Bill Wallace (martial artist)

Bill 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.

Bill Wallace
Wallace in 2011
BornWilliam Louis Wallace
(1945-12-01) December 1, 1945
Portland, Indiana, US
Other namesSuperfoot, Fast Billy
Nationality American
Height5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight166 lb (75 kg; 11.9 st)
StyleShorin-ryu Karate, Kickboxing, Boxing, Judo, Wrestling
StanceOrthodox
Fighting out ofDaytona Beach, Florida
Teacher(s)Michael Gneck
TrainerJim "Ronin" Harrison
Rank     10th dan black belt Soke
Years active1974–1990
Kickboxing record
Total23
Wins23
By knockout13
Losses0
By knockout0
Draws0
Websitehttp://superfoot.com

Background

Wallace was born in Portland, Indiana, and trained in wrestling during his high school years.[1] 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.[1] He then began to study Shōrin-ryū Karate under Michael Gneck[2] 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 competition.

With the coaching help of veteran fighter Jim 'Ronin' Harrison, Wallace won 23 consecutive professional fights between 1974 and 1980,[3] becoming the Professional Karate Association middleweight world full-contact karate champion and retiring undefeated.[2][4] He was known for his fast left leg kicks,[5] especially his roundhouse kick and his hook kick, which was clocked at about 60 mph.[4] 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.[6]

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. It was PKA President, Don Quine, who coined the phrase "Superfoot" to describe Wallace after witnessing his fight first with Mark Georgantas and then with Jem Echollas.[7]

In 1990 Bill Wallace (166 lbs) fought one last exhibition kickboxing/karate match with friend Joe Lewis (198 lbs) on pay per view. Both Wallace and Lewis were refused a boxing license because of their age. The exhibition ended with one judge in favor of Wallace and the other two judges scored the bout a tie; ending the exhibition in a draw.[8]

Education

Wallace studied at Ball State University, earning a bachelor's degree in 1971 in physical education.[5] In 1976, he earned a master's degree in kinesiology from Memphis State University.[5]

Accomplishments

Wallace has taught karate, judo, wrestling and weightlifting 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.[5] He has acted, most notably in A Force of One starring Chuck Norris.[9] Wallace was the play-by-play commentator for the inaugural Ultimate Fighting Championship pay-per-view event UFC 1 in 1993 alongside fellow kickboxer Kathy Long and NFL Hall of famer Jim Brown.[3] 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."[10] His film credits include A Force of One with Chuck Norris; Killpoint, 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.[11]

Miscellaneous

Bill Wallace was a personal trainer and close friend of both Elvis Presley and John Belushi. On March 5, 1982, Bill Wallace found John Belushi dead of a cocaine and heroin overdose, in his room in Bungalow 3, at the Chateau Marmont, on Sunset Boulevard, in Hollywood, California.[12]

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

  • The Best of Bill Wallace[13]
  • Competitive Karate: Featuring the Superfoot System[14]
  • The Ultimate Kick [15]
  • Dynamic Kicking & Stretching [16]
  • Karate: Basic Concepts & Skills [17]

DVD format:

  • BOOST Karate for Children[18]
  • Karate: Basic Concepts & Skills [19]

Bill Wallace also starred in the 1985 James Glickenhaus action film "The Protector" alongside Jackie Chan and Danny Aiello. Wallace played a tough ex karate champ bodyguard (for a criminal boss), who has an extended fight scene with cop Jackie Chan in a Hong Kong warehouse.

