Date of birth: November 26, 1993
Age: 14
Place of birth: Santa Monica, California
Residence: Malibu, California
Marital status: Single
Ethnic origin: Irish, Scottish & Lituanian
Style: Tang Soo Do and Shorin-Ryu
School: Malibu Martial Arts
Instructor: Joey and Ginger Escobar
Year started in martial arts: 1997
Year received black belt: 2001
Team: Team International - 2008
Sport karate coach: Butch Togisala
Favorite technique: Helicopter spin with the long bo
First national win: Pacific Jewel
Sport karate titles:
2007 - 12-14 choreographed musical weapons world champion
2007 - 17 and under open musical weapons world champion
2007 - Overall contemporary forms world champion
2006 - 12-14 creative weapons world champion
2006 - 12-14 traditional weapons world champion
2005 - 11 and under traditional weapons world champion
Toughest forms/weapons opponent: Alex Pye
Sport karate career highlight: Scoring a perfect 50.00 in 12-14 musical weapons in SG 2007 and then continuing on to win the overall grand title
Martial arts goal #1: To be the number 1 weapons player in sport karate
Martial arts goal #2: To be a role model for others, especially for those younger than himself
Non-martial arts goal: To play division 1 college baseball
Favorite tournament: Pacific Jewel and of course the Super Grands
Favorite Super Grands: Buffalo 2005 where he won his first title
Favorite sport karate players:
Past fighting: Joey Escobar
Past forms: Butch Togisala
Present fighting: Wade Taylor
Present forms: Joshua Durbin
Most admired martial artists: Butch Togisala and Joey Escobar
Most admired persons: His parents, Greg and Lisa Simon
Favorite food: Pasta
Favorite movie: Hitch
Favorite actor: Adam Sandler
Favorite book: Travel Team
Favorite music: Any
Favorite hobby: Art
Favorite sports: Martial arts, baseball and basketball
Address: 5810 Zumirez Dr., Malibu, CA 90265
Phone No: (310) 678-8866
Email: frobo1@aol.com

After writing as many of these stories as I have, it has eventually sunk in that if I want the real scoop on my subject then I have to interview those that are closest to them. Such will be the case with Jordan Simon where the good old mom “Lisa” spilled all the beans. This will be “Jordan Simon Exposed”.

Those that follow the national karate circuit are quick to notice Simon. Not only does his talent stand out but so does his red curly hair and freckles – once you see him you won’t mistake him... well partially wrong – there is an identical miniature brother. Dynamite competitor – five world titles, polite, quiet, reserved demeanor, just the child any parent could admire. Well... kind of. But then there is the other Jordan. The Jordan where his color red seems to be synonymous with the guy with the pitchfork and horns. Well maybe not quite that bad but there have been times as I understand. Like the large stuffed teddy bear in the middle of the road prank. Where the motorist stops to remove it and a hidden walkie-talkie in the bear chants some abrupt statement like “Don’t you touch me” or various other phrases actually spoken by you know who on a second walkie-talkie off in the weeds. All innocent(?) fun of course... we’re talking desolate suburbia road where the occasional driver is more amused than anything. That is except the one guy who chased him into the woods. I wonder how many bears have been stolen?

April first is a “national holiday” at the Simon’s residence, so relates the abused father who apparently receives the brunt of the practical jokes. He gears himself up days in advance for the yearly nightmare occasion where he uses as many excuses as possible not to be home. One year he did actually get away quit early... 1 am to be exact. But unfortunately for him it wasn’t intentional. Seems the rising dad (4:30 am) had his alarm reset anonymously for 1 am after every clock in the house was moved ahead nearly four hours. Falling for it hook, line and sinker the elder Simon arrived at work at 2 am only to discover he’d been had. Another year he exited out of a video store to get into his car and found it had vanished into thin air. And then of course there is the fake “dead” head that’s found about in various places... cupboards, toilets, etc. on april fools day. There are occasional partners in crime but we’re sworn into secrecy about them.

As I understand it there is no such thing as “no” for Jordan Simon either, as his parents relate that he’ll always find a way around the answer... compromise, grind his way... he’ll get at least a partial victory. But it’s this same perseverance that has taken Jordan to the top in his competitive karate career. Never one to be outdone he just keeps striving until he gets the victory.

Now at nearly 15 years old he’s spent nearly 12 years in the dojo for lessons. The parents discussed a hobby for their 3 year old with the mom pushing for boy scouts and dad for karate. Seems the dad wasn’t much into camping so karate finally won out. Anyhow – off to the nearby Escobar Karate School where Jordan trained mostly in traditional martial arts. Guest instructor Manny Bujold introduced him to NBL competition where Jordan was enticed to the Pacific Jewel Nationals six year ago. Finally he also hooked up with former multi-world champion Japanese forms competitor, Butch Togisala who for several years has trained Jordan on the finer points of traditional forms.

His formative competition years were rather luckless and so without him attracting much notice and no team affiliation the Simon family wore their own “Team Me” t-shirts. However in 2005 at Super Grands in Buffalo, Jordan shed any loser connotation as he aced the 11 and under traditional weapons world title. Weapons are Jordan’s first love but he was primarily known for his traditional forms as a whole. However on his own he developed a passion for creative weapons shocking the circuit tour in 2006 with compelling dexterity and topping a boatload of national talent at the Super Grands to win the creative weapons title. But last year was certainly his peak so far. While starting out with disappointment after disappointment at the Super Grands he shocked himself probably more than anyone as he qualified for the overall Grand and won the newly coveted contemporary forms Grand and prestigious red NBL belt.
Not one to rest on his laurels, Simon was back out again this year garnering the top seeds for this year’s games.

While karate competition may seem like his predominant passion in the karate circles, he actually enjoys and is equally talented as a baseball player, with hopes of securing a scholarship in baseball for college.

In the meantime we’ll just know him as an exceptional sport karate player... and oh yes, a bit of a prankster. You might want to quiz him about that, he might blush, but you’ll never know under that red disguise.