Bill Brassette, the 72-year-old owner and head instructor of Seibu-Kan Karate Studio on North Avenue, marked his 50th year of teaching karate in July. Brassette, a ninth-degree black belt in karate’s Shorin-ryu style, has been a fixture in the Grand Junction community for decades, having opened the city’s first karate studio in 1976. He has since trained thousands of local residents, providing discipline and leadership from his dojo.
His students refer to him as "Shihan" Bill Brassette, a Japanese title meaning "teacher of teachers" or "master instructor." This honorific, in Brassette's lineage of karate, is bestowed at the discretion of an existing shihan rather than tied to a specific level of experience. Students, many of whom are black belts themselves, attest to the profound impact Brassette has had on their lives. Darren Cook, who has been an on-and-off student for 45 years, stated that Brassette "molded me to who I am today," providing direction, discipline, and respect. Brent Goff, another longtime pupil, shared that the training has helped him physically and given him "the confidence that I can walk around and protect… my family." Gavin Gallegos described the dojo as providing "a different family" and an "escape from the daily grind."
Brassette's journey in martial arts began in 1971 in Lincoln, Nebraska, when he first stepped into a dojo. He suspects a subconscious need for discipline and leadership, following his parents' divorce, his brother's deployment to Vietnam, and his enrollment in military school, led him there. His initial instructor, John Roseberry, put Brassette through rigorous training, including punching a wall for ten consecutive days. Brassette recalled telling Roseberry, "No, you’re not going to break me. I’m from a Marine Corps family," and he eventually became one of Roseberry's top students. A painting of Roseberry still hangs in Brassette's office today.
Beyond his primary Shorin-ryu style, Brassette holds a first-degree black belt in Goju-ryu, a sister style rarely learned by the same athletes. He is among the few Americans to achieve black belts in both styles. His diverse training also includes competing as a boxer and dabbling in tae-kwon-do, where he once won a grand champion title after mistakenly registering for a tournament. In recognition of his accomplishments, Brassette was inducted into the World Professional Martial Arts Organization Hall of Fame in 2012.
His commitment to serving his community extends beyond the dojo. In 1983, Brassette was credited in a front-page Daily Sentinel article for lifting the back of a station wagon to help rescue a 5-year-old child pinned underneath after a crash. Then a third-degree black belt, Brassette recounted that the roughly 1.5-ton vehicle "felt like 20 pounds" at the time, attributing the feat to "what you’ve got in your heart that matters."
In recent years, Brassette has faced a personal challenge, having been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease several years ago. Common symptoms of the condition include fatigue, tremors, stiffness, and poor balance, which could complicate the practice of martial arts. However, his students say the condition has not hindered his teaching. Vicki Foster, a sixth-degree black belt at Seibu-Kan, noted that Brassette's "training is so deep" that when he demonstrates moves on the floor, it flows out of him with "no symptoms, no ill effect." His physical therapist strongly endorses his decision to continue teaching, as Brassette stated that his doctor advises him not to quit, explaining that stopping karate would negatively impact his mobility, work, and livelihood.
While Seibu-Kan once boasted over 300 students across nine weekly classes, its pupils are now fewer in number and almost exclusively black belts. Brassette said he could not imagine who he would be today without the martial art he has practiced for most of his life. He attributes his tenacity and resilience to his early training. As he looks to the future, Brassette is not sure what he will do with the studio when he decides to retire.
