Joe Lewis (martial artist)
| Joe Lewis | |
|---|---|
| Born |
March 7, 1944 Knightdale, North Carolina, US |
| Died | August 31, 2012 (aged 68) |
| Nationality | American |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Weight | 195 lb (88 kg; 13.9 st) |
| Style | Shorin-ryu Karate, Kickboxing, Jeet Kune Do, Okinawan Kenpo, Wrestling, Judo, Tai Chi Chuan |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Trainer | Eizo Shimabukuro, Chinsaku Kinjo, Seiyu Oyata, Bruce Lee, Joe Orbillio, Gordon Doversola, and Sugar Ray Robinson |
| Years active | 1965–1971; 1982–1983 |
| Kickboxing record | |
| Total | 20 |
| Wins | 16 |
| By knockout | 14 |
| Losses | 4 |
| By knockout | 0 |
| Draws | 0 |
Joe Lewis (March 7, 1944 – August 31, 2012) was an American kickboxer, 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 fighter in karate history, having won innumerable karate tournaments, and has attained the titles of "United States Heavyweight Kickboxing Champion," "World Heavyweight Full Contact Karate Champion," and "United States National Black Belt Kata Champion." Bruce Lee also considered him "the Greatest Karate Fighter of all time" and "The greatest Fighter of his time". He was also named by the STAR System Records as the "STAR Historic Undisputed Heavyweight World Champion" and is credited on their site as the "Father of Modern Kickboxing".
Joseph Henry Lewis was born on March 7, 1944, in Knightdale, North Carolina. He joined the United States Marine Corps on March 13, 1962 and was stationed at Cherry Point in Havelock, North Carolina from July 20, 1962 to April 12, 1964. He studied Shorin-ryu Karate with Eizo Shimabukuro, John Korab, Chinsaku Kinjo and Seiyu Oyata while stationed in Okinawa between May 21, 1964 and November 29, 1965, earning his black belt in a mere seven months. He was one of the first Marines stationed in Vietnam, there meeting Anthony (Rocky) Graziano. From February 7 to July 14, 1966, he was stationed at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, NC, at which time he was released from Active Duty. Upon returning to the USA, he began a winning tournament career. From 1967 to 1968, he studied privately with the influential Wing-Chun kung fu teacher, Jeet Kune Do founder, and Chinese/Hollywood movie legend Bruce Lee. Hong Kong cinema historian Bey Logan says Lewis was the original pick of Bruce Lee for the villain Colt in Way of the Dragon, but that Lee and Lewis had a falling out before the film and thus Chuck Norris was tapped instead.
...
Wikipedia