Master Brad Seward
Master Brad Seward is a 5th Degree Black Belt Coszacks Head Instructor. He was born and raised in Zanesville, Ohio and graduated from Philo High School in the Spring of 1993.
In the fall of 93’ Sensei Brad began attending Marietta College after being recruited to play football. He majored in Biology, Secondary Education and Psychology.
In the spring of 1997, Sensei Brad graduated from Marietta College with a Bachelors of Science in Biology and a Secondary Education Teaching Certificate. He has worked in the family business since he was just 14 years old, including weekends while attending school.
After graduating from Marietta, Sensei Brad made the decision to go into the family business full time. He was the 6th generation in his family to become employed at Seward Plumbing Heating and Cooling
While working, Sensei Brad built a house in the Tri Valley School District and enrolled both his children, Kayli and Braden.
In March of 2004, Sensei Seward placed a call to then Master C. Jeffrey Hardwick. He had heard about his karate classes at the SEO Cheer and Tumble Center. Sensei Brad had always been a large man, and wanted something to give him more exercise, as well as satisfy a fascination in the Martial Arts he had always had.
Master Seward attended his first class and “was hooked". He asked Master Hardwick how long it would take to get a black belt. He had always seen the black belt rank as the elite martial artist and deep down always wanted to be among those people.
Master Hardwick told Sensei Brad it typically takes 4-5 years. Due to some personal issues in his life at the time, he was able to use Coszacks Karate Training as an escape from his normal day to day life.
Sensei Brad devoted his time to the gym and to training. He never missed any classes and also began working privately with Master Hardwick. He also became very close with Bob Hall (not sensei then).
Hall and Seward spent many afternoons in the back yard drilling Coszacks material. (Master Seward's first impression of Sensei Hall was not a favorable one. He found out later he was very wrong). After pushing to promote month after month, Master Hardwick asked Sensei Brad to slow down and start focusing on teaching.
This was Sensei Brad's first lesson of what the future may hold. At Brown belt, he did see the value in teaching and how it helped him as a martial artist.
After only 19 months of study, Sensei Brad took his First Degree Black Belt Promotion in October of 2005. At first, he thought, "I finally made it, I reached the top." He soon realized that the more he taught, the better he became.
Sensei Brad Seward was awarded his Second Degree Black Belt only a year later in 2006. In 2010, after receiving the blessing of both Master Hardwick and Grand Master Moore, he opened a new branch of Coszacks Karate at the Tri Valley Fitness Center.
Sensei Brad wanted to create another dojo where students would have more opportunities to train. Sensei Bob, who by now had become his best friend, joined him in Dresden and they both wanted to create a place that focused primarily on the student. In October of 2010 Sensei Brad was awarded his Third Degree Black Belt.
To this point, Sensei Brad had been competing in many tournaments. He had attended various events around the state and had realized he could do very well in tournaments. At both black belt and under black belt, he had placed in every competition event he had entered.
Master Seward had won many first place, second place, and third place trophies medals and plaques. He always pushed himself to try to be the best. His father had always taught him that if you're going to do something, do it right, the first time. He carried this with him into training and competition.
In 2011, after meeting with Master Chuck Chirdon, Sensei Brad became a Promoter of the UPMAC (United Promoters Martial Arts Circuit). He saw a group of martial arts masters that had the common ideas about tournaments and student instruction that they were looking for.
Sensei Brad competed in the 2011 UPMAC state finals and loved it. Who wouldn’t love a six foot trophy?! In 2012, he competed at every UPMAC tournament and won decisively the 2012 UPMAC Grand Championship in Mens Black Belt 35-55 Kata, Weapons Kata, and Kumite. He also went undefeated in Black Belt Padded Weapons.
The Promotors awarded Sensei Brad with the Official of the Year Plaque as well. In October of 2012, he was awarded his 4th Degree Black Belt and also was named Coszacks Ranking Instructor. Over the years, he has tried to become the best possible instructor to all the Coszacks students.
Master Seward places the student first in the dojo and focuses on continuing education for all martial artists including himself and his instructors. He also believes in constantly evaluating the times and trends in the martial arts to keep Coszacks on top.
