kumite classic

Schwarzenegger

I’ll Be Back…

Pittsburgh Martial Artist Teams Up With Arnold Schwarzenegger — Again

It took nearly 30 years, but Pittsburgh martial arts promoter Bill Viola Jr. reunited with Arnold Schwarzenegger this weekend.  The Arnold Sports Festival took place in Columbus, Ohio February 29-3rd, featuring over 20,000 athletes from 80+ nations in world class competitions.  Over the past three decades, the Arnold Sports Festival has evolved into the world’s largest multi-sport competition and expo.  Pittsburgh native, Sensei Bill Viola Jr., has been there since martial arts was introduced in the 1990s, and this year things came full circle. 

Viola was a director for Combat Sports at this year’s festival, overseeing some of the top sport karate athletes in America. A group of athletes from his Pittsburgh dojo (Team Kumite) traveled to compete, including his son (Will), daughter (Gabby) who both took top honors in their divisions.  However, it was a 22-year old graduate from Saint Vincent College who stole the show.  Klos, one of Viola’s most promising black belts, was able to win the Overall Grand Championship in kata (forms) and kumite (sparring), a feat that earned him a one-on-on live performance, just for Arnold Schwarzenegger.  Klos says, “I never dreamed that Arnold would be my personal judge. The entire place stopped, and all eyes and cameras were on me. It was surreal.”  Arnold called Cameron, “A true champion and inspiration to youth.”

Bill Viola Jr, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Cameron Klos
Bill Viola Jr. Arnold & Cameron Klos (2024 Grand Champion)

It was déjà vu for Sensei Bill who had a similar encounter with Arnold over 25 years ago. In 1997, Allegheny Shotokan was one of 20 teams from around the world invited to the expo to perform:

schwarzenegger allegheny shotokan
Pittsburgh Post Gazette – 1997

In 1998, Bill Viola lead Allegheny Shotokan to victory at the Arnold Fitness Festival.

Pittsburgh Post Gazette – 1998

In 1998, Viola was honored by Arnold Schwarzenegger after the Allegheny Shotokan Karate competition team was honored as #1 in the United States.  His team performed on the Veteran’s Memorial Stage in Columbus, Ohio for Schwarzenegger. 

Back stage, Viola expressed his dream to bring a similar concept to Pittsburgh, and Arnold encouraged him to create his own production company, “Kumite Classic Entertainment,” in 1999. Viola writes about this experience in his bestselling book “CommonSensei,” a life skills memoir he wrote last year.  

For the next two decades Viola’s Kumite Classic and Pittsburgh Fitness Expo would be the largest multi-sport convention in Western Pennsylvania hosting over 100,000 square feet of action sports at the Monroeville Expo Mart, Monroeville Convention Center, and the Downtown Hilton (now Wyndham Grand).  The Kumite became the mecca for martial arts and a who’s who guest list of Olympians and professional athletes showcasing everyone from Lynn Swann and Franco Harris to Kurt Angle and Royce Gracie.

2024 Arnold Sports Festival – Combat Sports:

Viola was recently appointed Chairman of WAKO USA Tatami and is currently in negotiations to bring USA Kickboxing to the Arnold Sports Festival in 2025.  It is the only U.S. organization in the sport of kickboxing to have IOC (International Olympic Committee) & AOC (American Olympic Committee) recognition. The athletes compete at the highest of levels, qualifying in our National Championship Tournaments to earn their spots on the team to compete internationally at the Pan-American Championships, World Games and the World Combat Games. WAKO USA serves as the gateway to the Olympics. The World Association of Kickboxing Organizations (WAKO) the National Governing Body for the sport under the patronage of the International Olympic Committee. 

