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Sensei Jerry Offutt, Hanshi
8th Degree Black Belt - Shotokan Karate
Sensei Jerry Offutt has been involved with the martial
arts for the majority of his life. Beginning at a very young age
Sensei Offutt, was introduced to art of Boxing in 1963. While in
school Shihan Offutt participated in Greco Roman wrestling and kept
up with his boxing. After he graduated high school Sensei Offutt
started to pursue traditional karate. In 1972 Sensei Offutt enrolled
into a Goju Ryu karate class in Big Stone Gap, Virginia. |
The Goju Ryu class dissolved
after a few months, and Sensei Offutt moved on to training in
Hapkido. After rigorous training in Hapkido, Sensei Offutt moved
to Arkansas and began training in Shotokan Karate in 1976 under
Sensei Buddy Treadway.
Sensei Treadway was a top student of Sensei Torajiro Mori, who
was a multi-time Japan champion in both Kata and Kumite. After
a few years under the tutelage of Sensei Treadway, Sensei Offutt
began training with another one of Sensei Mori’s black belts
named Sensei Doug Chisam. While training with Sensei Chisam; Sensei
Offutt also was a sparring partner several professional kickboxers.
Some of these kickboxers include Cedric “the Bull”
Rogers, and Lafayette Lawson, who were both world champion kickboxers.
Sensei Offutt had a very successful but short-lived professional
kickboxing career. He retired from professional kickboxing with
an excellent record, and began pursuing the more traditional aspects
of Shotokan karate.
Over the years Sensei Offutt has trained with several top instructors
in Shotokan karate instructors including Hidetaka Nishiyama and
Takayuki Mikami. However, in the early 1990’s Sensei Offutt
broke away from the Japan Karate Association to create an organization
that would keep strict standards of training and adhere to a curriculum
closer to what Shotokan founder Gichin Funakoshi had set. This
organization is named the United Shotokan Association.
In 2001 Sensei Offutt was recognized for his efforts by several
Shotokan groups out of Japan, and was awarded the Shihan (or Chief
Instructor of an Organization) title by Gichin Funakoshi’s
student Ryoichi Fujihara. Sensei Fujihara also had Shihan Offutt
recognized by some Shotokan groups in the Tokyo and Yokohama areas
and presented Sensei Offutt with the rank of 7th degree Black
Belt.
In 2007 Shihan Offutt was promoted
to the rank of 8th Degree Black Belt by Shotokan Master Meijin
Masaki Sato out of Osaka Japan. Meijin Sato is a national living
treasure recognized by the government of Japan for his contributions
to the martial arts, and he hold 10th degree black belts in
both Judo and Shotokan Karate. Later in 2007 Sensei Offutt was
recognized again by the Zen Bujitsu Kyokai and was registered
as an 8th Degree Black Belt by Shorin Ryu Grandmaster Seifuku
Nitta out of Chatan Okinawa.
In September of 2007 Sensei
Offutt was recognized by the Universal Martial Arts Association
and was awarded the title of Grandmaster of the Year for his
contributions to the martial arts and his many years of training
in traditional Shotokan Karate.
Sensei Offutt has made numerous contributions to the martial
arts world over the years. Including working as the president
of the Arkansas Karate Circuit, and more recently has been the
Arkansas state Chairman of the American Amateur Union (AAU)
Karate division.
In early 2008 Meijin Masaki Sato presented Sensei Offutt with
the Hanshi title. Hanshi is the highest level instructors license
recognized by several organizations.
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Sensei Offutt's Hanshi title |
Sensei Offutt's 8th Degree Certificate |
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