The Lies, The Defamation, The bounty and the Coward Behind Them

For 5 years, Bret Gordon has engaged in a persistent pattern of false accusations, personal attacks, and reputational harassment directed at me. Over this period of time Gordon has publicly accused me of fabricating my martial arts ranks and lineages, asserting that my instructors were either non‑existent individuals or fraudulent creations. He further alleged that I manufactured and issued myself fake coaching credentials and black belt certificates, in an attempt to directly attack my integrity and professional qualifications as a martial arts coach. 

My background is well documented and publicly verifiable, including my ranks, coaching history, and decades of instructional work in multiple disciplines. Over more than 30 years, I have continuously passed the mandatory background checks required to obtain and maintain my ranks and coaching credentials, with no disqualifying findings at any point. During that time, I have held coaching credentials in judo, karate, wrestling, and boxing, each of which required formal vetting before I was allowed to work with students and athletes.

Despite over 30 years of verifiable documentation—including consistent mandatory background checks for coaching credentials—Bret Gordon repeatedly lied about my background, maliciously fabricated falsehoods about my ranks and instructors. This escalated with his latest baseless attack: falsely claiming that I have a criminal record of violence." His post remained online for only about a day before he immediately took it down. Gordon presumed this smear would go unnoticed. It did not. 

Let me make this absolutely clear: Every word Gordon has written about me, from the beginning was an absolute lie. Not one word he EVER wrote about me was even remotely the truth. Gordon's actions were not the result of a misunderstanding or misinterpretation — they were deliberate. He was fully aware that my martial arts background was legitimate and he intentionally fabricated false information and disseminated it online. 

In 2020, Bret Gordon published a defamatory article attacking my martial arts background entitled Pot Meet Kettle link; https://web.archive.org/web/20201204194651/http://www.join-usama.com/blog/pot-meet-kettle In his article, Gordon falsely claimed that an expired 1998 coaching credential was fake, using it as the foundation of a fabricated narrative about my background. He intentionally omitted proof of my current, verified ranks and coaching credentials. Despite these facts being publicly available, Gordon also falsely claimed that my original instructor, Terry Tucker, was a fictitious person. He further alleged that I forged signatures and fabricated my own certificates. 

That assertion was easily disproven. https://theninjerkiller.blogspot.com/2025/01/more-proof-of-extent-that-bret-gordon.html

As shown in the Winter Haven News Chief article from 1997 (above) and on the Winter Haven Judo Club blog, Terry Tucker was clearly identified as my instructor, with myself listed as his assistant instructor. The city-run program had existed since the early 1970s under Sensei Ro — another legitimate instructor Gordon falsely claimed was fabricated.

Sensei Tucker awarding me shodan, the very certificate Gordon claimed that I forged and fabricated

When confronted with clear, uncontested evidence, Gordon refused to meaningfully correct his defamatory article. Even after acknowledging that Terry Tucker is a real person, he deliberately stopped short of admitting that Tucker was in fact my judo instructor. 

Gordon likewise misrepresented my sandan rank, falsely implying that I had only recently “obtained” or effectively purchased it in 2020, even going so far as to issue a hollow “congratulation,” as if my legitimacy required validation from someone who will not even step onto the mats. In reality, my sandan rank had already been fully validated and recognized two years earlier, in 2018.

Gordon also targeted my Kenpo lineage, spreading false statements about another of my instructors, Sam Lonewolf. Bret Gordon also stated that Sam Lonewolf was never a black belt under the Tracey Kenpo system. 

3rd from bottom - Sam Lonewolf  - Tracy Kenpo 

 

In 2022, the Lonewolf family contacted Gordon directly, informing him that his statements about Sam Lonewolf were false and requesting a retraction—which he declined to issue. Subsequently, one of Gordon’s own cited sources, Gary Lee, was exposed for falsely claiming to have inherited Lonewolf’s system and for fabricating a tenth dan rank certificate. This revelation prompted the family to further investigate Lee’s assertions. Lee later emailed the Lonewolf family an apology, admitting he had never met or trained under Sam Lonewolf. Only after this did Gordon make a limited correction to his material concerning Lonewolf.

In his 2023 he wrote another defamatory article Pot Meet Kettle, Part 2, Gordon continued to omit key facts that proved my legitimacy. He claimed my godan (5th dan) judo rank was fake and he admonished two high ranking judoka for promoting me to it, despite my having over 30 years of documented training exceeding all national standards. He falsely minimized or distorted his earlier claims, downplaying his original accusations of fabricated ranks and fictitious instructors, perpetuating his pattern of defamation rather than issuing proper public retractions or apologies. 

