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Bill Viola Jr. is a bestselling author, film producer, and Sensei. He created the CommonSensei® life skills book series and the Sensei Says® curriculum. Viola Jr. serves as President of Kumite Classic Entertainment (founded 1999) based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which owns and operates Allegheny Shotokan Karate (established 1969).
A University Scholar, Viola graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Pittsburgh in 1999 with a bachelor's degree in Political Science. He then moved to Studio City, California, to gain practical experience in the entertainment and film industries. Accepted into the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio, he founded Kumite Classic Entertainment (KCE). Viola gained recognition through his appearance in Britney Spears’ 2000 music video "Stronger," which helped him build connections with top directors and producers.
KCE’s flagship event, the Kumite Classic, is considered the premier karate event in Pittsburgh, widely recognized as the region’s martial arts mecca. The company also produces the annual Pittsburgh Fitness Expo, the largest and most established multi-sport convention in Western Pennsylvania, drawing sports and entertainment icons such as Kurt Angle, Lynn Swann, Franco Harris, Antonio Brown, Ice-T, and Royce Gracie. Viola has worked as a consultant, referee, and event coordinator for major martial arts events worldwide. In 2017, he brokered a partnership with Century Martial Arts and WAKO to produce the North American Open in Las Vegas, Nevada, aligned with UFC Fight Week.
Viola witnessed the "Golden Era" of MMA firsthand, as his father, Bill Sr., is credited by the Heinz History Center and Smithsonian Institution as a co-creator of the sport, predating the UFC by a decade. In 2011, Bill Jr.'s research and documentation of martial arts were honored with a permanent exhibit at the Western PA Sports Museum and Senator John Heinz History Center, placed alongside the Franco Harris "Immaculate Reception" display. Both Viola Jr. and Sr. hold titles as official Sport Karate History Generals and have received the Sport Karate Museum's Lifetime Achievement award. They were also presented with the Champion Associations Willie Stargell M.V.P. Award in 2011 for community service, joining the ranks of Michael Jordan and Muhammad Ali. In 2017, they were featured in the book Who's Who in the Martial Arts - Legends of American Karate. Their dojo is home to the only karate athletes honored with the "Positive Athlete" award and featured on KDKA's Hines Ward Show. In 2016, Pittsburgh Magazine named Viola Jr. to its prestigious "40 under 40" list, recognizing him as one of the city's influential young leaders.
Introduced to Shotokan Karate by his father, William Viola, founder of Allegheny Shotokan Karate, Bill Jr. began training as a toddler in the 1970s, starting at two and a half years old. As a youth, he was one of the nation’s most consistent and well-rounded competitors, earning the title of USA Karate Federation (USAKF) Jr. Olympic champion. As an adult, he became a five-time USA Karate National Champion and All-American Athlete. At the 1997 USAKF National Championships in Akron, Ohio, Viola was the only adult black belt to win triple gold medals in Kata, -65 Kg Kumite, and Kobudo. In 1999, he suffered a serious cervical neck fracture in a car accident on US Route 30 in North Huntingdon, PA, which ended his competitive karate career spanning from 1981 to 1999 (Tribune Review Westmoreland Sports, August 15, 1999, page 6).
Bill Viola Jr. is an award-winning journalist and blogger with bylines in Black Belt Magazine, Martial Arts Success, Sport Karate Magazine, Shotokan Magazine, and Sport Karate Illustrated. He is the senior writer for mmahistory.org and founded Kumite Quarterly magazine (2003-2007), where he served as publisher and managed distribution across North America. In 2016, he co-authored the inspirational book Go Ask Your Dad, which appeared on Amazon’s best-sellers list.
He authored the award-winning and critically acclaimed Godfathers of MMA (2014), which reached #1 on Amazon's individual sports chart with its 2017 commemorative re-release. The book, based on his father’s life, inspired the Showtime documentary Tough Guys (2017), which Viola co-produced. The project featured executive producers from MinusL Productions, including Academy Award® nominee Morgan Spurlock (Supersize Me) and Oscar® winner Ross Kaufmann (Born in Brothels). Viola also made a cameo appearance portraying his father. His work includes developing the screenplay for a major motion picture adaptation of Tough Guys. Additionally, he has been an independent consultant on major films such as Warrior (2011), collaborating with friend Jimmy Cvetic, and holds associate producer, producer, and executive producer credits on films including Tapped Out (2014), Gridlocked (2015), and The Sound (2017). Viola has served as a talent judge and promo coordinator for Sony Pictures Entertainment and consulted on the Pittsburgh-filmed MMA movie Warrior, released by Lionsgate in September 2011. He partnered with longtime associate Jim Cvetic of the Western PA Police Athletic League to coordinate significant scenes for the production.
In 2018, Viola’s daughter Gabby was diagnosed with Indeterminate Bowel Disease, an incurable inflammatory form of colitis. Since 2020, they have become advocates for the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation, participating in national efforts to raise disease awareness. Together, they lobby legislators, congressmen, and senators to fund research and improve healthcare.
His latest initiative, CommonSensei, is a self-help book series focused on teaching essential life skills.
