JACK STERN THE GREAT PRETENDER: LITERALLY NOTHING TO SEE HERE

Jack Albert “Papasan” Stern was quick to tell you he was a tenth degree black belt in judo and that his son was a Olympic Judo medalist in the 1987 Olympics. To hear Stern's coat tail riders tell it, Stern supposedly held some sort of legendary status, the likes of which the judo/yudo and hapkido communities has ever seen. The problem is..... it is all a big gigantic…..LIE. It wasn't true back in 1996 and it isn't true now. Stern wasn’t a ranked martial artist not in Judo/Yudo or hapkido and he never trained overseas. 

Jack Stern had been exposed as a fraud back in 1996, it was indeed quite the story back then. https://theninjerkiller.blogspot.com/2024/01/jack-stern-great-pretender.html  

Stern had been convicted of making false military claims to garner military benefits that he wasn't entitled to. Stern upon his arrest admitted to the Broward County detectives amidst his uncontrollable sobbing that he held no judo/yudo or hapkido ranks. He also stated that he had lied about everything. He said he didn't do it to hurt anyone but because he just didn't want people to think he was a loser.

Stern's supposed Korean Yudo Association Member Card

With the information already being verified that Stern held no ranks in Judo or Hapkido, a few months ago I reached out to The Korean Judo/Yudo Association anyway. It took some time but one of their researchers went through their records in the computer system as well as dug through boxes and boxes of old records. 

One of the first things I was told when I gave the time frame that Stern supposedly trained in Korea was that no Americans were training during that time. However, the records keeper sought through many files. He also checked with other major Korean orgs. 

Originally Stern was claiming to be a part of and ranked through the Korean Yudo Hapkido Association. However, according to Broward County Law enforcement this organization didn’t exist it didnt extend beyond Stern’s own front door. It was something he had just made up. https://theninjerkiller.blogspot.com/2024/02/jack-sterns-judo-fraud-conclusion.html

This of course was a good place to start when I made inquiries directly to Korea. Fortunately for me that a spokes person took great interest in the information I was providing them. He even thought it quite comical when I mentioned they called Stern "Papasan". 

All can garner what they want from the above email. 

No records of Stern in Korea. Its not surprising..... Stern did admit in open court in 1996 that he had no training. At this point I think it is pertinent to mention that Stern was banned from the 3 major judo orgs. He had attempted to join The United States Judo Association and the United States Judo Federation, but was banned for submitting fake Korean documentation as proof of rank. This has now even been verified directly by various Korean Organizations. 

https://www.usjf.com/membership-expelled-and-suspended-list/ 

https://www.usja.net/suspended 

It appears Stern held no ranks, not even a kyu rank in anything what so ever. It isn't surprising at all that there are no records of Stern ever having trained in Japan or Korea in judo/yudo or Hapkido. Stern has long since pass away, however, the evidence against any claims of Stern training in Korea, Japan etc, regardless of who is making them, is overwhelming...and exposing Stern, at this point honestly feels like beating a dead horse. 

https://theninjerkiller.blogspot.com/2023/09/kodokan-fraud-in-florida-pt-2-lineage.html

https://theninjerkiller.blogspot.com/2023/12/jack-sterns-lineage-details-are.html

https://www.warhistoryonline.com/instant-articles/jackie-stern-man-bought-wore-medal-honor-didnt-earn.html

Bret Gordon's Lies, Defamation and Unadulterated Hypocrisy

One handed hand on belt seoi throwing drill

My name is Barron Shepherd (recent picture above), I have a 35 plus year career in judo and have trained in the martial arts for over 45 years. My first introduction to judo came at the age of 14, however I would not start formally training in judo until about 9 years later. 

I have written three books in the past two years to date, two on the subject of combat judo, both published, the third will be published in 2024. My published books have sold out and have been lauded and endorsed by former Olympic Judo coaches as well as retired US military officers and experts in their fields, such as Dr. Mike Simpson, US Army Special Forces Maj. ret. and author of the book, "Honed" and Col. George Bristol USMC retired, developer of the US Marine Corp Martial arts Program (MCMAP) as well as other notable experts in the fields of judo and combatives.

