Roy Bedard

7th Dan - Uechiryu Karate

Roy Bedard, Ph.D. is a 7th-degree black belt in Uechi-Ryu Karate with over 45 years of experience in defensive tactics and martial arts. In addition to his extensive karate training, Dr. Bedard has a background in freestyle wrestling, Kodokan judo, aikido, and multiple forms of jujitsu. From 1984 to 1995, he was a member of Team USA under the United States Amateur Karate Federation (USAKF), representing the country in international competition. Dr. Bedard earned his doctorate in Educational Psychology and serves as an expert witness in use-of-force cases across the United States. He has provided expert testimony in more than 70 court proceedings, offering insight into police and civilian use of force—including incidents involving deadly force—and has reviewed thousands of use-of-force encounters. His academic and professional focus includes the study of attention, visual perception, decision-making, predictive behavior analysis, and brain function under stress.

Seminar - The Eyes, Visual Processing, and Predicting What Comes Next

How Reaction Time and Distance Influence the Fight This seminar explores the science of human vision and its critical role in high-stakes encounters. Contrary to popular belief, seeing is not merely a function of the eyes but a complex process involving the brain's interpretation of visual input. Dr. Roy Bedard will examine how sensory information interacts with memory and experience to create a conscious understanding of our environment—especially in rapidly evolving situations. The seminar will frame this discussion within the context of dynamic physical movement and threat response, providing students with a deeper understanding of how visual processing, reaction time, and spatial awareness influence performance during real-world confrontations.