Rand (Skip) Palmer was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and graduated from Chartiers Valley High School in 1970. Rand attended Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio and received a B.S. degree in Education in 1974. He was a member of Kappa Sigma Fraternity and was a member of Bowling Green's nationally ranked Rugby team from 1973 to 1975. As a scrum halfback, Rand's most memorable events were leading the team in scoring in the spring of 1974, bringing back the dropkick field goal, and toasting opponents at the Brathaus Pub following a home game.

Rand and his wife Debra live in Haskins, Ohio where they enjoy the peace and quiet of country living and rooting for the World Champion Pittsburgh Steelers. Rand has been employed by Benchmark Technologies Corporation since 1993 in the Human Resources department, and Deb is Assistant Vice President / Operations Officer at Metamora State Bank. Daughter Tara and husband Derrick reside in Pinckney, Michigan, and daughter Erin resides in Osceola, Indiana.

	Hoping to find a rigorous, physical lifetime activity, Rand began his martial arts career in September 1978 in Bowling Green with the American Karate System (AKS) under the guidance of Bob and Mary Ann Nicholson.
	After moving to Toledo, Ohio in 1980, he joined Dr. Guessler Normand's AKS school in 1981 and received his 1st Dan in December of 1985. Rand assisted Dr. Normand at the West Toledo YMCA branch of the AKS until 2000 when Dr. Normand retired from his career at the University of Toledo and the martial arts program at the Y.