In 2020 Brett Gordon wrote a defamatory article about my martial art background. Here is the link to that article https://web.archive.org/web/20201204194651/http://www.join-usama.com/blog/pot-meet-kettle.

Gordon ignored all the then current credentials and then purposely and willfully fabricated his entire article regarding my background. This was done in an attempt to damage not only my reputation but my instructors' as well. 

Judo 

Bret Gordon skirted pertinent information of my background and intentionally presented false information in his 2020 article entitled Pot meet Kettle. He stated that an expired USJA coaching credential earned in 1998 was fake. Gordon used this then expired credential to build his bed of false information concerning my back ground.  

Bret Gordon ignored all of my then current coaching credentials and rank certificates from USA Judo (formerly USJI), one of the National Governing Bodies (organizations) for judo in the US. These credentials included coaching credentials and ranks earned, verified and recognized by USA Judo. These credentials showed a recorded and verified history of years of study in judo attaining ranks of shodan, nidan and sandan over many years. The sandan of which had been earned in 2018.

Bret Gordon then went on to write that my original judo instructor, Terry Tucker, was a fictitious non existent person and that I owned the Winter Haven Judo club and simply promoted myself using forged signatures of  the person(s) who Gordon stated were fictitious.  The following information is found easily online by simply searching Winter Haven Judo club. http://winterhavenjudoclub.blogspot.com/2008/01/newspaper-article-on-judo-club.html 

Bret Gordon ignored the Winter Haven judo club's blog where there were pictures of myself and Mr. Tucker online in a 2008 blog post. Terry Tucker was clearly identified in the 1997 news article, that was in the post and shown to be my instructor and myself as his assistant instructor (below).  Additionally, in 2020 Mr. Tucker was contacted by others and his back ground verified.   

1997 Winter Haven News Chief article

Also the Judo program was not "owned by me" as Gordon stated in his article. It was a city recreational program that was started in the early seventies by Sensei Ro who Gordon stated was also a fabricated person. It was clearly stated in the news paper clipping (above) directly under the pictures in the article that the program was offered thru the city of Winter Haven. No one at the city was contacted by Gordon and if they were Bret Gordon did not acknowledge it. Instead he chose to make up the story that I owned the judo school and promoted myself. 

Coaching and member Credentials USA Judo and USA Boxing 

Bret Gordon purposely made zero mention of  the then current USA judo coaching and rank credentials, USA Boxing coaching credentials, NASM credentials or others. Not a single place in his article did Bret Gordon acknowledge or mention any current verified credentials that I had earned in other self defense and combatives programs. Instead he chose to make it appear in his article that I had no legitimate back ground or rank in anything. 

At the time Bret Gordon wrote the defamatory and slanderous article about me he was claiming to be a 5th degree black belt in judo. A rank that seems to had magically appeared out of thin air. A rank in judo that is too high for someone as young as Bret to have attained. Oddly, since this time, his claim of what rank he is in judo has changed multiple times from 5th down to 4th and ultimately down to a 2nd degree black belt rank in judo. 

Even when corrected and presented with facts from various sources, Bret Gordon did not make proper corrections to his "hit piece". Each correction that he himself made he stopped short of admitting to being wrong or acknowledging that he was wrong regarding his article about my back ground. Example: In one of his corrections he admitted to Terry Tucker being an actual person but stopped short of admitting that Mr. Tucker was indeed my judo instructor.

USA JUDO - SANDAN - AUG. 27 2018

In another correction he tries to imply that I "obtained the rank that I previously claimed to have" implying that I just had gotten or bought my sandan rank from the USJA in 2020, one of the national governing bodies of judo in the US.....This was not the case...... the rank was not gotten or bought. My sandan rank was already validated, verified and recognized thru USA Judo in 2018, two years prior to Bret Gordon's article (circled in red above). 

USJA and USJF

Within these the USJA, USJF and USA Judo organizations there is a rank verification process. The USJA along with the USJF both verified my sandan rank thru the preceeding National Governing Body, USA Judo. Upon verification both the USJA and USJF recognized my sandan rank and the USA Judo award date of Aug 2018 (cirlced in red above).

