SENSEI: Mr. Bill Herzer
Mr. Bill Herzer, originally from Alexandria , Virginia , moved to Murfreesboro , TN , in 1965, to attend Middle Tennessee State University . He began his Martial Arts training in 1966, with Judo. In 1967, he began his karate training, under Sensei Jimmy Kittrell. Years later, he continued his karate training under the direct supervision of Sensei C.T. Patterson.
He left MTSU in 1969 to serve the next four years in the Army Infantry. He served in Germany , Vietnam and with the 10th Special Forces, attaining the rank of Captain. In Vietnam , he was awarded the bronze star medal for Valor, the Army Commendation medal for Valor and two purple hearts. While in the military, he trained in Gojo Ryu and Tae Kwon Do.
In 1973 he left the Army, to return to MTSU to continue his college and karate education. He immediately resumed his karate training with Newton Harris, at the Murfreesboro Bushido School of Karate, where he received his black belt and took over as the owner and Chief Instructor in 1974. He completed his Bachelor of Science in Biology in 1973 and his Masters in Biology in 1975. In 1975, he began his work in medical research at Vanderbilt University in Nashville.
In 1984, he completed his Bachelor Degree in Nursing and worked part-time in the emergency room in Murfreesboro , and later in Pittsburgh.
In 1982, he turned over the business and day to day running of the Karate School to his senior student, Mr. Bill Taylor. He continued to teach the advanced classes and train at the school.
In 1991, Bill Herzer moved to Pittsburgh, PA, where he worked in research at The University of Pittsburgh and would visit Murfreesboro, TN several times a year to teach and train. In 1997, he began teaching karate in Pittsburgh and continued until 2004, when he retired from The University of Pittsburgh and moved back to Murfreesboro. He now currently teaches all the advanced classes and runs the kick aerobic classes at Bill Taylors Bushido School of Karate. Mr. Bill Taylor, 7th dan, Mr. Ronald Tucker and Ms. Sharon Woodruff, both 5th Dan's, are his senior students.
Bill Herzer has trained with various weapons, competed in many point tournaments, fought as an amateur in full contact karate and helped train full contact fighters. He also competed in triathlons, from sprint to half iron man and swims in Master swimming where he recorded top ten times.
He is a member of the US Eastern Wado-Ryu Karate Do Federation Board of Directors and Black Belt Examination Board.