Allegheny Shotokan Viola Karate Dojo has served the Pittsburgh region since 1969.  

www.billviolajr.com   I   www.kumite.pro  I   724-640-2111

I’ll be back… Arnold

I often get asked what inspired the Kumite Classic? The short answer to a long story is Arnold Schwarzenegger. We’ve come a long way from 1997-2024. Back then Flex Wheeler was on top and by 1998 I got my first face time Arnold… the rest is history.

Enjoy an excerpt from by book CommonSensei:

While Jean Claude was fading, another mega star shinned brightly into my eyes.  Growing up, long before “Governor” Schwarzenegger was a thing, ArrrrrNOLD was THE ultimate alpha male.  To Gen-X, Van Damme was cool, but Arnold was on a whole other glacier!  My dad was a HUGE fan, and we bonded over his adventures!  Although not exactly “kid appropriate,” our weekend ritual consisted of watching Conan the Barbarian and Terminator on VHS over and over again until my sister and I could quote scenes verbatim: “I’ll be back!,” “Hasta la vista, baby!,” or “Crush your enemies, see them driven before you…”  Throughout middle school, Schwarzenegger’s action hero persona inspired me, and I dreamed of one day working with him. I mean how proud would my dad be if I rose to that level?!? It became an early “tiger” goal of mine.  *I’ll share with you later about my tiger/dragon dynamic, but for now just understand a tiger 🐯 is a “long term” goal, and a dragon 🐉 is a “short term” goal.

Opportunity knocked my sophomore year at Pitt.  I stumbled upon an advertisement in Black Belt Magazine where Arnie was promoting a new martial arts competition.  His aptly named “Arnold Classic,” held in Columbus, Ohio, was the largest fitness festival in the world.  BINGO 💡. Rumors swirled that the champion would get a role in an upcoming flick.  This was my chance to get in front of him; I just needed to beat out everyone else in America with the same ambition😀.  I got to the lab, trained day in and day out with my team, and took my shot in 1997 – I missed the cut 😔.  Devastated but even more motivated, I trained the next 365 days to redeem myself. Trust the process! Just keep chasing the 🐉’s and that 🐯 will follow! That day came my junior year at Pitt (‘98). The stars aligned and bada-bing, bada-boom, I’d conquered the “Classic.”  Years of 🐉 goals had earned me a meeting with a 🐯.  The “Arnold Classic” mimicked “The Predator’s” personality—BIG.  Hundreds of thousands of fans flock annually (shoulder-to-shoulder) in a testosterone fueled foray.   Fitness models, celebrities, pro athletes, and movie stars all co-mingled, and I met them all: Chuck Norris, Wesley Snipes, Hulk Hogan, and down the line.  However, it was impossible to get face time with the big guy; that was of course unless you won!  I had big plans in the pipeline for Pittsburgh and was excited for my congratulatory conversation with the man, the myth, the legend.  Once we got past the pleasantries, ceremonial jokes, and photo op, I bent his ear about my aspirations. I wanted to create my own mega fitness expo in his image. You see, in my pursuit to meet Schwarzenegger, I had become obsessed with the glitz and glamour of his production, and wanted to launch a martial arts themed counterpart—“The Kumite Classic.”  “Well, what did he say, Sensei?” In a deep Austrian accent and slap on the back he responded, “Do it!” Those two words shaped the next 20 years of my life.  He, just like Mr. Kalp, and Van Damme before him didn’t realize the significance of the banter, but never underestimate the power of “action” words.

