Sensei Clyde Stanley

The following article is taken from the Minden Press Herald:

"I still don't know what possessed me to walk into that karate studio in Bossier City in 1972," Clyde Stanley, owner and instructor of Clyde Stanley's Karate and Self-Defense, said.  "I had heard of karate, but never thought much about it."

The sensei described this Bossier City studio as a large empty room.  There was an old green army gear bag, filled with sawdust, hanging from a chain, he said.

"As I spoke with the instructor, I couldn't help sizing him up," he said.  "He was a very soft-spoken fellow, certainly not intimidating.  He looked almost frail.  But, I was amazed at his skills and it was easy to see that he was a deadly weapon.  I decided to join right then."

In those days, martial arts were strictly for adults.  There were three or four teenagers in the school but no one under about the age of 14.  It was only after the "Ninja Turtle" and "Karate Kid" movies that children's classes came about.

At the time, Stanley worked days in construction and attended school at night.  He somehow managed to fit in about three karate classes a week.  In about two months, the new martial arts student had lost more than 20 pounds.

"Karate had become 'my thing' and my life was never going to be the same again," Stanley said.

In 1974, his job required him to work out of town.  Because of his job, Stanley was unable to make it to Bossier to train, so he found a black belt in Minden and started working out in a friend's back yard.

From left to right: Master Ron Van Browning, Sensei Patricia Stanley, Ultimate Fighting sensation Royce Gracie, Sensei Clyde Stanley.

"We soon started a karate club in Minden," Stanley said.  "We ran it from various locations in town.  Before long, I also became a student of one of the top instructors in Louisiana.  He would come to Minden regularly and I often traveled to his school for training."

By 1991, Stanley was the only original member left.  He bought the building at the school's current location, at 702 Main Street.

After purchasing the building, he then traveled to a martial arts business seminar in Las Vegas and came back with designs for a state-of-the-art facility.

"We immediately went to work.  As soon as the school was finished, I became a full-time instructor," he said.

Now, as a professional, he began searching out the very best world class martial artists from across the country to train with.

"I have always believed that if you train with the best, you can become the best," he said confidently.  "I didn't want to be a big fish in a little pond.  After searching all over the country, I found a true master at a seminar who was the best I had ever seen.  Lucky for me, he taught in Dallas.  Most of the top martial artists in America spent time training with him.  Chuck Norris was even filming several episodes of ‘Walker, Texas Ranger' at his school.

"It isn't always easy for a fairly high-ranking black belt to walk in and start from the ground up with a different system and a new instructor," he continued.  "Fortunately, I have never had an ego problem.  I knew this was something I had to do."

Since then, he has been training regularly in Dallas for the past 10 years or so.  Through his instructors, he has met and trained with many of the most highly respected and well known martial artists in the world.

"This has allowed me to bring a whole new dimension to our students in Minden," Stanley said.  "My senior student, Fred Green, who has been with me for more than 25 years, says he still learns something new in every class."

No other sport or activity can compare with the wonderful benefits of martial arts.  The belt system instills the ability to set and reach each individual's goals.  He and his instructors teach children valuable life skills and they are rewarded for good behavior and academic achievement in school.

Stanley has provided security for many famous entertainers, been able to travel far and wide, and gained many lifelong friends.

"I even met my wife, Patricia, through the martial arts," he said.  "Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined the impact the martial arts would make on my life."

Clyde Stanley regularly travels from coast to coast teaching martial arts and self-defense seminars.  He is the author of the instructional video series "Stand-Up and Ground-Fighting Submission and Finishing Tactics" that is sold worldwide.  He has trained FBI and DEA agents as well as local and state law enforcement officers on defensive tactics.

Sensei Stanley is the former chief hand-to-hand instructor for the National Association of Certified Interdiction Officers.

He is the current national president of the Tatsuo-Kan Society (an organization that promotes traditional karate) and was one of the first 12 martial artists to be inducted into the Louisiana Black Belt Hall of Fame.  In 1998, he was inducted into the Isshinryu Hall of Fame and in 2002, was named "Master of the Year" by the International Martial Arts Hall of Fame.

He is the co-founder of Half-Circle Jiu-Jitsu and is a charter member of the American Freestyle Grappling Association. He has been featured in several "Who's Who" in the martial arts publications as well as "Black Belt Magazine".

Sensei Stanley & one of his instructors, Grandmaster Ron Van Browning.