Geoff Willcher Martial Arts Resume
Geoff Willcher 615 Iris St. Altamonte Springs, FL.
gwbando@msn.com
32714
Geoff Willcher is a senior instructor in the American Bando Association’s Bando System, trained under
the Father of American Bando, Dr. U Maung Gyi, and other senior instructors including Masahito
Nishida, Paul Kwan, Jon Collins and Bob Maxwell. Geoff started training in 1964, reached 1st level in
<date>, has been ABA President and currently serves at the ABA Director of Weapon Systems. Geoff has
trained many of the ABA’s senior instructors and masters of various disciplines in Bando.
Highlights
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Chief Instructor of GA State University Bando Karate Continuing Education class
Leader and Trainer of the Georgia Black Panther Kukri Drill team
Instructor of Woman’s Self-Defense classes
Instructor of Bando Karate for GA. State Univ. Physical Education Dept.
Special Training for Military, Security and Healthcare Professionals
Demonstrated Bando and Self-Defense on major Atlanta TV channels
Published articles on the Tiger System and Strategy in Martial Arts in Inside Kung-Fu magazine
Chairman and Director of Forms for the American Bando Association
Psychology Doctoral Dissertation on: Movement Errors in Karate Sparring as a Function of Stress
and Skill
Experience (selected)
Personal student of Dr. U Maung Gyi since 1964. Started with Dr. Gyi at American University in 1964.
Promoted to First Level Black Belt in 1968. Continuous training in many personal and small group
training sessions. Participated in clinics on: Animal Style, Masters Weapons, Wizard system, Combat
Dagger and other areas .
Chief Instructor of the Georgia State University Bando Karate class (running since 1972). Proposed class
concept to administration. Developed and taught the program of instruction. Graduated over 15 black
belts. Trained over 1000 students. Operated the class within the Recreation Dept., Continuing
Education Dept. and Physical Education Dept.
President and Director of Forms for the American Bando Association. Prepared written descriptions and
photographs of basic Bando forms. Distributed these to the ABA as draft official descriptions. Learned
several forms from Dr. Gyi and introduced these to the association. These include the Hidden Draw
short stick, Wizard short stick, Eagle form, Footsoldier and Horseman staff form.
Planned, produced and ran the first Bando tournament in America in a “Decathalon” format with nine
separate events. Over 150 competitors competed in many events offered for the first time in any Bando
competitve setting: short stick sparring, dagger sparring, combat archery.
Planned and produced a series of Bando summer camps with invited instructors. Conducted or
supervised instruction in knife throwing, kukri, Bando basics, combat archery and other areas.
Advertised the camp, coordinated with facility owners, organized food service, cleaned, repaired and
prepared facilities, built training equipment.
Accomplishments and Certificates
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Promotion to the Seventh Level Black Belt from the American Bando Association (May, 1996).
Prepared draft competitive rules for sparring, forms and target events in empty hand, short
stick, dagger (rubber), archery, and knife throwing.
Produced the 1985 Bando National Tournament in Atlanta. The only Bando tournament to
feature competition in nine separate events: empty hand, dagger and short stick sparring, basic
and animal style forms, stick and edge weapon forms, archery, knife throwing and breaking.
Led the team which wrote the American Bando Association constitution and By-laws, and
achieved non-profit corporate status for the ABA.
Initiated the development of an annual Bando Kick Boxing national tournament while President
of the ABA.
Taught the longest running continuing education class at GSU: Bando Karate, before turning it
over to my students where it continues to this day. (1973 to 2004).
Started, led and trained the Georgia Black Panther Kukri Drill team. Performed precision kukri
drills to honor veterans of the China-Burma-India Theater of WWII, Rangers and Merrill’s
Marauders.
