Kiado-Ryu Karate

Black Belt #40: Jeffrey "Fireball" Weber

Jeffrey “Fireball” Weber started karate in the peewee class (consisting of 5 to 7 year olds) and was an outstanding performer as well as being one of the cutest kids ever on the planet. Fireball was one half of our father/son pairs of black belts. His father was Vince “Sly” Weber, Kiado-Ryu Black Belt #41. Both father and son received their black belts on the same day, February 24, 1996, an unusual event for a father/son pair.

Fireball was a great weapon expert, even at his level. He loved doing nunchucks, and time after time never failed to disappoint the audience during his tests, especially his Black Belt test. He could whip the stringed sticks around with great precision, speed and efficiency.

In one part of Chuck Set, there is a figure-eight section with a rolling reversal which is extremely difficult, even for adults, and which has been the sticking spot for many testing candidates who have lost control and dropped them at that point. When Jeffrey approached that particular section in his nunchuck kata on his black belt test you could hear a pin drop. His father, Sly, watched on in great expectation with a huge smile on his face because of the tremendous confidence he had in his son. Without so much as an eye blink, Fireball whizzed through the figure-eight roll reversal section with unparalleled ease, bringing the crowd to a roaring applause and becoming one of the few who had ever done Chuck Set without a fault. It was a great moment for father and son, full of tremendous pride, love and joy … and huge smiles!

With great sadness, Jeffrey lost his father in the Spring of 2006 to a sudden and highly unexpected heart attack. Yet, it is everyone’s hope that Jeff will remember the great love his father had for him and that his life will find meaning and peace. Certainly, the KIA is eternally grateful to have had such a loving father/son Black Belt pair as Vince and Jeffrey Weber. And to have Fireball as one of our own, well … we’re wonderfully thankful and as pleased as his father was.