Kenpo 

Gordon also stated in his article that another one of my instructors, Sam Lonewolf, claimed several tenth degree black belt ranks. Sam Lonewolf made no such claims to several tenth degree black belts. Nowhere is this statement found online...except in Brett Gordon's article. Bret Gordon himself in his article admitted that he could not find much online about Sam Lonewolf. I believe this is why Bret then decided to make up a story and state that Sam had multiple tenth degree black belts. In fact, Sam Lonewolf was only an 8th degree black belt and publicly only claimed as such, even in his own "First Nations" system, he did not claim to be a grand master or claim to have multiple tenth degree black belts. 

Bret Gordon also stated that Sam Lonewolf was never a black belt under the Tracey Kenpo system. Shortly after Bret Gordon's article, links to sites proving Sam was indeed a senior black belt in the Tracy system were provided. One link showed a date of promotion along with the certificate number of Lonewolf's promotion certificate indicating he was promoted by Mr. Tracey himself. Lonewolf's name later disappears from the family Tracy tree around 2012 or 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20040620102236/http://www.tracyskarate.com/Tracytree/Rokudan.htm 

3rd from bottom - Sam Lonewolf 

Gordon, who states that he is a "good  and respectable journalist", has been presented with all such information proving martial art legitimacy but has made no appropriate corrections to his article. 

Bret Gordon was also contacted by the Lonewolf family regarding the falsehoods in his article. Gordon has made no actual corrections, not one regarding the article. Gordon refuses to post anything that proves my back ground and seems content to leave his lies up for his readers to see.  

To further prove Bret Gordon's only purpose for this article was to defame me and my instructors, he stated in his article that someone by the name of Gary Lee was contacted.  Bret Gordon wrote in the 2020 article that Gary Lee, had "inherited Sam Lonewolf's system and stated that there was no record of me ever training with Sam Lonewolf". He apparently did not actually verify this information. Gary Lee however sometime this year contacted Bret via email and let Bret know that he, Gary Lee did not actually inherit Sam Lonewolf's system. 

It was discovered, through the Lonewolf family, that Gary Lee in fact was not knowledgeable of Sam Lonewolf's system and had never actually trained with Lonewolf. Bret Gordon was made aware of this as well. In addition to this, Gary Lee also sent a statement via email to the Lonewolf family apologizing for his false claims. He also apologized mentioning me by name specifically for his statement that "there was no record of me training with Sam Lonewolf". https://lonewolfs7th.blogspot.com/2022/08/sam-lonewolf-setting-record-straight.html  

Forwarded email of apology from Gary Lee 

Bret seems to have made a current correction pertaining to being lied to by Gary Lee but again stopped short of recognizing it as proof of my actual training under Sam Lonewolf, nor did he remove any original statements in the article. 

I think it is pertinent to note that Gordon didn't make a single change when contacted by the Lonewolf family regarding the lies in the article. He only made changes when Gary Lee requested that Gordon remove the statement. Gordon didn't remove the statement from the article he just added a notation at bottom of article. To this day a proper retraction hasn't been posted online by Gordon anywhere. 

Bret Gordon also stated in his article that I made up First Nations Kenpo. The Lonewolf family has also stated that First Nations was what Sam Lonewolf called his system and that I had  Sam's permission to use First Nations. The Lonewolf family has also vouched for me and my long standing with Sam Lonewolf. The Lonewolf family has made all this information available publicly online for months. https://lonewolfs7th.blogspot.com/2022/09/setting-record-straight-mr-bret-gordon.html 

In addition, I have multiple statements from not only the Lonewolf family but Sam Lonewolf's longtime friends, colleagues and those who trained with Sam, as well as Sam himself that verify my background and training history with him. 

Bret Gordon was not interested in clarifying anything that remotely pointed toward my legitimacy or expertise and continued to BLATANTLY LIE!