By 2004 I was shaking up the industry, and rapper Ice-T joined the Kumite (as it became known) as a presenting sponsor of the show.  For a hot minute the Law and Order star was hawking “Liquid Ice” (an energy drink) and choose the Kumite to launch.  Ironically, the other presenting sponsor was the Police Athletic League. DUN DUN.  Parental Advisory:  Back in the day, Ice-T’s heavy metal band “Body Count,” dropped the controversial track “Cop Killer.” It sparked intense outrage and division across America. YIKES. Emotions were still fragile, and animosity was real.  My uncle Jimmy Cvetic (a legendary Pittsburgh Police officer and boxing promoter) said to me, “This outta be fun!?!” To make matters more interesting, opposite stage was NFL Hall of Famer Lynn Swann who attended as President George Bush’s chairman of Physical Fitness and Sports. Swann and I were awarding inaugural college scholarships to martial artists through a foundation I’d set up with Eckert Seamans law firm. It was the first competitive karate scholarship organization in America, and it created major buzz.  Little did anyone know, but Swann was prepping for a gubernatorial run in the future. This is exactly the way Arnold would have mixed it up 😁.  Guess what? They all played nice in the sandbox.  The next year I teamed up with Olympic Gold Medalist and WWF Champion Kurt Angle to establish a teen strength competition.  It was a huge success, and in the years to follow I parlayed that into a Franco Harris Football Combine.  Superstars like Franco, Lynn, and Kurt were the pride of Pittsburgh, and Kumite was soaring 🚀!!!

My annual expo and convention grew into the mecca for sports and martial arts in the Burgh. My version of the Arnold Classic [“Kumite Classic”] became a household name within the fitness world. Over the years, anyone who’s anyone had walked through my doors… except Mr. Kalp 😂. Regardless, he taught me some of life’s most valuable lessons, and the answers weren’t on the periodic table. What I learned in high school chemistry class was life is an experiment, and anything that fuels for your fire 🔥🔥🔥 is the formula. I thank you for that sir.  BTW Mr. Kalp, it’s not pronounced “Veee-Ohlah” like the instrument, it’s “Vie-Oh-Lah” like the flower 🌸🌸🌸. I’m built differently!

Sensei Says🥋: Where did the inspiration for “Kumite Classic” come from? Kumite as you already know is the Japanese word for fighting, a perfect battle cry for my Violaosophy:fight for anything and everything.”  “Classic” was an ode to Arnold and his inspirational fitness expo. 

Kickin’ Flicks🎬:  Pumping Iron (1977) is a docudrama about the world of pro bodybuilding.  It highlights the rivalry between Arnold & Lou Ferrigno (The Incredible Hulk) as they trained for Mr. Olympia.

Sensei Says🥋 Shout out to the teachers who never quelled my enthusiasm. First, Swan Anderson (my high school Japanese teacher). She never doubted my potential and was instrumental in helping harness my passion. Second, Vitaly Penkovsky (my college Japanese professor). He supported my vision to bring “The Kumite” to Pitt. どうもありがとう.     

About Bill Viola Jr:

He graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Pittsburgh in 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and moved to Hollywood, California to gain hands-on experience in the entertainment industry.  Subsequently, he was accepted into the Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio and established his own company, Kumite Classic Entertainment (KCE).  He gained notoriety from his role in the Britney Spears video Stronger (2000) and was able to network and build relationships with leading directors and producers.  

His company’s signature event, the self-titled “Kumite Classic,” is regarded as the mecca for martial arts in Western Pennsylvania.  KCE also produced the annual Pittsburgh Fitness Expo, recognized as the largest and most established multi-sport convention in Western Pennsylvania attracting sports and entertainment icons such as Lynn Swann, Franco Harris, Antonio Brown, Ice-T, and Royce Gracie over the years. Viola has served as a consultant, referee, and event coordinator for some of the largest martial arts events in the world. In 2017 he brokered a partnership with Century Martial Arts and WAKO to produce the North American Open in Las Vegas, Nevada in conjunction with UFC Fight Week. 

Martial Arts Karate

Sensei Bill Viola Jr. – Martial Artist

Viola is “Sensei” of Allegheny Shotokan Karate, the gold standard for martial arts in Western PA (celebrating its 50-year anniversary in 2019).  The family-owned and operated dojo is blessed with 3 generations of Violas who carry on the legacy.  Over the past fifty years, Viola’s karate school has welcomed and transformed everyone from children struggling with autism to Olympic level competitors.  On September 23, 2019 the Pittsburgh region celebrated “Sensei Viola Day” to honor the dojo’s contributions to the community over the past 1/2 decade.

