Also known as

Description

American Tang Soo Do grandmaster (9th dan) and pioneering sport-karate figure. Began training in Korean Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan in 1963 while stationed in South Korea as a US Army chaplain, earning his black belt in about thirteen months. Rose to chief instructor of Chuck Norris's Sherman Oaks school (1968), captained Norris's undefeated black belt competition team (1968-1973), won the 1971 national Tang Soo Do title, and created the penalty-point system still used in karate tournaments. Served as executive vice president of Norris's National Tang Soo Do Congress (1973-1979) and then of the United Fighting Arts Federation (1979-1986), before leaving over philosophical differences and reforming the NTC, which he led until his death. Choreographed the fight scenes and played the referee in the Karate Kid films, training Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita and William Zabka for their roles.

Ranks (2)

• linkTang Soo Do

  military_tech1 dan 2

  Probable

  Black belt earned after roughly thirteen months of training beginning 1963, stated independently by Wikipedia and the Hollywood Reporter obituary ('just 13 months'); the exact year 1965 comes only from Wikipedia's achievements list, which labels the art taekwondo while the article body calls it Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan.

  Dan-Kyu System (1965)

  expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  2 sources

  fact_check

  Black belt earned after roughly thirteen months of training beginning 1963, stated independently by Wikipedia and the Hollywood Reporter obituary ('just 13 months'); the exact year 1965 comes only from Wikipedia's achievements list, which labels the art taekwondo while the article body calls it Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan.

  assessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  "1965: Received 1st degree black belt in taekwondo."

  — Wikipedia contributors. (2026). Pat E. Johnson. Wikipedia (English)linkinfo

  "He said it took him just 13 months to earn his black belt."

  — Barnes, Mike. (2023-11-06). Pat E. Johnson, 'Karate Kid' Choreographer, Trainer and Referee, Dies at 84linkinfo
• linkAmerican Tang Soo Do

  military_tech9 dan 3

  Confirmed

  The 9th-degree rank is confirmed by three independent sources (Wikipedia EN, the Hollywood Reporter obituary, and his Tang Soo Do World Who's Who profile listing 9th Dan with a registry pin number); the grantor (Chuck Norris) and year (1986) rest on Wikipedia alone, but nothing found disputes them.

  Dan-Kyu System (1986)

  granted by Chuck Norris

  expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  3 sources

  fact_check

  The 9th-degree rank is confirmed by three independent sources (Wikipedia EN, the Hollywood Reporter obituary, and his Tang Soo Do World Who's Who profile listing 9th Dan with a registry pin number); the grantor (Chuck Norris) and year (1986) rest on Wikipedia alone, but nothing found disputes them.

  assessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  "In 1986, Johnson was promoted to ninth-degree black belt."

  — Wikipedia contributors. (2026). Pat E. Johnson. Wikipedia (English)linkinfo

  "Pat E. Johnson, the ninth-degree black belt and Chuck Norris contemporary who choreographed the fight scenes, trained the actors and portrayed a tournament referee in the first three Karate Kid films, has died."

  — Barnes, Mike. (2023-11-06). Pat E. Johnson, 'Karate Kid' Choreographer, Trainer and Referee, Dies at 84linkinfo

  "Grandmaster Pat Johnson 1939 - 2023 9th Dan Pin"

  — Grandmaster Pat Johnson - Who's Who in Tang Soo Dolinkinfo

Students (3)

• 
  William Zabka

  linkAmerican Tang Soo Do 2

  Probable

  The relationship itself is certain, resting on Zabka's first-person accounts in two independent interviews (Men's Health 2019; Hollywood Reporter 2023 quoting him and Sports Illustrated) - 'He built me up from nothing... I trained with him after the film was over.' The American Tang Soo Do attribution is an inference from Johnson's own art and his role as Chuck Norris-system chief instructor; neither source names the style Johnson taught Zabka, so the assertion as a whole is Probable rather than Confirmed.

  (1984)

  expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  2 sources

  fact_check

  The relationship itself is certain, resting on Zabka's first-person accounts in two independent interviews (Men's Health 2019; Hollywood Reporter 2023 quoting him and Sports Illustrated) - 'He built me up from nothing... I trained with him after the film was over.' The American Tang Soo Do attribution is an inference from Johnson's own art and his role as Chuck Norris-system chief instructor; neither source names the style Johnson taught Zabka, so the assertion as a whole is Probable rather than Confirmed.

  assessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  "He's a legend in martial arts. He built me up from nothing. I didn't know anything about it when I first started. I was a wrestler in high school and very limber and athletic. The discipline that he gave physically, mentally and technically was incredible; so much so, that I trained with him after the film was over."

  — Hornik, Susan. (2019-04-11). How Karate Training Helped Cobra Kai's William Zabka Get Back in Fighting Shape at 53 linkinfo

  "In the Sports Illustrated piece, Zabka said he "got the attitude for my character from Pat. I used his Ki-yahs. I used the way he stood with his hands in his belt.""