Bando Teaching Experience
Orlando Bando School – 2011-present
Pacific Northwest Bando School – 1999 to 2011
Chief Instructor – Atlanta Bando Association – date to 1999
Chief Instructor – Georgia State Bando School – date to date
Co-Instructor -- Montgomery College Bando School – date to date
Co—instructor – Montgomery College Martial Arts Club – date to date
Roles in the American Bando Association
President – date to date
Director of ABA Weapons Systems – date to present
Director of Forms – date to date
Newsletter Editor – date to date
Founding member of ABA -- 1968
Veterans Honorary Drill Team
Geoff created, organized and trained the Georgia Black Panther Kukri Drill team. Team members
included: Gary Layton, Dr. Karl Duff, Jude Willcher, Jim Whitcomb, Kathy Presley The team inspired drill
teams created by Gary Layton and Dr. Karl Duff. Gary Layton has continued the team since Geoff left
Georgia in <date>. Under his leadership the team performed at:
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Merrill’s Marauders reunion
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CBI reunion
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Performance at the 1986 nationals – Atlanta, GA
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Performance at the #### national – Glastonbury, Conn
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Performance at the ### nationals – Chillicothe, OH.
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Performance at the ###,
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Performance at the traveling Vietnam Veteran’s well in Atlanta, GA
Bando Events Hosted
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Dagger Defense Multiple Style clinic – Redmond, WA
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1986 Bando National in Atlanta, GA – the largest combined weapons tournament in Bando
history: sword and dagger sparring, short stick sparring, knife throwing, archery, breaking, all
weapons forms, empty hand forms and sparring.
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Wauka Mountain Bando Camps – multiple events
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Mount Yonah climbing training – multiple events
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Lithia Springs Bando Camps – multiple events
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North Georgia Dagger Training – multiple events
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Montgomery College Intercollegiate Tournament (with Bob Maxwell)
Bando Skills
Training
Bando System Training includes:
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Basic and Advanced empty hand Bando.
Tiger system of Bando
Cobra system of Bando
Boar system of Bando
Eagle system of Bando
Grappling systems of Bando (Monk and
Python)
Combat Dagger systems
Monk’s Cane Systems
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Combat and Drill Kukri systems
Bando free sparring
Knife and Kukri Throwing
Combat Archery
Military and Wizard short stick systems
Military baton system
Long staff systems
Fist Stick system
Training outside Bando includes:
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Learned Korean Karate forms white through black
belt
Learned Japanese Karate forms white through black
belt
Basic Judo throws and chokes
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Training in First Aid
Training in CPR
NRA Rifle Certified Rifle Instructor
Geoff has learned a number of Bando forms within these systems (but not all forms):
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Empty Hand:
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Staff:
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Hidden Draw, Wizard Wand, military police baton, multiple stick
Cane:
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4 winds, 4 corners, staff exercise, foot soldier, pilgrim, dissident son, wizard staff,
Mandalay middle staff
Short Stick:
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2 count point, 4 count point, Z, advancing and retreating square, cross, T, Line, Monk
(drill), line tension forms 1 and 2, square tension form, soft tension form, 9 count
stationary tension form
Sacred Cane, Bando cane # 3, Layman’s cane
Animal systems:
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Boar, Tiger, Spring cobra, Other cobra, Python, Tiger Breaking form
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Sword:
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Sword of Prince, Wizard Dha, Double Dha, Ro Ha Dha (spear)
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Dagger: drills and functional training
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Firearm: NRA certified rifle and shotgun instructor’s certification, pistol training, small and large
bore pistols and air rifle.
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Archery and Knife throwing
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Slingshot, Blowgun
Promotion History
1964 -- Started Bando
1970 – promotion to 1st level
Date – promotion to 2nd level
Date – promotion to 3rd level
Date – promotion to 4th level
Date – promotion to 5th level
Date – promotion to 6th level
Date – promotion to 7th level
Date – promotion to 8th level
October, 2014 – promotion to 9th level
Competition History
Geoff has a short competition history which includes:
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All Star Karate Challenge – 3rd Place – (Atlanta, GA) black belt empty hand forms – Executive
Division
2nd Isshinryu – Bando Tournament <date>,
o 1st place black belt weapon forms
o 2nd place black belt empty hand forms
1988 Bando Nationals – 3rd place kukri drill team. Chillicothe, OH.
Bando Nationals 1979 – 1st place (forms?)
