Joe Varady began his formal martial arts training in 1986. Over the past three decades, he has cross trained in eastern martial arts such as karate, tae kwon do, judo, wing chun, and eskrima, as well as various western martial arts including boxing, fencing, long sword, sword and shield, pole-axe, and various methods of armored fighting. Joe is also a trained educator with a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education. In 2006, he became a certified Master Instructor in The Bao Way System of Self Defense.

Joe currently shares his martial arts knowledge as the head instructor of two programs: traditional martial arts through Satori Dojo, founded in 1994, and eclectic weapons systems through Modern Gladiatorial Arts, founded in 2016, both located in his hometown of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. He is also an active member of the Universal Systems of Martial Arts Organization, a fellowship that provides practitioners of different styles of martial arts with an open forum for sharing techniques and principles. Joe was inducted into the Philadelphia Historic Martial Arts Society Hall of Fame in July 2016. In 2021, after more than 35 years in the martial arts, he was promoted to Grandmaster, 7th degree, at the age of 52.

Joe Varady is the author of three books and video series, The Art and Science of Staff Fighting, The Art and Science of Stick Fighting,  and his latest The Art and Science of Self-Defense, which he considers to be his most important work to date, available worldwide through YMAA Publication Center.

Grandmaster Joe Varady, M.Ed.

Head Instructor, Satori Dojo

Black Belt - 7th Degree

Competition Highlights (last 10 years)
1st place in padded stick fighting, WEKAF East Coast Nationals, NYC 2014
1st place in padded knife fighting, WEKAF East Coast Nationals, NYC 2014
2nd place in full contact staff fighting, WEKAF World Championships, Hungary 2014
4th place in full contact double stick fighting, WEKAF World Championships, Hungary 2014
1st place in full-contact single stick fighting, Doce Pares World Championships, NYC 2015
1st place in Northeast Taiji Fencing NE Championships, Philadelphia’s Chinatown 2015
1st place in Black Belt sparring, Pinnacle Karate Tournament, Phoenixville 2015
1st place in Taiji Fencing League’s Grand Championship, 2015 and 2016
1st place in padded stick fighting, WEKAF East Coast Nationals, Baltimore 2018
2nd place in padded knife fighting, WEKAF East Coast Nationals, Baltimore 2018
2nd place in padded stick fighting, WEKAF East Coast Nationals, NYC 2021
1st place in padded staff fighting, Padded Weapons Tournament, Philadelphia 2022

Joe can be reached by email: [email protected]