

Mr. Glenn Keeney

Mr. Robert Yarnall

Mr. Larry Davenport

Mr. Ross Scott

Mr. Mike Awad

Mr. John  Hutchcroft

Mr. Eddie Bethea

Mr. Mike Izatt

Mr. George Anderson

Mr. Ric Beech
 

Bushido International Society members in the order of their inductance:
1996

Mr. Anthony Joseph Fyock
Mr. Thomas Awad

1997

Mr. David Hamann
Mr. John Manley

1998

Mr. H Eugene Talbott

Mr. Bill Bowling

Mr. Ron Rollins
Mr. John Parrish
Mr. Robert Brown

Mr. Steve Anderson

1999

Mr. Kevin Chalfant
Mr. Guy Holtzman

2000

Mr. Keith Alvey
Mr. Simon Murphy

2001

Ms. Monica Rivers
Mr. Stephen Van Camp
Mr. Lawrence Kammerer
Mr. Frank Fink

2002

Mrs. Patricia Fink
Mr. Curtis Jones
Mr. Lance Hoover
Mr. Thomas Campbell

2003

Mr. Patrick Beaumont
Mr. Thomas Freeman

2004

Mr. Thomas Ward

2005

Mr. Tante Ramoran
Mr. Jeff Davidson
Mr. James Price

2006

Mr. William Lee Vecchiolli

2007

Mr. Donald Sonney

2008

Mr. Mark Campbell

2009

None

2010

Mr. Reginald Venson
Mr. Dennis McMullin
Mr. Gustavo Albear

Mrs. Maureen Davidson

2011

Mr. Harry Reid

2012

Mr. James Duffy
Mr. David Baldock

2013

None

2014

None

2015

Mr. Luke Sartino
Ms. Heather Hamel

2016

None

2017

Ms. Tarin Switzer
Mr. Drake Sass

2018

Mr. Daniel Winner
Ms. Sandra Jovanovic

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