Shortly after his 2023 hit piece "Pot Meet Kettle 2"—and after four years of relentlessly smearing me and my instructors as "fakes," "frauds," and "non-existent"—Bret Gordon slithered into the inbox of one of my Judo instructors (email pictured above), begging to be promoted to 2nd degree black belt. He was swiftly turned away. This desperate, hypocritical ploy made it extremely personal for me—Gordon, with zero proven Judo ability, arrogantly assumed rank from my battle-tested instructors was some cheap, easily obtained handout. It proves he knew damn well we were 100% legitimate all along—despite his defamatory lies—and that he knowingly crossed the line by harassing my people before groveling for rank. Gordon dreams of playing in my league, but he'll never measure up.

In June 2025, Dallas Wittgenfeld posted online offering $2,000 for information leading to "Gerald Graysmith"—a name he crossed out with a red X and replaced with "DEAD MAN" in bold letters, clearly implying he wanted Gerald Graysmith killed. In the same post, Wittgenfeld named me as a "person of interest," positioning me as the primary target he wanted hunted.

This brazen online threat explicitly called for violence against me and my student, sealing the pattern of Gordon's proxy-directed terror. These actions, taken in conjunction with one another, further cemented Gordon's involvement and orchestration of the entire campaign.

Gordon was then identified by law enforcement as the orchestrator of multiple threats—including a death threat against a 13-year-old girl, the daughter of my student Randy Engle—after recruiting accomplices Dallas Wittgenfeld and Adam Mickinley to carry out a campaign of stalking and harassment. The Ohatchee Police Department investigated and confirmed that due to Gordon's hatred of me he and his accomplices targeted my student and his daughter as a way to get at me. 

The summer of 2025, a "Casper McFadden"—claiming to be a licensed private investigator, investigative reporter, and Ph.D. holder—contacted my Judo instructors to probe my ranks and claimed I had committed crimes. He specifically inquired about promoting me to godan and alleged a lack of verification for my ranks. He attempted to pressure them to say defamation and derogatory things about me and to take my Judo rank. 

State and federal databases revealed no such Casper McFadden as a licensed Private Investigator. Only someone desperate to paint me as a fraud would stoop to such tactics. https://theninjerkiller.blogspot.com/2025/08/casper-friendly-ghost.html

Then Bret Gordon contacted one of my Judo instructors in a brazen attempt to convince him to strip me of my rank—a striking coincidence, given the identical inquiries from the "mysterious Casper licensed private dick" alias. Gordon even had the gall to ask that instructor to promote him. It takes a rare level of audacity to savage someone's credibility for years, then grovel to the very people you ridiculed for validation.

When his attempts at getting my Godan rank taken away from me failed, Gordon escalated his five-year campaign of slander and defamation by posting on his Facebook page, in September 2025, that I had been convicted of violent crimes and that I have a criminal history—a “record of violence.” These statements were entirely false and were published with clear malice, calculated to paint me as dangerous and unfit to teach or coach, and to damage my livelihood and standing in the community. 

At the same time that Gordon posted his now-deleted post (pictured left), one of his black belts stepped in to carry out smear campaign as well. A supposed Captain and Chaplain in the U.S. Air Force chose to misuse his position by contacting a martial arts organization—ironically, the very one that had already banned Gordon—and accusing me of having a criminal record for violence. He simply parroted the same baseless claim Gordon had just pushed online. What Gordon posted and what the chaplain executed was no coincidence—it was a coordinated attack, timed and aligned to maximize the damage. See the link: https://theninjerkiller.blogspot.com/2026/01/false-allegations-and-defamatory-attacks.html

The motive was and is obvious: the captain's actions were nothing more than retaliation, payback for Gordon’s ban and rejection from that organization. To be perfectly clear, I have never met this so called captain in the Air force, never spoken to him, and never interacted with him in any capacity, online or otherwise. Yet, like his instructor, this "captain" chose to deliberately lie and pass along expunged information in an act of hatred and retaliation to attempt to destroy my credibility once it became undeniable that Gordon was behind the threats directed at my former student and his daughter by the Ohatchee Police dept. 

For years, Gordon has screamed about conspiracies closing in on him, casting himself as the victim each time he was caught in his lies. But now the truth stands bare: he carefully constructed the real web of deceit, manipulation, and threats—and unleashed a group of people squarely at me.

Shotokan's Close Quarter Punches

AVAILABLE FALL 2026

Written By Barron Shepherd excerpted and adapted from his upcoming book, "Shotokan Karate Unleashed"

Mawashi tsuki (roundhouse punch) and ura zuki (inverted punch) represent specialized close-quarters striking techniques optimized for scenarios where spatial limitations preclude the use of a fully extended choku zuki (straight punch). These methods prioritize rotational hip torque and compact arm trajectories to deliver precise, high-impact force from minimal distance, distinguishing them from the linear extension characteristic of standard punches.