“It doesn’t matter if they are a professional athlete or a teenager who is coping with bullies,” Viola Jr. says,   “Each and every student is on their own personal journey of self-enlightenment and courage. Our goal is to help them reach their potential and go beyond.” 

This formula of empowerment inspired Viola Jr. to package the family secrets into an Award-winning curriculum—Sensei Says®. This life skills education course is the cornerstone of Allegheny Shotokan’s sister programs Norwin Ninjas (4-7 year olds) and Nursery Ninjas (2-3 year olds).  The growing Pittsburgh karate legacy includes all four of his sisters and now his daughter, Gabriella Capri Viola (2018 US Open International Champion) and a son, William Viola IV born 2017.

bill viola karate lineage
Sensei Bill Viola Jr. in action USA Karate 空手 1990s 🥇

Sensei Bill Honors:

  • Triple Gold Medalist USA Karate Jr. Olympics
  • Multiple time USA National Champion as Junior athlete
  • Recognized as World Champion by Arnold Schwarzenegger -1998
  • Member of the USA Karate National Team
  • 4x USA Karate Federation National Champion (1995-1998)
  • 4x USAKF All-American Athlete (1995-1998)
  • Most successful PKRA State Champion of his era.
  • Creator Sensei Says ® Life Skills Curriculum
  • 2003: Inducted into National Black Belt League The Martial Arts Hall of Fame, 2003
  • 2005: Recipient of The Lifetime Achievement Award, Sport Karate Museum
  • 2011: The Willie Stargell “MVP Award” for community service
  • 2016: Pittsburgh Magazine’s 40 under 40 recipient.
  • 2017: “Whos Who in the Martial Arts” (Legend of American Karate recipient)
  • In 2020 Viola Jr. was inducted into “Who’s Who Legends” Hall of Fame and was featured in the Chuck Norris edition 2020 Martial Arts Masters and Pioneers book.

Early Training

Bill Viola was introduced to the art of Shotokan Karate by his father William Viola, founder of Allegheny Shotokan Karate.  His lessons began in the late 1970s as a toddler. 

As a youth Viola was one of the most consistent and well rounded competitors in the country recognized as a USAKF Jr. Olympic champion and 1993 Overall Sport Karate International Champion. He went on to be the most successful sport karate champion in Pennsylvania Karate Rating Association history winning an unprecedented 8-consecutive black belt overall state titles (1992-1999). As an open and traditional competitor Viola excelled on multiple circuits including NBL, NASKA, AAU, and USAKF.  He competed across North America as a member of X-Caliber and Metro All-Star national travel teams.

He was recognized as a multiple USA Karate All-American Athlete and National Champion.  Viola was the only adult black belt triple gold medalist (Kata, -65 Kilo Kumite, Kobudo) at the 1997 USAKF National Championships in Akron, Ohio. read more

Bill is the head coach of “Team Kumite,” an all-star travel team that represents Pittsburgh on an international level. Most recently he coached his student, Xander Eddy at the Pan American Championships in Cancun, Mexico.  Eddy became the youngest American in history to win Gold and was honored by the Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf and WTAE featured athlete.   In 2020, the team is slated to compete at the Irish Open in Dublin, Ireland and visit Tokyo, Japan for the Olympic Games.

viola karate dojo

Stunt Work & Professional Shows

Viola has served as a stunt actor and choreographer including performances for Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon Movies, US Steel, Police Athletic League, Eckert Seamans Law Firm, and the University of Pittsburgh.  Over the years Viola has participated as a spokesperson for national campaigns including, Say No to Drugs, a tour took Viola coast to coast from Los Angeles to New York.  -Pictured left, Bill Viola congratulated by Arnold Schwarzenegger for winning the Arnold Classic -1998