Kickboxing record
Kickboxing record
23 wins (12 KOs), 0 losses, 0 draw[20]
Result Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Win 20–0 Robert Biggs Decision June 8, 1980 12 2:00 Anderson, Indiana, USA Defends PKA Middleweight World title.
Win 19–0 Tom Georgiades KO May 24, 1980 2 Denver, Colorado, USA
Win 18–0 Raymond McCallum Decision March 1, 1980 5 2:00 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
Win 17–0 Steve Mackey Decision February 2, 1980 5 2:00 West Palm Beach, Florida, USA
Win 16–0 Daryl Tyler TKO July 18, 1978 6 Monte Carlo, Monaco Defends PKA Middleweight World title.
Win 15–0 Ralph Hollett Decision June 5, 1978 7 2:00 Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Win 14–0 Glen Mehlmen Decision April 8, 1978 7 2:00 Miami, Florida, USA
Win 13–0 Emilio Narvaez Decision March 11, 1978 9 2:00 Providence, Rhode Island, USA Defends PKA Middleweight World title.
Win 12–0 Burnis White Decision November 28, 1977 9 2:00 Honolulu, Hawaii, USA Defends PKA Middleweight World title.
Win 11–0 Pat Worley KO October 8, 1977 2 Indianapolis, Indiana, USA Defends PKA Middleweight World title.
Win 10–0 Herbie Thompson TKO September 10, 1977 2 Miami, Florida, USA
Win 9–0 Ron Thivierge TKO May 21, 1977 6 Providence, Rhode Island, USA Defends PKA Middleweight World title.
Win 8–0 Blinky Rodriguez Decision April 23, 1977 9 2:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, USA Defends PKA Middleweight World title.
Win 7–0 Gary Edens Decision October 1, 1976 9 2:00 Los Angeles, California, USA Defends PKA Middleweight World title.
Win 6–0 Daniel Richer TKO May 29, 1976 3 Toronto, Ontario, Canada Defends PKA Middleweight World title.
Win 5–0 Dieter Herdel KO (hook kick) April 26, 1976 1 0:44 Paris, France
Win 4–0 Jem Echollas KO March 13, 1976 2 Las Vegas, Nevada, USA Defends PKA Middleweight World title.
Win 3–0 Joe Corley TKO May 3, 1975 9 1:31 Atlanta, Georgia, USA Defends PKA Middleweight World title.
Win 2–0 Daniel Richer Decision September 14, 1974 3 2:00 Los Angeles, California, USA Wins PKA Middleweight World title.
Win 1–0 Bernd Grothe TKO September 14, 1974 3 Los Angeles, California, USA

Legend:   Win   Loss   Draw/No contest

Filmography
Year Title Role Notes
1979 A Force of One Sparks
1981 Sword of Heaven Butch
1984 Killpoint Sparring Partner
1985 L.A. Streetfighters Kruger
Manchurian Avenger Kamikaze
The Protector Benny Garucci
1987 Fight to Win Tankson
1988 Silent Assassins Colonel
1989 American Hunter Adam
2016 Enter the Cage
2019 The Last Operative Bill

References
  1. Durbin, William. "Bill "Superfoot" Wallace: The Man, The Martial Artist, The Teacher". Archived from the original on November 20, 2008. Retrieved 2009-02-19.
  2. Corcoran, John & Farkas, Emil (1983). Martial Arts: Traditions, History, People. Gallery Books. p. 392.
  3. Biography for Bill Wallace on IMDb
  4. "Bill "Superfoot" Wallace". Fightingmaster.com. Archived from the original on October 4, 2011. Retrieved October 15, 2011.
  5. Archived October 16, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  6. "Bill Wallace IMDB Biography". Retrieved July 28, 2010.
  7. Hayes, David (February 2017). "Bill "Superfoot" Wallace and the Taekwondo Connection". Taekwondo Life Magazine (3): 50. Retrieved January 16, 2017.
  8. Bill Superfoot Wallace vs Joe Lewis, retrieved February 1, 2020
  9. A Force of One (1979)
  10. Black Belt Hall of Fame Awards Archived January 28, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  11. "Bill Wallace IMDB Listing".
  12. McFadden, Robert D. (March 6, 1982). "John Belushi, Manic Comic of TV and Films Dies". New York Times. Retrieved September 25, 2007. John Belushi, the manic, rotund comedian whose outrageous antics and spastic impersonations on the Saturday Night Live television show propelled him to stardom in the 1970s, was found dead yesterday in a rented bungalow in Hollywood, where he had launched a film career in recent years. The 33-year-old actor ...
  13. Wallace, Bill. The Best of Bill Wallace. Black Belt Communications (April 2005) ISBN 0-89750-146-2
  14. Gibson, Adam, and Wallace, Bill. Competitive Karate: Featuring the Superfoot System Human Kinetics; 1 edition (January 27, 2004) ISBN 0-7360-4492-2
  15. Wallace, Bill. The Ultimate Kick. Unique Publications (January 1987) ISBN 0-86568-088-4
  16. Wallace, Bill. Dynamic Kicking & Stretching. Unique Publications (November 1981) ISBN 0-86568-018-3
  17. Schroeder, Charles Roy and Wallace, Bill. Karate: Basic Concepts and Skills. Addison Wesley Publishing Company (July 1976) ISBN 0-201-06837-0
  18. Ferguson, Robert and Wallace, Bill. BOOST Karate for Children Black Belt Communications (May 1, 2005) ASIN: B0009T2JN8
  19. ASIN B000LBZLTI
  20. "Bill Wallace's record at STAR". Starsystemkickboxing.net. Archived from the original on January 15, 2016. Retrieved October 15, 2011.
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