Bret Gordon then attacked another aspect of my Kenpo training claiming it was also non existent. I had been training for sometime under Rick Brumby, of Premier Kenpo in St. Cloud Florida. At the time Mr. Brumby operated under Paul Mills' American Kenpo Karate International (AKKI), The AKKI was/is the best Kenpo organization in the country by far. I took instruction from Mr. Brumby personally, Mr. Brumby was the best of Paul Mills' instructors at the time, this is why I sought him out to elevate my skill in kenpo. This statement was also made available and validated publicly by other parties, however Gordon made no attempt to make any correction. https://greysmithinvestigations.blogspot.com/2020/07/the-log-in-your-eye-by-gerald-greysmith.html

Gordon even attacked a personal relationship that I had with Sensei Ronald Duncan and his son Sensei Gregory Duncan. He attempted to imply that I had no dealing with the Duncan family. I believe he knew this was legitimate as well as I had written a lengthy memorial about Sensei Duncan for the family shortly after he passed away. This memorial and detailed biography is online on Gregory Duncan's website Duncan Martial arts and can easily be found in a web search. Bret Gordon had no intention of mentioning anything in his articles that would remotely point at anything that was actually truthful about my background. https://duncanmartialarts.com/2013/12/26/koga-magazine-publication-biographic-tribute-to-osensei-ronald-duncan/       

Bret Gordon also in his article stated that he did not know me or know who I was. Gordon did indeed know who I was and what I was teaching. Three years prior to writing his article in 2020, Gordon sent a private message to me on Facebook in 2017. 

2017 FaceBook message from Bret Gordon

He asked me if I could write articles specifically for his blog to share my knowledge and expertise. I believe this further shows and validates that he was well aware of my credentials and intentionally skirted them in his 2020 article and kept continuously lying to defame and slander me. The sole purpose of his article was to paint me  and anyone who I trained under as frauds and put my reputation under scrutiny regardless of  my verifiable my back ground or my certifications and licensed credentials. 

Even when it came to Bret making his so called later corrections and edits at the bottom of his article in 2020,https://web.archive.org/web/20201204194651/http://www.join-usama.com/blog/pot-meet-kettle Gordon purposely ignored multiple USA judo credentials and other credentials from legitimate and prestigious organizations and national governing bodies.  In all his so called edits Gordon stopped short of admitting that and my instructors were indeed legitimate.

Gordon actually believes that since the old article is no longer up online then that means he never wrote it or said it.....BUT HE DID. 

In 2023 Gordon then writes another article, a supposed part two of his original defamatory article from 2020,  https://bretgordon.weebly.com/blog/pot-meet-kettle-barron-shepherd-part-2#/, Gordon INTENTIONALLY leaves out pertinent information that point directly to the extent of his lies. In the original article Gordon defamed me and ALL my instructors. In his 2023 article he lied again to down play and diminish what he actually wrote in his 2020 article. 

Gordon actually believes that since the old article is no longer up online then that means he never wrote it or said it https://web.archive.org/web/20201204194651/http://www.join-usama.com/blog/pot-meet-kettle BUT HE DID. 

Firstly Bret makes a statement in his 2023 article regarding my sandan rank in judo. He leaves out that he claimed in the 2020 article that ALL my ranks were fake. He wrote that I had made up my entire history along with fake instructors. In the 2023 He again purposely leaves out that he INTENTIONALLY ignored USA JUDO credentials, that were dated from the years 2015 -2018.  

Regarding my 4th and 5th dan ranks he fails to mention my verifiable time in judo. He neglects to mention that I have been doing judo since before Gordon was even born and that my 35 plus years in judo are ALL verifiable. I got my green belt and was a member of the USJI which is now USA Judo, the last one I competed in was a USJI now USJA sanctioned tournaments as a black belt in my mid 30s before Gordon was even born. The legitimate judoka who I EARNED my rank from I have known longer than Gordon has been alive.  This didn't stop him from calling them frauds. Also according to his 2020 article none of my USA JUDO credentials, that he INTENTIONALLY ignored, pointed to my legitimacy. 

The Depth of Bret Gordon's Hypocrisy

Last year Gordon was GIVEN a Shodan rank in Judo by none other than USA JUDO.  He NOW claims that the USA JUDO credentials are undeniable proof of HIS legitimacy. This is the same Judo organization, whose credentials that he refused to acknowledge as proof of mine. Hypocrisy and a glaring double standard. 

