06/20/2026
On Juneteenth, I reflect on my friend and martial arts brother, Grandmaster Fred Simon.
Fred lived through segregation, race riots, military service, and enormous change in America. Yet every story he shared with me carried the same message: courage, character, faith, and unity.
One story that stayed with me was when he first went to train in martial arts. He approached the back door because he believed he wasn't allowed through the front. His instructor, Grandmaster Pat Burleson, stopped him and told him to walk through the front door like everyone else. Then he made it clear that anyone who had a problem with that could leave.
That wasn't just martial arts.
That was leadership.
That was courage.
That was character.
Happy Juneteenth.
— Master Dietrich