Patrick Byrnes II, 83, of Souderton, passed away peacefully at home on May 2, 2020.

He was born in Queens, NY.

He spent many summers on his grandparent's horse farm in Pennsylvania until eventually moving to the area in 1950. Patrick served in the 111th Infantry -Company C, and the 50th Armored, Headquarters Company for a total of 8 years of service.

He is survived by the countless students, families, and the martial arts community that he touched and influenced over a span of 60 plus years. He was preceded in death by his son Patrick Byrnes III. He is survived by his grandchildren Rachel and Ryan Byrnes.

Sensei Byrnes began his martial arts training in 1954 in Judo under former World Judo Champion Takahiko Ishikawa, where he earned his black belt in just a few years. In 1960 he was introduced to the dojo of legendary Shotokan instructor Teruyuki Okazaki where he remained for 10 years, eventually operating a school for Sensei Okazaki in Trenton, NJ. While at the Okazaki dojo Sensei Byrnes had the opportunity to train under former All-Japan Karate Champion Katsuya Kisaka. Kisaka's aggressive fighting style meshed perfectly with Sensei's personality and created the foundation for what would eventually become "The Bushi Way."

In 1970 Sensei left Okazaki's organization and started his own dojo which he called "Bushido" or as it was eventually called "Bushi." Through competition and cross-training Bushi put its mark on the martial arts world. Sensei Byrnes would often be asked to teach seminars at neighboring dojos after the Bushi students had swept several divisions in a tournament. In 1984 Bushi made its first foray into National level competition, landing multiple fighters on the USA National Team. Through this relationship with the USA Karate Federation, Sensei Byrnes became great friends with the president of the USAKF George E. Anderson. Hanshi Anderson promoted Sensei Byrnes multiple times over the years, eventually as high as 8th degree black belt. From 1984 to 2013 Bushi had at least one representative on the National Team every year and remains active in competitions to this day. The Bushi competitors won thousands of medals and dozens of National Championships in that time, as well as many international medals and several World Championship medals.

Beyond his instruction of Karate and Aikijujitsu, Sensei was a great mentor to many of his students. He was always ready to listen to their problems and offer words of wisdom in his almost comically no-nonsense style. Rarely did someone walk away from a conversation with him without having been profoundly affected. Life lessons were a regular part of his instruction, as he believed that the ultimate aim of karate was to "seek perfection of character." Sensei's first priority was always his students, but his second was the legacy that he would leave behind. We will honor him by continuing the traditions and philosophy that he taught us and passing them along to future generations of martial artists.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to: American Cancer Society, 818 Market Street, Suite 2820, Philadelphia, PA, 19103 https://www.cancer.org.

Arrangements by: Anders-Detweiler Funeral Home & Crematory, 130 East Broad Street, Souderton, Pennsylvania 18964. To send online condolences to the family, visit www.andersfh.com