Before Bret continuously wrote on his old USAMA blog that rank certificates don't matter, that the only test of real skill is on the mats. This coming from a guy who cant even defend any of his ranks on the mats and is now waving a USA JUDO certificate around going this is the one thing that makes him legit. 

However this was not the extent of Gordon's glaring double standards and hypocrisy. 

Gordon spent years painting me and my instructors as fakes, frauds, and blatantly admonished ALL of them and ALL the judo orgs for promoting me in judo.  A couple of months ago Gordon decides to email one of MY judo instructors. Yep, one of the very ones who he admonished for promoting me! He begged my instructor to GIVE him a Nidan in JUDO! He was politely turned down. He quickly found out that my instructors don't just GIVE someone a rank in judo. My instructor sent Gordon on his way. Gordon was told to go back to those who had given him rank previously, instead of going BEHIND THEIR BACKS and asking for rank from others. My instructor even told Bret that he (my instructor) would not contact the ones that Bret had gotten his ranks from.  

Why would Gordon even go to ANY of my instructors in the first place? Gordon not only attempted to smear my name, but theirs as well, simply because they were my instructors. 

Gordon has never APOLOGIZED to me or any one of them! Nor has he so much as published a single PROPER retraction of ANY of his defamatory articles. He hasn't acknowledged, not one time, that my entire background and my instructors is indeed VERIFIABLE. Gordon emailing my instructor asking for a promotion proves that he did indeed know that I was legitimate but he chose to lie and defame me anyway. 

Gordon has claimed multiple Judo ranks over the past 4 years, from 5th dan down to 1st. He retracted his 5th dan claim in 2020 by saying it was a "typo". If any of his ranks were indeed garnered legitimately there would be no need to ask for rank from strangers. 

Gordon cant fight his way out of a wet paper sack. He cant even defend any of his rank claims (whatever rank he is claiming this week) on the mats.  However, his blatant lies, defamation and hypocrisy obviously know no bounds.  

KOSOTO GAKE - SMALL OUTER HOOK

Kosoto-gake (Small outer hook or wrap) closely resembles the Kosoto-gari (Small outer reap). It consists of advancing toward the opponent, and then placing a foot behind the opponent to throw him down onto his back. This technique is classified as an Ashi waza (Foot / leg techniques).  Its advance against the opponent is deeper when performing the throw and requires instantaneous leg and foot work.

Tori (Player executing technique) feigns an advance against Uke (Player receiving opponent's attack), and then withdraws, pulling him forward, waiting for the moment when Uke (Player receiving opponent's attack) steps forward.

When Uke (Player receiving opponent's attack) pushes back against the advance, Tori (Player executing technique) feigns a retreat, but actually advances to hook the heel of Uke (Player receiving opponent's attack) advancing foot.

Tori (Player executing technique) then pulls Uke (Player receiving opponent's attack) in the direction of the hooked foot while also grasping Uke (Player receiving opponent's attack) uniform between his shoulder and chest with his Tsurite (Lifting hand), lifting Uke (Player receiving opponent's attack) to destabilize and throw him.

In combination with both his arms, Tori (Player executing technique) also wraps or hooks his forward-leg foot against the opponent’s weight-supporting leg. Tori then drives with his own supporting leg to throw the opponent backwards in a diagonal manner (toward 11 o’clock).  Pictured is a low level Kosoto Gake.

KOSOTO GARI - SMALL OUTER REAP

Kosoto-gari (Small outer reap) is classified as Ashi waza (Foot/leg techniques). Kosoto Gari consists of moving forward against the opponent, then scooping up the opponent's leg from behind him, sending him to the floor. It can be used effectively in competition as a single technique, in combination (renraku waza), or as a feint.

Kosoto-gari can be used to reap an opponent's leg by either by bringing the back of the opponent's knee onto your inner thigh to destabilize his balance, or by scooping up his heel.

The "back of the knee" method is performed from a Kenka yotsu (Asymmetrical grips by the two opponents) stance by Tori (the player executing the technique) stepping toward the opponent with what will be his Support leg. 

