Bill Viola (martial artist)
| William Viola II | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born | November 5, 1947 |
| Nationality | United States |
| Occupation | President, CV Productions, Inc. President, Allegheny Shotokan Karate Inc. |
| Known for | Pioneering mixed martial arts in the United States |
| Children | Bill Viola Jr |
William "Bill" Viola II (born November 5, 1947) is an entrepreneur, martial arts instructor, and mixed martial arts pioneer credited by some as the co-creator of the sport of MMA. In 1979, he co-founded CV Productions, Inc., the first mixed martial arts company in America. His life is the subject of the book Godfathers of MMA.
Viola was born in Brownsville, Pennsylvania and studied martial arts in the early 1960s while in high school. He continued to study Shotokan karate while attending California University of Pennsylvania, where he graduated in 1969 and was subsequently hired as a science teacher in the East Allegheny School District. Viola established his first karate school, Allegheny Shotokan Karate, in 1969 at East Allegheny. He trained and achieved rank from Robert Trias (United States Karate Association), and George Anderson (USA Karate Federation).
In 1979 Viola co-founded CV Productions, Inc. with his partner Frank Caliguri. In 1980, the company introduced a new sport, the first regulated mixed martial arts competitions in the United States. Viola helped write the first codified set of mixed martial arts rules for mainstream competition and in 1980 created and promoted organized mixed martial arts competition over a decade before the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Viola’s MMA promotions were outlawed by the Pennsylvania State Legislature in 1983 with the passage of Senate Bill 632, setting the first legal precedent for MMA in the United States.
In 2003, the USA Karate Federation inducted Viola into the Hall of Fame, honoring him with a lifetime achievement award and naming him Man of the Year.
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