Karate instructor hits the road with Team USA

Sensei Dustin Baldis is a true world traveler.

His latest adventure as he celebrated his 30th year representing the Team USA karate program took him to Saudi Arabia from Oct. 20-22, Hungary from Oct. 22-30 and Chile from Oct. 30-Nov. 5.

“I was traveling (overseas) for three weeks solid,” Baldis said. “I flew from Pittsburgh to Saudi Arabia to Budapest to Chile then back home.”

Baldis, 54, is the owner of the Pennsylvania Shotokan Karate Club with two locations, in Leetsdale, Sewickley, and Level Green, Penn Township.

“I run my schools full time and travel around nationally and internationally teaching seminars,” Baldis said.

With more 38 years of relentless dedication to the art of karate, Baldis has not only achieved personal success but also has made history for the Olympic sport in the United States.

His incredible journey in karate, spanning nearly four decades, is a testament to his passion, dedication and unparalleled achievements. A sixth-degree black belt in the art of Shotokan Karate, Baldis has had numerous historic milestones in USA Karate, both as an athlete and a coach.

He has been recognized as an elite coach and has played a crucial role in the development and success of Team USA athletes on the global stage.

“As a member of Team USA since 1989 as an athlete first and now the longest-tenured coach, karate has opened the world’s front door to me,” Baldis said. “Over the last 30 years, I have trained and worked with the greatest athletes in USA Karate history. Nobody else can say that.

“I am always available to assist and help local karate enthusiasts to achieve this dream too. USA Karate is the pinnacle for the sport and is recognized as the governing body in the United States. We have a rich history of martial arts in western Pennsylvania, and I wish that more western Pennsylvania karate schools would get involved with USA Karate.”

Most recently, Baldis, a 1987 Penn-Trafford graduate who attended Robert Morris where he studied sport management and marketing, was named as coach for the World Combat Games in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The event featured the top eight athletes in the world for each category in the 18-20 age division, marking a significant return for karate to this major international stage.

The World Combat Games is held every four years and encompasses all combat sports.

“You have an opportunity to watch everything from sumo to Muay Thai to fencing,” Baldis said. “Karate has not been part of the World Combat Games since 2013, so we were excited to be part again. We qualified three U21 athletes during the 2023 Junior Pan American Championships in Santiago, Chile.

“Riyadh has very interesting modern architecture and high-end shopping similar to Dubai, but in the middle of the desert. Despite the current situation and serious concerns, the people were extremely friendly and welcoming. We had the head of US Olympic/Paralympic Committee security and the State Department assuring us we would be safe.”

Following the World Combat Games, Baldis traveled to Budapest, Hungary, for the biennial World Karate Federation World Championships, where 114 countries were expected to participate in the event, which has the International Olympic Committee as the governing body.

“We had several athletes make it to the medal rounds, including three that went to Tokyo Olympics and one up-and-coming athlete,” Baldis said. “Hungary is very passionate for the sport of karate, and the arena was full with electricity as the competition was extremely tough.

“When not at the venue, you could watch the event on live TV, no different than watching any of our major sports in the U.S.”

It wasn’t the first trip to Budapest for Baldis.

“I have been to Budapest several times and am always impressed with the rich history and culture,” he said. “It is a beautiful city that I have been blessed to see.”

The third leg of his journey took Baldis to Santiago, Chile, to coach Team USA at the Pan American Games.

Team USA boasted a record number of athletes (13) in the competition, matching the host country of Chile.

“We were extremely proud to have qualified the most athletes ever for the sport of karate in the Pan American Games,” Baldis said. “Matching the host country (which automatically qualifies all divisions) has not been done before.”

The Pan American Games take place every four years, and karate has been part of it since 1995.

“There is nothing like being in an atmosphere of great athletes within the athlete village where all the countries stay,” Baldis said. “Everything is self-contained and available 24 hours a day from dining, medical, recreation, laundry to a beauty shop. It’s really amazing to be with some of the most famous athletes in the world and watch them qualify for the Olympics.

“We always have the highest level of State Department security, and it’s sometimes overwhelming that there is not one place you can be in Santiago without them knowing where and who you are with.”

Team USA came home with three gold and two bronze medals.

“Despite taking second to Chile (three gold, one silver, one bronze) in the medal count for karate, we were a little disappointed as we had couple athletes that we were expecting (to earn) medals,” Baldis said. “However, that is the game, and we were proud nonetheless.

“Karate is always one of the most popular sports during the games, and crowds are very loud. The arena was sold out each of the three days of our event.”

This year marked the fourth time Balis was part of this major event, having participated twice as an athlete (1995, 1999) and now twice as a coach (2011, 2023).

Sensei Baldis the globetrotter started his career with Team USA in 1989 when he earned his first recognition as a member of the USA National Team.

It also was in the same year that he etched his name in the annals of karate history by becoming part of the first USA National Karate Team ever invited to train at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.

This groundbreaking achievement set the stage for numerous firsts in USA Karate throughout Baldis’s remarkable career.

One of his most notable achievements came in 1995 when Baldis was part of the first USA National Karate Team to participate in the Pan American Games, the largest multi-sporting event in the world after the Olympics.

He made more history by becoming the first male athlete to win a medal in the kumite (fighting) category. Baldis also competed in the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Canada.

Baldis’s contributions to the sport have not been limited to his performance as an athlete. In 2005, he was named to the USA National Karate Team coaching staff. Making an immediate impact, he coached the first USA Junior National Karate team to back-to-back titles in Curacao (2006) and Ecuador (2007) during the Junior Pan American Championships.

In 2011, Baldis became the first former USA Karate athlete to coach during the Pan American Games and was the first person in USA Karate history to win a medal as both an athlete and a coach during the games.

His coaching accolades include being honored as the 2010-2011 USA National Coach of the Year and the 2011 USA Olympic Committee Developmental Coach of the Year.

From 2017-2021, Baldis was the main coach who traveled extensively throughout the world, helping the qualification of four athletes for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

In 2022, Baldis coached at the World Games in Birmingham, Ala, where he played a pivotal role in helping three athletes secure bronze medals.

Baldis, who is married with two children, was honored as the USA National Coach of the Year in 2023 by the USA National Karate Federations.

“My oldest was a member of the USA Junior National Team for several years and now my youngest made the USA Junior National Team last year,” Baldis said. “My wife handles the administrative side of the business.”

Pennsylvania Shotokan Karate Club is known nationally and internationally for producing top elite martial art students that are disciplined, well-mannered individuals who are respectful of themselves and others.

As PSKC’s chief instructor, Baldis has trained numerous athletes that have won national and international championships. He also has been instrumental for the technical and developmental training to past and current USA National Team athletes.

Kickboxing/self-defense, strength and conditioning clientele have included members of the NFL and NHL, Olympic athletes, college athletes, Hollywood celebrities and Fortune 500 company executives.