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