Sensei Brad has had the honor to learn from some of the greatest instructors such as Grand Master Moore, Grand Master Jeff Hardwick, Master Greg Potts, Sensei Bob Hall, Master Chuck Chirdon, Soke Calvin Campbell, Charles Wright, Taba Sensei, Bill “Superfoot” Wallace, Sensei Karl Saunders, Professor Magno Gama, Frank Shamrock, Dan Severn, and currently with Master Ed Shaffer. All of these influences have helped to mold his mind and philosophy in the martial arts.
Throughout his journey, a strange thing happened. After first loving the attention he received and recognition from competing and having one’s name in the paper, etc., Master Seward finally realized that he no longer cared about his own personal awards and recognition. The personal victories, awards and accomplishments achieved by his students and instructors became the largest source of gratification he could get.
This realization applies not just to the tournament competitors, but even the beginners that for the first time learn to throw a new technique properly, or start doing well in class etc. Master Seward also learned that all his students can teach him as much as he teaches them. He strives now to be the best instructor he can be and offer the best possible instruction to all his students and instructors.
In the last year, Coszacks School of Self Defense, had felt a great shift in ideals. Master Seward realized that the bar had been set with the Dresden students and instructors and anything less could not be considered the Coszacks he had grown to love. Coszacks as a system split, allowing Master Seward to no longer feel the bonds that were holding a great system back. From which, our current system was dubbed “Coszacks Elite” by Grand Master Hardwick.
Master Seward vowed to Grand Master Moore to continue to evolve his style and to always teach the material that best equipped each student. Moore was a pioneer in martial arts, combining the “better” things from other styles into his own, which in turn inspired Master Seward to adapt and add to the system those techniques that were lacking from modern martial arts development and eliminate those skills that were being taught simply because they always had been.
Seward has studied other various arts such as Jiu Jitsu, Capoeira, Krav Maga, Tae kwon Do, Kempo, Tang Su Do, Tai Chi, Aikido, and Kachido Aiki Jitsu. Seward has also studied various weapons and training styles other systems have to offer. He believes that the more he can expose his students to, the more prepared they will be for the future.
In September of 2014, after training with Master Chuck Chirdon in the Koroshi School of Defense System, Master Seward was awarded his 5th Degree Black Belt by the Grand Master and Masters of Koroshi. Seward has since added the Koroshi System and trainings to Coszacks in order to enhance his students abilities and to further set their system above the rest.
In December of 2012, Sensei Brad was approached by Master Chuck Chirdon of the Koroshi School of Defense to become a coach for Team Ohio Martial Artists. Though he feels underqualified and somewhat intimidated by the vast years of knowledge of the other Masters who serve as coaches, he accepted the offer.
Sensei Brad loves working with the students from all over Ohio and many different disciplines of martial arts. He feels he can help them get better, as much as they can help him get better.
“Put a group of people together who are willing to do what ever it takes to accomplish a common goal, and they will be unstoppable!”Sensei Brad's main goal with martial arts is to grow. He wants to grow Coszacks Karate (all the dojos). He wants his students to grow as martial artists. He wants Coszacks' instructors to grow and he wants to continue to develop himself.There is so much out there in the world for each and every one of us to benefit from. All we have to do is take the first step and keep climbing. Master Seward's own personal growth and development in the Martial Arts would not be as productive or possible if it weren’t for the people he has around him supporting him from day to day.
To Date, Master Seward has been honored to be inducted into the U.S.A Martial Arts Hall of Fame, The Arnold's Legends Martial Arts Hall of Heros, The Cleveland Martial Arts Hall of Fame and the International Budo Society.
In closing, Master Seward never wants a student to feel he comes to the dojo, (or any black belt for that matter), just to put in my time and collect the money. Teaching martial arts is a privilege and an honor. He truly feels that if someone has a gift or excels at something, then it is their duty to give this gift to the world. There is nothing selfish in the Martial Arts.
Sensei Brad is here to help all his students. His door is always open. If any student needs him at any time, all they need to do is pick up the phone. The best instructors care not only about students as martial artists, but also as people. If a student just needs someone to talk to, Sensei Brad Seward's number is 819-4852. He is dedicated to his school, his students, and his instructors.
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