​Mawashi tsuki involves a hooking arc initiated from the hip, with the fist maintaining a vertical orientation as it swings around the body to target areas like the ribs or jaw, leveraging full-body rotation for power generation. In contrast, ura zuki employs an inverted fist (palm upward) in a short-range, often upward-angled thrust—commonly from the hip or chest—that clears the ribs with minimal extension, ideal for striking the solar plexus, chin, or throat while disrupting an opponent's structural alignment. Both techniques demand synchronized hikite (pull-back hand) action and precise koshi (hip) engagement to maximize kinetic chain efficiency without exposing vulnerabilities.

​Systematic practice of these punches fosters explosive hip power, enhances proprioception in confined ranges, and builds muscular endurance critical for Shotokan kata execution. They also condition the body for real-world applicability, improving close-range adaptability and complementing broader conditioning regimens for senior practitioners.

​Mawashi Zuki (Round House Punch)

Mawashi Tzuki delivers a roundhouse punch that hooks around an opponent's guard, targeting the ribs or head at chudan or jodan levels. Execution involves a compact arc with the fist rotating palm-down on impact using the seiken knuckles, often from stances like zenkutsu dachi. Practitioners favor it for slipping past blocks in close combat, enhancing its utility in kata like Bassai Dai.

​Ura Zuki  (Upper Cut)

Ura Tzuki functions as a short-range inverted punch, typically palm-up, striking the midsection or chin with minimal arm extension from the hip or chest. It remains compact to maintain proximity, relying on body weight shift rather than full reach, and appears in techniques like age ura zuki for upward throat or chin disruption. This punch excels in clinches, promoting structural disruption through whiplash effects on the neck.

​Practice Drills

Drill Ura Tsuki and Mawashi Tsuki from a fighting stance

Pair mawashi zuki and ura zuki in close-range sequences from sanchin dachi and your fighting stance (pictured above), incorporating sharp hikite pulls for speed and balance. Shadow box against partners or makiwara to simulate encounters, focusing on silent starts and instant kime.

How To Generate Power (Body Mechanics)

Mawashi Tzuki generates power through a kinetic chain emphasizing hip rotation, core tension, and ground connection rather than arm strength alone, making it effective in Shotokan's close-quarters combat. Mechanics prioritize a whipping arc motion with snap retraction for explosive force.

​Key Body Mechanics

Power originates from gripping the ground with feet for stability, then rotating hips and shoulders while dropping the center of gravity slightly. The elbow bends at about 90 degrees during the outward arc, hooking inward to strike with seiken knuckles, palm-down or angled. Relax the body until impact for speed, then apply kime with isometric contraction of core and limbs.

Basic Stance and Execution

Perform from zenkutsu dachi or kiba dachi, chambering the fist at the hip before launching the circular path around the opponent's guard. Hikite pulls sharply to ribs for balance and added torque, while exhaling enhances focus and transfer of momentum. This short-range hook targets ribs or head, bypassing straight-line defenses.

Note - Hikite pulls, or the "pulling hand," represent a core principle in Shotokan Karate where the non-striking fist retracts sharply to the hip or ribs during a punch like mawashi tzuki or ura tzuki. This action creates an opposing reaction force, amplifying the striking arm's speed and power through whole-body coordination.

​To perform mawashi zuki from zenkutsu dachi in Shotokan Karate, adopt a stable front stance with 60-70% weight forward, then execute a compact hook punch emphasizing hip torque and retraction. This close-quarters technique bypasses linear defenses effectively.

Mawashi Tsuki - Practical Modern Application Against a Rear Hand Haymaker

Stance Setup

Begin in left zenkutsu dachi: front leg bent deeply (toes hidden), back leg straight with slight knee flex, hips squared forward, spine erect. Chamber right fist at right hip (vertical), left at ribs for balance and hikite readiness.

​Execution Steps

1.) Grip ground with feet, drop center slightly to load rear hip.

2.) Snap right hip forward and torso counterclockwise, arcing elbow at 90° outward then hooking inward horizontally.

3.) Strike chudan (ribs) or jodan (head) with palm-down seiken knuckles, applying kime via full-body tension on impact.

4.) Retract sharply to hip (hikite) while left fist pulls tight, exhaling sharply—no step, pure rotational power.