  — Barnes, Mike. (2023-11-06). Pat E. Johnson, 'Karate Kid' Choreographer, Trainer and Referee, Dies at 84linkinfo
• 
  Ralph Macchio

  linkGoju-ryu 3

  Confirmed

  First-person account naming both teacher and style (Guardian 'How we made', 2023 - trained in Okinawan Goju-ryu karate by Pat E. Johnson), corroborated by Johnson's own account of training him intensively for the film (via THR quoting Sports Illustrated, 2018) and by trade coverage of the production. Film-preparation training rather than dojo study, but the relationship and style are explicit and uncontested across independent sources.

  (1984-1984)

  expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  2 sources

  fact_check

  First-person account naming both teacher and style (Guardian 'How we made', 2023 - trained in Okinawan Goju-ryu karate by Pat E. Johnson), corroborated by Johnson's own account of training him intensively for the film (via THR quoting Sports Illustrated, 2018) and by trade coverage of the production. Film-preparation training rather than dojo study, but the relationship and style are explicit and uncontested across independent sources.

  assessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  "Apart from four jiu-jitsu lessons when I was 10, I had no martial arts experience. Before filming, I was trained in Okinawan Gōjū-ryū karate by Pat E Johnson, who coordinated the fight scenes and played the head referee in the tournament at the end of the film."

  — Gilbert, Ben. (2023-09-18). 'Everyone was doing the crane kick': Ralph Macchio on making The Karate Kidlinkinfo

  "For The Karate Kid (1984), Johnson told Sports Illustrated in 2018 that he trained actors Pat Morita and Ralph Macchio "separately, really hard.""

  — Barnes, Mike. (2023-11-06). Pat E. Johnson, 'Karate Kid' Choreographer, Trainer and Referee, Dies at 84linkinfo
• 
  Pat Morita

  linkGoju-ryu 2

  Probable

  Two independent secondary accounts agree that Johnson trained the lead cast in goju-ryu ('Okinawan classic') karate for the film (Hollywood Reporter quoting Johnson's own Sports Illustrated account; MovieWeb feature naming the style), but no firsthand statement from Morita himself was located, so Probable rather than Confirmed.

  (1984-1984)

  expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  2 sources

  fact_check

  Two independent secondary accounts agree that Johnson trained the lead cast in goju-ryu ('Okinawan classic') karate for the film (Hollywood Reporter quoting Johnson's own Sports Illustrated account; MovieWeb feature naming the style), but no firsthand statement from Morita himself was located, so Probable rather than Confirmed.

  assessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  "For The Karate Kid (1984), Johnson told Sports Illustrated in 2018 that he trained actors Pat Morita and Ralph Macchio "separately, really hard.""

  — Barnes, Mike. (2023-11-06). Pat E. Johnson, 'Karate Kid' Choreographer, Trainer and Referee, Dies at 84linkinfo

  "In those lessons, Pat Morita and Ralph Macchio were taught goju-ryu style, Okinawan classic karate."

  — Press, Lindsay. (2024-02-18). Did Pat Morita Learn Martial Arts to Play Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid?linkinfo

Honors (2)

• descriptionNorth American Sport Karate Association Hall of Fame 2

  Probable

  Three independent secondary sources agree on 1993 (Wikipedia EN achievements list, the Tang Soo Do World profile, and the Tang Soo Do Masters profile); the association's own records were not consulted, keeping this below Confirmed.

  Other (1993)

  expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  3 sources

  fact_check

  Three independent secondary sources agree on 1993 (Wikipedia EN achievements list, the Tang Soo Do World profile, and the Tang Soo Do Masters profile); the association's own records were not consulted, keeping this below Confirmed.

  assessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  "1993: Inducted into the North American Sport Karate Association (NASKA) Hall of Fame."

  — Wikipedia contributors. (2026). Pat E. Johnson. Wikipedia (English)linkinfo

  "In 1993 he was inducted into the North American Sport Karate Association (NASKA) Hall of Fame."

  — Grandmaster Pat Johnson - Who's Who in Tang Soo Dolinkinfo

  "In 1993 he was inducted into the North American Sport Karate Association (NASKA) Hall of Fame."

  — Grandmaster Pat Johnson - Tang Soo Do Masters linkinfo
• descriptionBlack Belt Magazine Instructor of the Year 2

  Probable

  Dated 1995 by three sources (Tang Soo Do World profile; Tang Soo Do Masters profile; Wikipedia article summary), while Wikipedia's own achievements list alone gives 1996 - plausibly the induction-ceremony year rather than the award year; recorded at 1995 on the balance of sources.

  Other (1995)

  expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  3 sources

  fact_check

  Dated 1995 by three sources (Tang Soo Do World profile; Tang Soo Do Masters profile; Wikipedia article summary), while Wikipedia's own achievements list alone gives 1996 - plausibly the induction-ceremony year rather than the award year; recorded at 1995 on the balance of sources.

  assessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  "In 1995 was honored by Black Belt Magazine as Instructor of the Year."

  — Grandmaster Pat Johnson - Who's Who in Tang Soo Dolinkinfo

  "He was the 1995 Black Belt magazine Instructor of the Year."

  — Wikipedia contributors. (2026). Pat E. Johnson. Wikipedia (English)linkinfo

  "In 1995 was honored by Black Belt Magazine as Instructor of the Year."

  — Grandmaster Pat Johnson - Tang Soo Do Masters linkinfo

Sources