Master Koeppel’s Personal Insignia
The Double-Bladed Axe
Large Double Axe Award
This award will be given at the Grand Nationals every year.
The color white stands for purity. The color black stands for strength. The eight sides represent the “Eight-Fold Path”:
- Right Understanding
- Right Thoughts
- Right Speech
- Right Conduct
- Right Occupation
- Right Efforts
- Right Mindfulness
- Right Meditation
These eight precepts encircle the axe itself, which has four sides, representing the “Four Noble Truths”:
- There are sufferings in life
- Sufferings are caused by ignorance
- Suffering ceases when one overcomes ignorance
- The way, or path, to overcome the causes of ignorance is the “Eight-Fold Path”
The axe is double-bladed, representing the direction of these tenets toward oneself (hinayan) and for the benefit of others (mahyan).
The thirty-six people to whom this award has been presented are:
- William Foster (Rev.) August 23, 1968
- James McLain
- Clarence Wilson
- Anthony Zvirbllis (Dr.)
- Robert Moore
- Glenn Keeney
- Melvin Wise (Dr.)
- Larry Davenport
- James Horne
- Steve Anderson
- Michael Awad
- Rick Hall
- Parker Shelton
- Donald Sonney
- Curtis Jones
- H. Eugene Talbott 7/94
- Thomas Awad 7/94
- Robert Yarnall 7/95
- John Hutchcroft 6/97
- Ric Beach 6/97
- Joseph Fyock 6/97
- Dave Hamann 6/97
- Ron Rollins 6/97
- Fred McKinley 6/97
- Kevin Chalfant 6/97
- James Duffy 6/97
- Ray Bloom 7/98
- Richard Awad 7/99
- Patrick Beaumont 7/99
- David Schielein 7/99
- John Manley 7/99
- Ross Scott 7/99
- Guy Holtzman 10/03
- William Vecchiolli 5/04
- Mark Shear 6/04
- Clark Wade, Sr. 6/04
These thirty-six people are the only ones who can award the small 1 ½” duplicate emblem to their personal students.
Shihan Foster continued with Master Koeppel’s tradition of the Double Bladed Axe by awarding the 1 ½” patch to his dedicated Yudansha.
Above information was obtained from the United States Karate Do Kai website.