​Key Focus Points

Relax until final extension for speed, ensuring elbow stays below shoulder line to avoid telegraphing. Targets slip past raised guards, ideal for kumite transitions like follow-up gyaku zuki.

Close Quarter Training Drills

Practice in short stances like sanchin dachi to build close-range feel, using makiwara for conditioning and power feedback. Combine with partner drills holding arms to control distance, emphasizing non-telegraphed starts and snap retraction. Integrate into kata like Bassai Dai for refined biomechanics and real-world application.

Ura Tzuki - Practical Application Against A lead Hand Straight Punch

Ura Tzuki generates power in Shotokan Karate through a compact kinetic chain that leverages hip snap, core tension, and minimal arm extension, ideal for close-quarters where full punches falter. Mechanics focus on driving force from the ground up via explosive body rotation rather than limb reach alone.

​Core Mechanics

Power initiates by gripping the ground with the feet for a stable base, then thrusting the rear hip forward while rotating the torso sharply into kime on impact. The fist chambers low at the hip in vertical position, rotates outward a quarter circle to palm-up orientation, and thrusts upward directly with seiken knuckles targeting chin, solar plexus, or ribs. Relaxation precedes a sudden isometric contraction, whipping the body weight through the strike for whiplash disruption without telegraphing.

​Stance and Delivery

Execute from fighting stance or zenkutsu dachi, dropping slightly to load the back leg before exploding the hip forward and snapping it back post-impact for recoil speed. The short 6-8 inch retraction keeps you protected in clinches, with hikite pulling opposite fist tight to ribs for torque balance. This linear upward vector exploits narrow targets like the throat, breaking structural alignment via neck hyperextension.

​Training Integration

Drill sequentially from static positions; ura zuki to tate zuki to gyaku zuki, emphasizing no wind-up for instant acceleration and hip snap retraction. Use partner resistance at close range or makiwara to condition wrist alignment and build explosive power. 

False Allegations and Defamatory Attacks

It has come to my attention that I have apparently been the target of an organized and ongoing smear campaign aimed at damaging my personal and professional reputation. Certain individuals, acting under aliases and through intermediaries, collaborated to intentionally spread false and defamatory information about me to multiple instructors, organizations and sources.

Among the false claims being circulated is the accusation that I have a criminal history involving violence. This is completely false. I was arrested only once almost thirty years ago; that charge was dismissed, the case was dropped, and the record was expunged. 

Let me make this abundantly clear;

Expungement under state statutes prohibits dissemination of the record to the public, treating it as if the incident never happened. Sharing or referencing an expunged record is a violation of privacy and does constitute libel, slander, and or defamation of character. Any disclosure or reference to an expunged record is prohibited by law. Sharing or referencing an expunged record is unlawful and every instance will be treated as a defamatory act subject to legal action. EVERY SUCH DISCLOSURE WILL BE PURSUED AS LIBEL, SLANDER AND DEFAMATION  THROUGH APPROPIATE LEGAL CHANNELS.  

Some of these same individuals have also been implicated in serious threats directed at a former student of mine and his family. Requests for arrest warrants for those involved were filed late December 2025. Law enforcement has taken appropriate action in that matter.

I can also unequivocally state that I  have consistently passed all criminal background checks for the past 40 years, most recently in October 2025, confirming a clean record of clear background checks. Despite this, the campaign of misinformation and misrepresentation continues, including their use of false identities and fabricated credentials (a licensed private investigator who is also an investigative Journalist with a PH.D). 

I have sent formal emails to all instructors and organizations with whom I am affiliated, and some who I am not, requesting written statements from anyone who was approached with or provided with false information regarding my background.

These backdoor attacks on my person or experience will not be tolerated under any circumstances. All responsible parties will be held fully accountable through every legal and professional measure available to me.

A Storm is Coming

 False Claim: "Criminal history of violence"

Legal Reality: Expunged = NO criminal record Result: Per Se Libel + Malice = Punitive Damages Eligible

Forged in Fire

Make no mistake: I know precisely what appeared on a certain person's Facebook page in late September, and what his accomplice—his own student—dispatched to the martial arts organization. A deliberate, calculated strike meant to bury me under your blatant lies. You are not men, and you certainly don’t belong in any uniform.

Rest assured, justice rolls toward you both, unyielding. The truth will strip bare your sly ambushes and reveal the shadows you truly cast. 

For over forty years, I’ve undergone and passed criminal background checks to maintain my black belt rank, coaching certifications, and teaching credentials. From my very first black belt test to my most recent review just two months ago, every single background check has come back clean. That’s four decades of documented verifiable and undeniable proof that I am the complete opposite of what these people attempted to portray me as. 

A personal note from me.......