Brief Accomplishments:

Viola has won numerous national and international titles and was inducted into National Black Belt League Hall of Fame in 2003 (Houston, Texas).  He was also inducted into the National Federation of Martial Arts Hall of Fame, Kumite International Hall of Fame, and the Pennsylvania Karate Rating Association Hall of Fame.  In 2004 he was honored at The Sport Karate Living Legends Banquet with the Lifetime Achievement Award, Lynchburg, Va.  Viola was recognized at the 35th Annual Willie Stargell Memorial banquet on December 16th 2010.  He received the “Pittsburgh M.V.P.” award for his work within the fitness and Martial Arts industry.

Competition Retirement

In the summer of 1999, Viola was involved in an automobile accident on US Route 30 in North Huntingdon, PA. He sustained a serious cervical neck fracture injury that effectively ended his competitive karate career (1981-1999). –Tribune Review Westmoreland Sports August 15, 1999 page 6.

Kumite International

In 2000, Viola partnered with the Western PA Police Athletic League and Eckert Seamans Lawfirm to establish Kumite International college scholarships for competitive martial artists.  May 8th 2004 Viola and former NFL Professional Lynn Swann (Chairman, President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports: June 20, 2002 – July 30, 2005) honored scholarship recipients at the Kumite Classic.  In 2002 Team Kumite was founded, and have earned the only NBL World Titles in the Pittsburgh region since its inception.  NBL World Champion alumni include; Alison Viola, Terrence Tubio, Nicole Sullivan, Jose Rivera, and Dominic Leader.  Kumite International was awarded the “Image Award” at the 2005 Arnold Classic in Columbus, Ohio.  The ceremony was covered by Black Belt TV.

Fitness And Sports Training

In 1995 Viola began teaching sports endurance and cardio classes.  In 2004 Viola expanded his personal training and established “Fitness And Sports Training” (The FAST Class).  The conditioning and sports performance classes focused on improved speed, agility and strength for competitive sports teams in the Pittsburgh region.

Consulting

Viola has served as a consultant for martial arts documentaries and coordinator for International martial arts events across North America including the Mexican Open and the NBL Supergrands World Games; (Jacksonville, Florida / Houston, Texas / Myrtle Beach, South Carolina).

Viola has served as a talent judge and promo coordinator for Sony Pictures Entertainment. He acted as a consultant for the motion picture Warrior, a mixed martial arts movie filmed in Pittsburgh (released September, 2011 by Lionsgate). Viola teamed up with longtime associate Jim Cvetic (Western PA Police Athletic League) to help organize major scenes for the production.

Hollywood

Bill Viola (member of SAG/AFTRA) has made numerous television, film, and radio appearances on networks such as MTV, NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, UPN, WB, USA, Blackbelt TV, ESPN and more.

bill viola jr

In 2000, Viola won Sisqo’s Shakedown, MTV’s most popular program at the time.  Singer-choreographer Pink selected him as the most dynamic performer on the show.  He has also made appearances in national commercials for companies such as 7-Eleven and built an impressive portfolio as a fashion and commercial print model, featured on MTV’s Hitched or Ditched (Big Bear, California) working along side Jennifer Lopez, Mandy Moore and Carson Daly.

Viola has worked as a freelance talent scout and entertainment entrepreneur. He has mentored top martial arts performers, helping them gain exposure within the entertainment industry.  Viola helped launch the modeling career of Nick Bateman at the Model Universe competition in Miami, Florida.  Bateman was discovered by fashion Icon Calvin Klein at the event.

Viola has extensive experience within the entertainment industry, working behind the scenes of major Hollywood productions. He has worked on location for big budget music videos sharing the set with musical artists such as the Def Tones, Britney Spears, and The Black Eyed Peas. The experience influenced the creation of The Kumite Classic concept.

The Kumite Classic

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Bill Viola Jr. Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger Congratulates Bill Viola Jr.

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