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1oe Lewis One Of

The Greatest Martial


Artist and Kick
boxers of Our Time.
1oe Lewis (March 7, 1944 - August 31,
2012) was an American kick boxer
point karate fighter, and actor. As a
fighter, Lewis gained fame for his
matches in the 1960s and 1970s.
He has twice been voted the greatest
Iighter in karate history, and has attained
the titles oI 'United States Heavyweight
Kickboxing Champion, 'World
Heavyweight Karate Champion, and
'United States National Black Belt Kata
Champion. As head oI the Joe Lewis
Fighting Systems, Joe Lewis has
surrounded himselI with a growing
organization dedicated to the core
principles he has used Ior decades to
Iorge a career second to known as a black
belt, Iighter, coach, instructor, leader oI
men, and always, always a student. Joe
Lewis was born on March 7, 1944 in
Raleigh, North Carolina. He was raised
on a Iarm in Wilmington, NC as the
youngest oI three Lewis brothers. Though
Joe was quiet and perceptive his older
brothers were rebel rouses.
While he was not a troublesome son or student, his brothers` reputation Ior trouble branded him as the same.
So, rather than Iollow in his brother`s Iootsteps, he lied about his age and joined the United States Marine Corps
in 1962 and was stationed at Cherry Point in Havelock, North Carolina. He was one oI the Iirst Marines stationed
in Vietnam, there meeting Rocky Marciano. Always Iascinated by strength and body building, a karate class
captured his attention while in Okinawa. There he studied Shorin-ryu Karate with Eizo Shimabukuro, John
Korab, Chinsaku Kinjo and Seiyu Oyata in Okinawa. He quickly earned a reputation as a giIted athlete and
became obsessed with training. II he had to work late, he would sneak into a storage closet to get his workouts in
while his platoon mates slept. He earned his Iirst black belt in a black belt in just three months time and a second
in seven. He worked out between 3 and 5 hours per day. In 1966, with only 22-months oI training, Lewis won
the grand championship oI the 1st tournament he entered, The U.S. Nationals promoted by Jhoon Rhee. Lewis
deIeated 7 opponents beIore deIeating Thomas Carroll by 2-0 decision. Lewis reigned as the U.S. Nationals
grand champion Irom 1966-1969. At the 1967 Nationals in Washington, Lewis won the championship just 18-
months aIter his Iirst class. Joe Lewis was the Iirst 'non-master and only competitor to ever be photographed
cover oI Black Belt magazine. Previous covers had been drawn or painted. In February, 1968, Lewis and Iive
other top rated Iighters (Bob Wall, Skipper Mullins, J. Pat Burleson, David Moon, and Fred Wren) Iought in the
1st World ProIessional Karate Championships (WPKC) promoted by Jim Harrison. This was the Iirst
'proIessional tournament in karate history and took place in Harrison`s dojo in Kansas City. The rules allowed
'heavy contact. Lewis won the tournament and was paid $1-dollar, thus oIIicially making him the Iirst
proIessional champion in karate history.
Hollywood started to take note oI the Lewis
and he began some work helping Bruce Lee on
Iight choreography in the late 1960s. Lewis
continued with his acting career and starred in
Jaguar Lives in 1978 and Force Five in 1981
and has guest starred in Iilms as late as 2011.
He was also a Ieatured guest star on 'The Fall
Guy playing himselI in the episode, 'The
Japanese Connection. From 1967 to 1968, he
studied privately with the inIluential martial
artist and Jeet Kune Do Iounder Bruce Lee. Lee
was turned down by Lewis as an instructor Ior
about 8-months when Mike Stone Iinally
convinced Lewis that Lee was a talented
instructor. Lewis also turned down the roll oI
Colt in true Bruce Lee Iilm, Way oI the
Dragon. The part then went to Chuck Norris.
Lee had Lewis test out his theories oI Iighting
at tournaments. Lewis also began training
boxing with Sugar Ray Robinson and Joe
Orbillio, enhancing his skills. In late 1969
promoter Lee Faulkner contacted Joe Lewis to
Iight in his upcoming United States Karate
Championships.
Lewis had retired Irom point Iighting at the
time but agreed to Iight iI Faulkner would
promote a Iull-contact karate bout with Lewis
and an opponent who would Iight to the
knockout. Faulkner agreed. As Lewis and Greg
Baines entered the ring wearing boxing gloves
the announcer identiIied the Iighters as 'kick
boxers. That night Joe Lewis won the Iirst-
ever kickboxing bout in North America on
January 17, 1970 with a second round knockout
over Greg Baines. n January 24, 1971, at the
2nd Annual United Nations Open Karate
Championships promoted by Aaron Banks,
Lewis knocked out Ronnie Barkoot at 1:25 oI
the Iirst round. At another Banks promotion;
United States Championship Kickboxing
Bouts, Lewis scored a 3rd round knockout over
'Atlas Jesse King. In total, Lewis deIended his
United States Heavyweight Kickboxing title
with 8 straight knockouts (10 since two were
double knockouts in same Iight etc) between
1970/71. Lewis is the Iirst kick boxer to be
Ieatured in both The Ring boxing magazine and
Sports Illustrated. Lewis retired as undeIeated
United States Heavyweight Kickboxing
champion in 1971.
His record as the undisputed United States
heavyweight kickboxing champion was a
perIect 10-0 with 10 KO`s. September 14,
1974 on ABC`s Wide World oI Entertainment
promoter Mike Anderson introduced PKA
Full-Contact` Karate. In the bouts,
competitors wore Ioam hand and Ioot
protection and Iought to the knockout
(Kickboxing rules allowed Ior leg kicks: Iull-
contact karate rules did not permit kicks to the
legs). Lewis, the retired US Heavyweight
Kickboxing champion was accustomed to Iull
contact Iighting. In 1974 he beat his only
opponent with a 2nd round ridge hand
knockout over Yugoslavia`s Frank Brodar in
Los Angeles, CaliIornia to win the ProIessional
Karate Association (PKA) Heavyweight Iull-
contact karate title. The original 1974 PKA
world champions, including Joe Lewis
(heavyweight), JeII Smith (light heavyweight)
and Bill SuperIoot` Wallace (middleweight)
received so much IanIare Irom the PKA title
wins and resultant publicity in popular martial
arts magazines that their status as 'legends oI
the karate world was guaranteed. Lewis
advanced his public persona the next year by
appearing on the cover oI Playgirl magazine
with then wiIe actress Barbara Leigh. In 1975
Joe Lewis was inducted into the Black Belt magazine Hall oI Fame as the 1974 Iull contact karate 'Fighter oI
the Year. In 1984, Lewis moved to Madeira Beach, FL where he began to train and mentor John and Jim
Graden and later with Mark Graden. According to Lewis, no other Iamily has had three world kickboxing
champions. In a 1992 Black Belt cover story, 'Passing the Torch Lewis named John and Jim Graden as his
torch bearers.

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