Heiko Rommelmann, Jr lives in the house that he grew up in in Webster, NY with his wife and their children. Heiko has been studying martial arts for over 30 years. He has a Rokudan (6th degree black belt) in Judo and also a Godan in Jujitsu, a shodan in Toide and a shodan in Shingi Tai jujitsu. He has also studied Aiki-jujitsu, Iaido, Kobudo, Tai-chi and many different styles of Karate.

Heiko had studied Judo for approximately 10 years, before he met Tony Owed who was the kata instructor at Spirit of the Eagle Judo Camp. Heiko took the kata course and fell in love with Owed sensei’s teaching style and with kata. He made learning kata interesting, fun, beautiful and challenging. Heiko along with his kata partner Jeff Giunta returned to the camp for many years and made many long trips to study kata with Owed sensei. From that meeting at camp began a journey studying kata that continues today taking them all over the world and introducing them to many other wonderful sensei and people.

Heiko was a member of the US Sport Jujitsu Team from 1987-1990, placing 4th in Brisbane, Australia at the 1988 World Jujitsu Championships and winning a gold at the 1990 World Jujitsu Championships in Winston-Salem, NC.

Heiko has qualified to compete in New York State’s prestigious Empire State Games 7 times, taking 4 bronzes, a silver and winning the gold in both 2001 and 2008. He has competed at the AM-Can International Judo Challenge taking 4 bronzes, 2 silvers and the gold in 2006.

Heiko and his kata partner Jeff Giunta have an extremely impressive competition record. Heiko and Jeff won the overall at USA Judo’s Senior Nationals for Kata 16 times since they started competing in kata at a national level together in 2000. They have competed at Miss Fukuda’s Invitational Kata Championship 8 times winning the overall 5 times. They have won the overall at the Canadian Open Masters Judo Championship 3 times. They have competed at the Ontario Open twice, winning two golds in 2004 and winning three golds in 2014. Heiko and Jeff competed in the 2005 World Masters Championship in Missisagua, Canada winning a bronze, a silver and a gold. They have represented the U.S. at seven Pan-Am Championships: 2001 in Cordoba, Argentina taking three bronzes, 2003 in Salvador, Brazil taking three silvers, 2004 on Margarita Island, Venezuela taking two silvers, 2005 in Caguas, Puerto Rico taking three silvers, 2007 in Montreal, Canada taking three gold, 2008 in Miami Florida in the US taking three gold, and 2018 in San Jose, Costa Rica taking two golds. They have represented the US at seven World Championships: 2007 Tokyo, Japan (10th Ju-no-kata), 2008 Paris, France (7th Kime-no-kata), 2009 Valletta, Malta (8th Kime-no-kata), 2011 Frankfurt, Germany (8th Kodokan Goshin Jutsu), in 2013 Kyoto, Japan (7th Kodokan Goshin Jutsu), in 2015 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands (8th Kodokan Goshin Jutsu), and in 2018 in Cancun, Mexico (9th Kodokan Goshin Jutsu).

Heiko was the 2001 United States Judo Association’s New York State Competitor of the Year and was the New York State Kata practitioner of the Year in 2002. In 2004, he was the United States Judo Association’s Kata practitioner of the Year. He was The United States Judo Federations Kata Competitor of the year 2005-2007.

Heiko has been the Upstate New York Regional Co-coordinator for the United States Judo Association. He has also been the Chairman of the United States Judo Association’s Kata Committee and on their National Awards Committee. Heiko is the chief instructor at Bushido Kai Judo Club located in the Penfield Recreation Center in Penfield, NY. He has run Bushido Kai along with his kata partner Jeff Giunta for over 20 years. He teaches there 3 days a week and one day a week at another location. He also teaches private lessons 3-5 times a week. Bushido Kai Judo Club is one of Penfield Recreation’s longest running and most successful programs. Heiko is the co-director and an instructor at the George Harris YMCA/YWCA International Judo Camp (New York) 1995-2019, is the kata instructor at the Greatest Camp on Earth (North Carolina) 2012-2019, has been an instructor at the Spirit of the Eagle International Judo Camp (Ohio) 1999-2008, and has been an instructor at the Europa Judo Camp (Odessa, Ukraine) 2009. He was also the Co-Developer of the Ground Defensive Tactics that was taught and used by the Rochester Police Department Defensive Tactics Unit for almost 10 years.

“Kata is one of the three pillars of Judo: randori, shiai, and kata are what makes your Judo whole. Going to the IJF Kata World Championship is the pinnacle of kata competition. It is extremely rewarding to see how far your hard work can take you. It is a great honor to represent the US at this level and we hope to make everyone nothing less than proud!”