At the same time, Tori (Player executing technique) bends his knees and pulls his lifting hand downward to lower his center of gravity. Tori (Player executing technique) then pulls the back of Uke (Player receiving opponent's attack) knee onto his inner thigh so that Uke (Player receiving opponent's attack), unable to back up, falls to the floor.

The "heel scooping" method (shown) is performed from a Kenka yotsu (Asymmetrical grips by the two opponents) stance by Tori (Player executing technique) moving immediately to hook Uke (Player receiving opponent's attack) ankle.

Barron Shepherd Judo Clinic

I have been blessed with the opportunity for the past several years to devote most of my time to training. It isn't a hobby, its my way of life. I am equally blessed that my style of judo appears  to be catching on in the judo and Bjj community. The clinics and the Freestyle Judo scrimmages are gathering a increasing following. Florida Freestyle Judo has become a movement and reasons for it are pointed out quite eloquently in the following article by Anthony Colon. 

Anthony Colon, is a blogger known as the JudokaGrappler (Click Here for his Blogs), a judoka since 2009 and blue belt in bjj. Anthony has attended several of my mini-clinics that are held before each of our Freestyle Judo scrimmages as well setting up my 3 hour clinic held at De La Riva Tampa.  He gives his impressions of my style of Judo. 

I will add that it is reviews like these that push me to get better, become more efficient. My training partner and friend Andrew Kinchen, a BJJ black belt mentioned to me after a scrimmage that what we are doing with Barron Shepherd Judo was like the special forces of Judo. My only focus with Barron Shepherd Judo/Florida Freestyle Judo is to continually raise the bar setting higher and higher standards and increasing expectations.  

“Attending Barron Shepherd’s Judo clinic was a transformative experience for our team. Barron, a 5th degree black belt in Judo, introduced us to an innovative style that blends traditional Judo techniques with combative elements, deeply rooted in the philosophy of Jigoro Kano. His unique approach, particularly the use of punch gripping and split entries, has redefined our understanding of kuzushi—not just as breaking balance, but as a method of destroying the opponent’s foundation entirely. 

Our custom Florida Freestyle Judo Rash guard designed by Flow and Roll

In his teachings, Barron emphasized the importance of adaptability and learning from other disciplines, reflecting Kano’s vision as articulated in “Mind Over Muscle: Writings from the Founder of Judo.” By adopting stances and grips similar to those in Western boxing, Barron showed us how to maintain better mobility and responsiveness, significantly enhancing our effectiveness on the mat.

During our recent scrimmages, the impact of Barron’s techniques was undeniable. The punch grip allowed us to control our opponents’ posture more aggressively and effectively, creating opportunities for throws that were previously difficult to execute. This shift from traditional kuzushi to a more dynamic and foundation-breaking approach has not only improved our physical performance but also instilled a sense of psychological dominance over our opponents. 

Barron’s teachings have also fostered a deeper connection between Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), bridging the gap between these disciplines and creating a more holistic approach to grappling. His philosophy of integrating elements from various martial arts has resonated deeply with us, aligning with the principle that continual learning and adaptability are key to growth and mastery.

The Judo clinics and scrimmages we participated in under Barron’s guidance have sparked a shift in the dynamics of Judo and BJJ schools in the US. More practitioners are now embracing this innovative approach, recognizing the value of blending traditional techniques with new, adaptive methods.

Barron Shepherd’s influence has been profound, not just in enhancing our technical skills but in reshaping our mindset towards Judo and grappling. His teachings are a testament to the enduring relevance of Kano’s philosophy, emphasizing that true mastery comes from the willingness to learn, adapt, and evolve. In the words of Proverbs 1:5, “Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance.” Barron embodies this wisdom, guiding us towards a deeper understanding and more effective practice of Judo. We are incredibly grateful for his insights and mentorship, which have profoundly enriched our journey as JudokaGrapplers.” - Anthony Colon

KOSHI GURUMA SPLIT STEP ENTRY – RIGHT VS LEFT SITUATION

Tori/Blue - Barron Shepherd, Godan

Uke/White - Detective David Perrington, Shodan

The split step entry is extremely effective in that it allows you to attack your opponent’s stance regardless of the stance he takes (squared stance, left foot forward or right foot forward). If you are fighting from a right forward lead there is no need to change your stance or even move you opponent around to position him for a throw.  If fighting out of a right lead stance your right leg will always move to the inside of your opponent’s right leg regardless if he is leading with his right or not.

