Pat Weseman—Head Instructor for and founder of Willow Martial Arts and the Willow Organization. Mrs. Weseman holds a 7th Dan rank in Taekwondo through the Kukkiwon #5904300 and a 7th Dan rank through AAU #036-02239. She also holds a 2nd Dan ranking in Judo recognized by the Kodokan #480125700.
Pat has been married to husband Art since February 1967. Pat began studying Taekwondo at Jefferson College under Master Charles Roth in September 1982. Art and son Tony started classes in January of 1983 as her birthday present. They all also began studying Judo at Jefferson College under Master Charles Roth in June 1984. Tony went into the military while Art and Pat started Willow Martial Arts in 1990 and held classes in both Judo and Taekwondo through the Webster School District and Shrewsbury Community Center. Classes moved to the Kirkwood Community Center in 1992. The Judo classes were dropped, but many of the Judo techniques still remain part of the Taekwondo classes. Art stopped studying Taekwondo due to hip and back problems in 1998 after achieving the rank of 4th Dan Kukkiwon in Taekwondo and 2nd Dan Kodukan rank in Judo. Although it was difficult without her best friend and co-instructor by her side, Pat continued teaching at the Kirkwood Center with the help and support of her many awesome students. Art is still at all Willow tournaments and events and is still a very intragal part of Willow Martial Arts. While son Tony no longer is active in Taekwondo, he continues to keep current on the rules of the sport and officiates at tournaments whenever possible even coming home from current home in Texas to officiate at Mom’s AAU Qualifier tournament.
Pat holds the following offices with the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU):
Ozark District Sport Director (Local)
Region 8 Director (Regional)
Clinic Administrator (National)
Officials Program Administrator (National)
She has been actively involved with the AAU program since 1990 when she was asked to attend a meeting in New York by National Taekwondo Sport Chair Michael Friello to re-establish a set of competition rules and policies to allow Taekwondo access into the AAU program as a medal sport. Since that time, her involvement with the program has included: hosting the Ozark qualifier tournaments; attending yearly conventions as an Ozark delegate; taking groups of students to compete at both our AAU Nationals and AAU Junior Olympic Games; conducting officials and coaches seminars; developing a system to test and upgrade AAU officials; maintaining and updating the coaches and officials national database; and maintaining and updating the online coaches certification clinic. She has officiated and/or administered at every National and Junior Olympic event since 1991.
Retiring from Brown Shoe Company in 2003 after 30+ years with the company left more time for Pat to spend doing the sport she loves. With all the time she spends on AAU coach and officials’ duties, traveling to 15-20 tournaments yearly including 3 National events, and teaching 4 classes a week year round, there is barely enough retirement time to spend leisurely fishing on the family boat on the Mississippi River.