Bill Wallace

William "Bill" Louis Wallace (born December 1, 1945) is an American martial artist who was a Professional Karate Association world full-contact karate champion. He was the Professional Karate Association (PKA) Middleweight Champion kickboxer for almost six years.

Background

Wallace was born in Portland, Indiana, and trained in wrestling during his high school years. He began his study of Judo in 1966 and was forced to discontinue his Judo related activities because of an injury he suffered to his right knee during practice. He then began to study Shorin-ryu Karate under Michael Gneck in February 1967 while serving in the U.S. Air Force. After entering the point fighting tournament scene and achieving success there, he switched to full-contact kickboxing.

With the coaching help of veteran fighter Jim 'Ronin' Harrison, Wallace won 23 consecutive professional fights between 1974 and 1980, becoming the Professional Karate Association middleweight world full-contact karate champion and retiring undefeated. He was known for his fast left leg kicks, especially his roundhouse kick and his hook kick, which was clocked at about 60 mph. He focused on his left leg because of the Judo-related injury to his right knee, using the right leg primarily as a base. He also suffered the loss of one testicle during a point fighting tournament, when his protective cup was struck at an unfortunate angle. He saved the testicle and showed it to football running back legend, Jim Brown at the first Ultimate Fighting Championship (which also featured commentating from Wallace).

A year later, Wallace turned professional and captured the PKA middleweight karate championship with a second-round knockout. He relinquished the crown in 1980, undefeated. The PKA promoted the sport of full-contact karate. Full-contact karate differed from kickboxing in that leg kicks were allowed in kickboxing and forbidden in full-contact karate.

Education

Wallace studied at Ball State University, earning a bachelor's degree in 1971 in physical education. In 1976, he earned a master's degree in Kinesiology from Memphis State University.

Accomplishments

Wallace has taught karate, judo, wrestling and weight lifting at Memphis State University. The author of a college textbook about karate and kinesiology, he continues to teach seminars across the United States and abroad. He has acted, most notably in A Force of One starring Chuck Norris. Wallace was the play-by-play commentator for the inaugural Ultimate Fighting Championship pay-per-view event in 1993 alongside fellow kickboxer Kathy Long and NFL Hall of famer Jim Brown. Wallace administers an organization of karate schools under his "Superfoot" system. He was elected to Black Belt Magazine's Hall of Fame in 1973 as "Tournament Karate Fighter of the Year" and again in 1978 as "Man of the Year." His film credits include A Force of One with Chuck Norris; Kill Point, with Cameron Mitchell; Continental Divide and Neighbors, with John Belushi; The Protector, with Jackie Chan; Los Bravos with Hector Echavarria; A Prayer for the Dying, with Mickey Rourke; Ninja Turf; and Sword of Heaven. Wallace was a trainer and close friend of Elvis Presley and John Belushi and was the personal trainer who found Belushi dead of a drug overdose at the Chateau Marmont on March 5, 1982.

Wallace has written and co-written a number of books, including:

The Best of Bill Wallace

Competitive Karate: Featuring the Superfoot System

The Ultimate Kick

Dynamic Kicking & Stretching 

Karate: Basic Concepts & Skills

DVD format:

BOOST Karate for Children

Karate: Basic Concepts & Skills

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Wallace_%28martial_artist%29