ELVIS PRESLEY "KARATE KING"

[man thing]

Elvis's old sensei (forgot his name! ) came to my dojo about 2 weeks ago for sparring lessons. He didn't spar any students, but he did beat the senseis! He is unbeatable. I would have gone (it was about 2 hours long), but I had too much work to finish. Apparently, he travels around, holding seminars around the world, but mostly in North America.

I hope to see him again at my dojo someday!

Noone is unbeatable. But, yeah, sounds like a cool exerience.

[June1]

Elvis's old sensei (forgot his name! ) came to my dojo about 2 weeks ago for sparring lessons. He didn't spar any students, but he did beat the senseis! He is unbeatable. I would have gone (it was about 2 hours long), but I had too much work to finish. Apparently, he travels around, holding seminars around the world, but mostly in North America.

I hope to see him again at my dojo someday!

Noone is unbeatable. But, yeah, sounds like a cool exerience.

I agree; it's just that no one has beaten him in sparring YET. There's still a chance!

[Sam]

Exactly - always beatable...

never realised that elvis was THAT proficient - you learn something every day....

[scottnshelly]

There is a guy that used to go (might still go) to OKA (Oklahoma Karate Association) tournaments named Elvis Presley. He was very high ranked in some offshoot brand of Kenpo. He was often called Grandmaster or Professor, although I never heard exactly what rank he was. I heard 10th Dan/Soke. It was the musical Elvis though, there were quite a few major differences in appearance.

This website - http://members.tripod.com/beyondthereef__1/tigerman.html - says what I've always heard. I just did a quick google search, there might be conflicting stories out there:

According to Elvis, he was awarded the 2nd degree in 1963, skipped the third degree, was awarded 4th sometime in the 60s, 5th in 1971, 6th in early 1973, and eighth in August 1974 (Ed Parker insisted it was an honorary degree).

[Odysseus]

I WOULD JUST LIKE TO LET EVERYONE KNOW ELVIS IS THE GREATEST ENTERTAINER AND KARATE "MAN" OF ALL TIME. HE IS ONE MAN I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO FOUGHT IN THE RING. I'M ALOT BIGGER BUT HE IS THE KING. WHEN I FIGHT I PLAY HIS MUSIC IN MY MIND, AND I NEVER LOOSE!!! HE WAS A GREAT MAN AND AMERICAN.

LONG LIVE THE KING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HARD HITTER!!

Well, I can't say much about his karate skills... But he is the MOST OVERRATED singer in history. Granted, he's pretty good, but he's definitely NOT as good as people make him out to be.

And I don't know that he was really a great man, or great American, either. He broke quite a few laws in his time. Neither a great man nor a great American would do that.

[Dark Shogun]

I can imagine Elvis walking into a dojo in Japan and saying "gimmie a black belt baby", and the sensei saying "Ah, Elvis-san, you take mine".

At his gradings his sensei would say "Do this kata, now do that kata, now do Blue Suede Shoes!" And he'd be like "Oh man, you said we were gunna do karate!".

I'm just kidding, I watch too much Johny Bravo.

[Sam]

how can you watch TOO much johnny bravo?

[battousai16]

actually, a friend of my father's has done a lot of body guarding and did some work for elvis, and says that he was a wonderful guy. evidently he used to want to be a police officer.

[Uechi Kid]

Well personaly I don't think he's the king of karate. Maybe he helped paved the way in rock and roll. But not karate. Enough money can buy you anything, even a black belt.

[Sam]

I guess whatever we say its stil speculation - i dont think anyone has actually met him from this board well - feel free to correct me!!