Cecil T. Patterson
American martial artist (1930-2002)
- Born
- 22 June 1930, Sevierville
- Died
- 27 October 2002
- Citizenship
- United States
- Sport
- karate
- Occupation
- karateka
Cecil T. Patterson (June 22, 1930 – October 27, 2002), among America’s earliest karateka, introduced the Wadō-ryū style of karate into the Eastern United States in 1958. Before his death in 2002, he had firmly established the United States Eastern Wadō-ryū Federation, previously known as the United States Eastern Wado-Kai Federation, a successful Karate organization 20 thousand strong, according to Patterson’s statement in an interview.
Born in 1930 in Sevierville, Tennessee, Patterson first enlisted in the US Navy at the age of fourteen. While stationed in Iwakuni, Japan, Patterson, then 25 years of age, undertook the study of Karate. According to the USEWF website, Patterson started Wado in 1955 under Kazuo Sakura; more specifically, he started training in August 1955. In 1957, Patterson opened the first karate school in Tennessee, and in 1963 organized the first karate tournament in the state. In 1978 Tennessee governor Ray Blanton signed into law a state senate resolution naming Patterson the father of karate in Tennessee.
External links
Facts from Wikidata Q5056323 (CC0); quoted introduction from English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Data retrieved 2026-10-22.
Data: Wikidata (CC0 1.0); Wikipedia (English) (CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.