Anyone ever heard of a guy named Ozzie Mitchell?  I took his deposition today in a personal injury case, and he claims to be one of only 10 "PhDs in Martial Arts in the country", and that he's got something like a 10th degree black belt.  

I google'd him, and it did come up with a couple things, but I'm just wondering if this guy is the real deal or what.  Anyone heard of him?

LMFAO. Only in America. I guess Zillionth Degree Black Belt was not enough.

Right now in Okinawa there is a 6th degree black belt with 45 years of green beret quality training who could kick the ass of this guy and 90% of the male population on the planet.

I am a director of the Traditional Martial Arts Association. If you like for $5.00 I will make you a PhD, BA or whatever other bullshit title in Martial Arts you like. I figure the $5.00 is what the materials are worth since the title isn't worth anything.

And I used to think Gold Belt ranks were fucking ridiculous. How I long to go back to the 70s.

PhD in martial arts??

Who gives a shit.  What does that mean, he has read a bunch of books on martial arts and passed some written examinations?  Big deal.

The bottom line, can he fight or not and how well.  I could make myself grandmaster of my own style but it won't help me hit harder or faster.

Ozzie Mitchell owns a few dojos in the East and Southeast, I believe.  He also does the lecture/demo circuit, putting on seminars pretty much around the country.  You should be aware that many people who have or claim to have 5th, 6th . . . 10th degree black belts have had some honorarily bestowed.  Practically speaking, many are meaningless.  It is also hard to know what they mean given that different schools/styles have different levels and requirements.

I've taught Tae Kwon Do (different than Ozzie Mitchell's Karate) for over 15 years.  However, I have never sought advanced belts past the second degree.  I'm not saying I'm better, only that the degree does not always mean skill.  It often means politicking within the particular style's governing body.  For instance, I think Ozzie Mitchell is involved in the Olympic Training biz for Athens.  That alone may have boosted him from 9th to 10th degree (as an honor).  

For what it's worth, he seems competent.  I wouldn't rank him among the greatest, but he has been an effective teacher/demonstrator.  He also seems technically sound.

Did you depose him as an expert, or a fact witness?

A couple of years ago I remember seeing an add for getting a PhD in martial arts.  Completely bogus. Send us money, fill out paperwork, get certificate.  Some of the PhD's are honorary from organizations such as the World Martial Arts Hall of Fame.  All in all they are nothing more than a piece of paper.  Who would actually be qualified to give a Phd?  There are so many styles of martial arts that this is virtually impossible.  I would always be weary of people that spout off titles such as that on their own.  I am Supreme Grandmaster, PhD,etc.,etc.
I did a search for him also and saw that he goes by:Grandmaster, Master, Kudan 9th degree.  I did not see anything about a PhD though.  He's probably just a decent Karate teacher with good marketing skills, IMHO.

I don't know if this is a bit off topic to your original question but...

I did a style of Karate for little over 5 years and then did TKD for another year.  Currently I'm an amature Muay Thai Kickboxer and MMA instructor and I've fought with and trained people from many other martial arts.  The one thing that I've learned is that your Belt or style has nothing to do with how good of a fighter you are.  That is something that comes from inside and cannot easily be taught.  I don't give much credence to people who believe they are good fighters because of a piece of paper on their wall or the color of cloth around their waist.

Anyone can have a black belt from some organization that is supposedly reputable and accredited and all that crap and sound very legit.  But in the end it's still a lie.

So in short, never heard of him, he sounds like every self annoited nth degree black belt I've ever heard of.  True warriors live for competition and protection of themselves and others.  Not to sound cool when you tell people at parties that you are a nth degree black belt.

Neither - as a plaintiff.  He got rear-ended.  

Steyr,

What does that mean? Are you into a particular form?

Unless his PhD is from the School of Hard Knocks it doesn't mean shit.

In my personal experience with martial arts (22 years now) most of the guys who claim nth dan black belts, or degrees, are jokers.  The ones who are legit practitioners and forge credentials are usually doing it to impress the non-martial artists they deal with.

I have had personal experience with both types, and neither impress me.  Regardless of the reason, it still shows a major character flaw IMHO.  

My first instructor is one of the best practitioners I have ever seen, yet after several years of training with him he went from a legitimate 5th dan in Kyokyushinkai to to a 9th or 10th in Shorinji Kempo.  It didn't take long before I lost respect for the man, called bullshit, and left the dojo.  He was an excellent teacher for kihon, but did not desire to impart advanced knowledge to the black belts.  His dojo became a money machine, which is when I bailed.

To make a long story short (too late) the best martial artists I have had the pleasure to train with are the ones who remain humble and don't worry about what color of belt dangles from their waist.

The TMAA is more of a fratenity of traditional orthodox stylists. I have studies and practiced over 30 forms in the last 25 years (mostly Japanese, Okinawan and Chinese) and am qualified to teach 8 of them.

The TMMA is a non profit group dedicated to the promotion and instruction of authentic martial arts of any recognized style in a non commercial manner.

As a long time director within the TMAA I am one of the more senior instructors and also serve as a historian/documentor.

Gee Steyr.. can we get a group buy going on this one as well.. >:)

I can always use another certificate!

Sure, to save money I can just email them to you and you guys can print them out at home. [:D]

I can also make you a:

1. Certified Gunsmith
2. Private Investigator
3. Legal Secretary
4. Medical Administrator
5. Dog Psychologist

Belts don't mean shit as far as fighting ability goes, it just shows how long you may have been involved. The problem with alot of martial arts schools in this country (USA) is that the belts are not given because they passed the necessary ability tests, basically you pay your money and put in your time and the belts will come, regardless of ability. I earned my belts in South Korea where they don't play that game (well not as much anyway). Even then it doesn't mean anything.

In my youth (18), I got into a fight with a local instructor (9th dan black belt grand master even) that had some problems with my mother (we're all Korean). He owed some money and refused to pay. I went to talk to him and he insulted my mother to my face. I beat the living shit out of him in his parking lot and then his group (5) of black belt instructors stomped me into the ground. I found it funny how easily I had completely defeated a 9th dan "Grand Master", having only trained to a 2nd dan black belt myself in Korea. Of course this guy was like 45 years old but that should not matter much with all his years of training. I did get those other guys back in time (one on one), revenge is a bitch.

I know who Ozzie Mitchell is and have ran into him a few times at various martial arts conventions/demos/tournaments. Seemed like a decent guy and a hardcore martial artist but that was some years back. I never heard about the "phd of martial arts" bs though.

My belt?...JC Penneys...$8.95...You like?
Master Miagi

Not if the martial artists is armed too. Most martial artists are smart enough to NOT put all their eggs in one basket and that includes relying exclusively on firearms.

In a fight (even one involving guns) all kinds of things can happen and go wrong. The first guy who runs out of options or ideas loses.

What about a Certified Gigolo?  That's really what I want to be.  Of course, you don't need a belt for that. [;D]