1.) Blue is standing in a right foot forward lead. White is fighting out of a Left foot forward lead. Blue’s knees are bent and his center of gravity low. Twist the upper body clockwise bring the left hand and shoulder to the front closer to the opponent. With a lefty be mindful that he may initiate a left-handed attack/left lead grip attempt. As in a right vs. right situation, your right shoulder should be more toward your rear and not out front and easily accessible for your opponent to grip and attack.  

2.) Blue punches in with the left hand and grips the opponent’s gi right above the armpit. Blue’s right hand is up and defending any attempts by the opponent to get his grip.   

3.) Immediately after the getting the grip, Blue pulls the opponent with the left hand rocking him forward up off his heels. Simultaneously, Blue steps his left foot up to his right foot. As Blue steps in with his right foot his knees are bent more and his belt line should be lower than his opponent’s belt line.

4.) Blue reaches his right arm around the opponent’s back grabbing the opponent’s gi at the shoulder  as he steps his right foot between the opponent’s feet. As the right foot lands the toes of both feet should be pointing in the direction of the throw. Blue’s right foot should be inside and just past the opponent’s right foot. The toes of Blue’s right foot should be just past the heel of the opponent’s right foot. Blue continues the pull with the left hand breaking the opponent’s balance to his front (note that blue has his opponent’s head out past his feet).   

5.) Blue steps back with his left foot. As the left foot moves back the opponent’s feet should start to come off the mat. Blue straighten his legs quickly, lifting his opponent as he bends forward popping his hips upward into the opponent.   

6.) Blue twists his torso to the left by taking his left elbow toward his left knee or hip to finish the throw.

ITS JUST THAT THING I DO CALLED BARRON SHEPHERD JUDO

At the end of 2020 I was looking to move and retire in Hilo Hawaii. Andrew Kinchen reached out and talked me out of retiring and starting a judo program at Carlson Gracie Winter Haven. I told myself if I started teaching judo again I would help everyone I could. At 60 years old at  a time when one thinks about slowing down and retiring, I work HARD at my craft every day. I teach more judo than I ever have. My body racked with pain every day despite this I keep going. 

My books have been successful and the Winter Haven freestyle judo program has been steadily growing. The scrimmages are becoming more and more popular among legitimate grapplers of all styles, Judo, BJJ, Folk style and Greco roman wrestlers have attended my scrimmages and freestyle judo clinics. 

You just never know who may be watching what you're doing and how you're doing it. Barron Shepherd Judo has been garnering more and more attention because of its progressive, dynamic and ballistic nature. This hasnt happened over night, it has taken years of dedicated training and commitment to what has become over the yeas, my craft and a lifestyle.  

Out of the blue one day, a Hollywood fight choreographer contacted me. It seems a friend of his had told him about my style of Judo. The next thing I knew I was on a video call. This fight choreographer and stunt coordinator works on a certain Tv series that has been on a streaming Network platform for multiple seasons. He has since kept in constant contact. They are interested in me training the show’s star in my style of Judo so he can use it for the show’s main character’s fight style. He and the star of the show want to train extensively with me because they like my ballistic style of Judo. Details about it will come out later. 

Several years ago when I was 51, I sustained permanent life altering injuries from being hit and run over, while on foot, by a semi truck. My body was literally dragged underneath the semi and crushed in the accident. No one could believe I was still alive after that. The many doctors and specialists I saw contributed one thing to my survival...JUDO. The years and years of taking repeated impacts from various judo throws had prepared my body and my mind. It was the only logical and medical explanation. 

I never really fathomed that a life long personal dedication to judo would not only save my life but create such opportunities for me now at this point in my life. It is exciting to think of the possibility that my style of judo might play a major part of the main character’s fighting style in a TV series in a new season of the show.