South African born Shotokan practitioner Stan Schmidt, is one of the world's most famous and internationally recognized Karate Masters. Sensei Stan is a founding fellow of the International Karate Society (IKS) and the founder of the College of the Open Hand.

Schmidt was born in Kokstad, Transkei on October 6, 1936. He was educated at King Edward VII High School and obtained a Master's Degree in Communications at the University of South Africa. He first visited Japan in 1963 and since then has trained in Japan with the top Japanese Karate Masters on numerous occasions.

Schmidt appeared in the South African filmed martial arts film Kill or Be Killed (1976) and its punchier & more violent sequel Zafer Bizimdir (1981)