None of you have faced the kind of crucibles I’ve survived in my life. It’s those trials, not martial arts, not it's ranks, titles, or associations, that define who I am. The hollow accolades of the martial arts world have never validated my identity. Who I am does not lie in judo or karate. That isn't my essence nor the mark of my worth. 

My worth was forged long before any of you ever learned to bow on a mat. I was born tough — I didn’t have the luxury of choice. Life, not the martial arts, made me that way. And the older I got, the tougher I had to become. Every obstacle, every fight, every setback only hardened my resolve. I didn’t just survive — I adapted, endured, and came back stronger every single time. 

I was in my fifties when I was hit, run over, and crushed by a semi-truck. Make no mistake I wasn’t in a automobile, I was on foot when I was hit and run over. Doctors, specialists, and neurosurgeons told me I was finished. The many neurosurgeons said I shouldn’t even be walking and couldn’t under stand how I was even able to. I was told I’d never walk right again, never train again, never step back onto the mat. 

Not one of them knew what I was made of. Through years of my own rehabilitation, pain, and sheer willpower, I came back. And not just to move again — but to perform judo at an elite level, a level that not one of you wannabes will ever touch in your lifetime.

And I didn’t stop there.

At 61 years old, I put on a white belt again and began a new journey into the most demanding and unforgiving style of Karate style there is. Before I even committed to that training, I spent two months training privately, conditioning myself for the intensity that particular karate style is known for.

You actually thought you can somehow hurt someone who’s already survived the worst life can throw? In your tiny, ego-driven minds, with fake ranks wrapped around your waists, you thought you’d “get over” on a man who doesn’t quit, a man who doesn’t stop until he reaches what he sets his sights on. 

FUCKING WITH ME was your biggest mistake.

You thought that I was like everybody else. My Judo it self isn’t like the versions taught in other schools. It isn’t about the gentle way or giving way or turning the other cheek. My mantra has always been direct, raw, disciplined, unrelenting and absolute: “Anytime Judo is used, you must transcend theory and rule… and become a DEMON.” Something none of the likes of you were ever prepared for. 

AND make no mistake a demon is what I am, forged in fire. 

As for those of you who stood around, knowing exactly what was going on — your silence makes you complicit. Don’t think for a second that I don’t know who any of you are. You watched, you heard, you defended him, you stayed quiet, you whispered among each other and you allowed the harassment, threats and slander to happen again and again. You all let it go unchecked and unreported. You’re not innocent; Expect legal and civil actions to follow — to the fullest extent that I can and will take them. 

Rest assured that 2026, upon full exposure and accountability of all involved, this blog will conclude exhibiting the documentation of each individual's downfall. The example I will make of all involved will send a message loud and clear to every other fraud in the martial arts world....if you get the notion to fuck with me....DON'T!

The New Year 2026: Justice is Going to be Served….COLD

I am not someone who only talks; I am a person of action and always have been, and concrete steps were taken even before the start of the New Year 2026. Actions were initiated against a certain central Florida–area individual engaging in martial arts fraud, and his decision to target me, my student, and his daughter will be addressed fully and firmly through the legal system. Once warrants are issued against those involved with the threats, they will be promptly enforced by law enforcement. I, together with a detective who is also my Black Belt student and the appropriate police authorities, will do everything within the law to ensure that these warrants and related legal measures are carried out. 

In addition, I will notify local news outlets that a local-area instructor is the subject of an arrest warrant and related legal proceedings, so that the arrest is conducted transparently and lawfully and so that his actions are fully exposed to the community. Anyone who received rank from him will be embarrassed to claim those ranks much less claim to be an instructor under him.

For those who assisted him in the threats, the personal attacks, and those who engaged in slander, defamation, and libel, you will also face appropriate legal consequences. You chose to attempt to damage my standing in the martial arts community at your instructor’s behest. I am fully aware of who was involved and to what extent. Your loyalty and anger were squandered to defend fake martial arts credentials, and you will now face the legal price for those choices. Every lawful remedy available has been initiated against each person involved, and there will be no avoiding accountability. 

You will remember my name for the rest of your lives, because the legal and public record will ensure it. I will see to it. While your instructor has little to no real assets, many of you do; your careers, homes, and finances can and will be reached through the courts where appropriate. Do not expect mercy or leniency, because the consideration you showed me is exactly the level of consideration you will receive. I do not care how the consequences of your own actions against me affect your livelihoods. 

To everyone involved: the consequences of your actions will unfold systematically through legal channels, one individual at a time. You will observe each case progress and resolve, inevitably prompting reflection on your own accountability before the law—and you will wonder which one of you is next.