Tri-State Karate Trials -- 1st place Brown Belt Kata 1968
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Tri-City Invitational – 2nd place, 165 lb class. Washington, D.C. (weightlifting?)
Maryland Invitational –2nd place, 148 lb class, (weightlifting)
Appreciation award for exhibiting in the 1981 Martial Arts Expo at Chattanooga, TN
Montgomery College Intercollegiate Tournament –
o 2nd place brown belt sparring
o 2nd place brown belt forms
Ki Whang Kim Karate tournament – 1st place brown belt forms
Jhoon Rhee Karate tournament – Washington, D.C. participant – green belt division
Aaron Banks Open Karate Tournament – New York, participant – green belt division
Martial Arts and Bando Writing (selected)
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General Systems Approach to the Definition of Hoplology (combative behavior) for Donn
Draeger’s IHRC Book: Martial System Instructor’s handbook – in progress
Book: Introduction to Bando – in progress – pending photography and revision
Book: Staff Systems of Northern Burma – pending photography and revision
Research paper: Toward a concept for the science of hoplology for Donn Draeger: International
Hoplology Research Center
Article: Toward a concept for the science of hoplology -- Hoplos
Article: Strategy in the Art of Combat – Inside Kung Fu
Article: Tiger of Bando – Inside Kung Fu Article: Unkind Cuts – Soldier of Fortune
Column: Way of the Warrior—23 Columns for Georgia State University Signal (school paper)
Bando Forms documented and distributed
o Point, Z, Square, Cross, T, Line, Monk
o Tiger, Eagle
o 4 winds, 4 corners, Footsoldier, Pilgrim Staff, Dissident son, Hidden Draw, Wizard Wand
o Sword of Prince
o Breaking Holds form
Manuals for Kukri and Staff
Academic Background
University Teaching Experience
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Seattle University – Seattle, WA: User Interface Design
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University of Washington – Bothell – Bothell, WA: Human Computer Interaction
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Mercer University of Atlanta – Experimental Psychology, History of Psychology, Learning
Psychology
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Georgia State University – Atlanta, GA: Experimental Psychology, Intro to Psychology
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Southern Polytechnic University – Marietta, GA. Taught Intro to Psychology
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Brenau University – Athens, GA – Taught Educational Psychology
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Hollins College – Roanoke, VA. Gave lectures on Developmental Psychology, and History and
Systems of Psychology.
Academic Degrees
Doctorate in Cognitive Psychology -- Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA. 1984. Dissertation was:
“Frequency and Distribution of Kicking Errors in the Front Kick.”
Master of Arts in Psychology -- Hollins College in 1972.
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology -- University of Maryland at College Park in 1970.
Geoff completed the requirements for an AA degree at Montgomery College at the Takoma Park and
Rockville campuses.
Geoff graduated from Northwood HS in 1968<?>. He attended Bethesda Chevy Chase HS for one
semester in 1964. ?
Related Interest Areas
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Hoplology – with Donn F. Draeger – anthropology of martial systems
Complexity Science
Biomechanics
Nutrition
Training
Psychology
Physical Fitness
Creative Writing
Work History (recent)
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Remote Usability Engineer – IBM User Centered Design Services
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Sr. Usability Engineer – Start Up Business Group – Microsoft
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B2C Usability Engineer – AT&T
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User Researcher II – Trust User Experience Group – Microsoft
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User Researcher II – Microsoft Office – Visio
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User Researcher II – Microsoft Office Business Applications / Performance Point
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User Researcher – Microsoft CRM / Dynamics
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User Researcher – Microsoft Expedia
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Product Designer / User Researcher – Captura Travel and Expense Manementag
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Product Designer / User Researcher -- Mapics
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User Researcher – ALLTEL healthcare
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User Researcher – Worldspan
End