Who am I? I’m Bill Stewart. My Kyokushin journey started in Florida in late 1980 while stationed at Naval Training Center, Orlando. My first teacher was Sensei J.R. (Swanny) Swanson. In 1991 I started my own dojo, Florida Kyokushin Karate.
I have been a member of only two organizations during my time in Kyokushin. The original IKO (International Karate Organization) and the IFK (International Federation of Karate). I became a member of the USA-IFK in 1996 and was active until 2001. Following 9/11, I made the difficult decision to close my dojo and return to active military service.
After spending many years outside the continental United States, I returned to my home state of Texas in 2021. After re-connecting with USA-IFK, I launched Texas Kyokushin Karate in November 2021… 41 years after beginning my study of Kyokushin karate. If you live locally and wish to apply click here.
This blog will be a reflection of my own journey. It’s ups and downs as I have traveled through life. I’ll share my thoughts about everything from philosophy to fitness and training, to the state of Kyokushin. I hope that people will find some value here!
