Steve Vertun
“Coyote”
Kiado-Ryu Black Belt #39, 1st Dan
9 December 1995
Karate is life. The journey to a Kiado-Ryu Black Belt is long and arduous, demanding courage, toughness, persistence, determination and a will to survive when all else fades into the sunset. Steve “Coyote” Vertun is the exemplary manifestation of these great character qualities, for his life, both in the dojo and out, has tested and reflected his incredible ability to overcome the heaviest and most painful of challenges.
Early in his karate career, Coyote overcame the immense transition of working for someone else to starting his own computer business. As President of his own company, he forged ahead to make it a success with his partner and Kiado-Ryu Black Belt #38, Lyle Peterson.
In 1993, Steve Vertun traveled on the NASKA (North American Sport Karate Association) circuit. After a year long season and competing in thirteen major United States cities, Coyote was crowned as the National Senior Adult Brown Belt Forms Champion. This was, needless to say, a challenge of immense proportions, demanding endless hours of practice, sweat, concentration, commitment, determination and artistry, not to mention the expense of personal time, money and family sacrifice. His 1993 National Kata Championship was a great achievement, both for himself and the Karate Institute of America.
Unfortunately, Coyote’s character was also tested in his personal life with a divorce and the tragic loss of his beloved second son. How does one carry on personally after such a heartbreak and still remain balanced enough to run a successful business, keeping those in his employ and their dreams and financial necessities in tact? It’s a feat few of us could survive. Yet, Steve Vertun did. It is this kind of immense strength that is a tribute to him, serving as a guiding light, not just to Kiado-Ryu martial artists but all people the world over.