Board of Directors
The ZBBK board of directors is made up of fellow martial arts instructors and practitioners who share O’Sensei's vision.
Rod Sanford (Chairman)
Rod Sanford holds the rank of 9th degree Black Belt and the title of “Hanshi”. His began his martial arts training studying Judo in 1959. Hanshi Sanford joined the Zen Bei Butoku Kai and started training in Shorinji-Ryu Karate under O’Sensei Kim in the mid 60’s. Hanshi Sanford was one of the earliest students of O’Sensei Kim back in the days of classes being held at the YMCA in Chinatown, San Francisco. He remained a student of O’Sensei Kim until the master’s passing in 2001. Hanshi Sanford’s dojo is located in Soquel, California.
Learn more at Rod Sanford’s Traditional Martial Arts.
Hanshi Sanford also has a background in law enforcement in Santa Cruz county. He was a Sergeant with the Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Department and joined the police force starting in 1966. He studied police tactics under Robert Koga who was a very experienced practitioner of Aikido. Sensei became a Defensive Tactics Instructor under Mr. Koga, teaching law enforcement agencies across California. He was also on many special units at the Sheriff’s department including SWAT, Bomb Squad, Search and Rescue, K9 Unit, as well as serving as a firearms instructor. In 1983, Hanshi Rod Sanford founded his own law enforcement training agency, the Pacific Institute of Defensive Tactics (P.I.D.T). He continues to run P.I.D.T. to this day.
Warren Tamashiro (President)
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Al Morgan (Secretary)
Al Morgan began training under Sensei Rod Sanford in 1999. He holds a 4th Dan certificate from ZBBK. He also studied with Sensei Lou Jemison to learn tai chi and other internal arts. For the past several years he has focussed on generating force at the intersection of tai chi and karate. Helping students build their understanding of the martial arts is his long term goal.
Valerie Hart (Treasurer)
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Paul Billimoria (Board member)
Paul Billimoria is a certified Menkyo Sensei (Classical Instructor) with a 5th degree black belt in Aoinagi-ha Shito Ryu Karate. He has been training in martial arts since 1978 and has been an instructor since 1981. Paul has won three National Championships in team kata (forms) competition and has been passing on the art for the past 25+ years. Learn more at Warrior Spirit Dojo.
Dan Wakefield (Technical Director)
Sensei Wakefield started teaching martial arts in 1993. He has studied Shorinji Ryu Karate, Okinawan weaponry, Daito Ryu Aiki Jiu-Jitsu, and Tai Chi Chuan all under Master Richard Kim and Sensei Rod Sanford. Sensei Wakefield taught in a martial arts school (dojo) in Soquel CA for 17 years. Throughout that time, he became the head instructor for the largest, most successful dojo in Santa Cruz County. Under the tutelage of his Sensei, Rod Sanford, he was able to instruct students from the age of 4 to 74. He has also studied Goju-Ryu Karate under Master Tomoharu Kisaki, Shito Ryu Karate under Master Kenei Mabuni, and Shotokan Karate under Master Hidetaka Nishiyama. Sensei Wakefield currently holds the rank 7th Dan and title of Kyoshi.
Learn more at West Valley Martial Arts.
Sean Sanford (Technical Director)
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Rick Elliott (Board member, archivist)
Mr. Elliott began training in Shotokan Karate-Do in 1975 under Sensei Lou Correa in Oakland California. He joined Sensei Rod Sanford’s school in 1985 and has never left. Mr. Elliott currently holds the rank 7th Dan and title of Kyoshi.
