TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Kickboxing Hero Due In Tampa

ADVERTISEMENT

By SEAN C. LEDIG, The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 19, 2007

TAMPA - Martial artists from throughout the South are coming to the area to meet and train with a giant in their sport.

Joe Lewis, a man considered the 'father of American kickboxing,' will hold his eighth annual Black Belt Research Conference from Oct. 4 through 7 at the Hilton Tampa Airport, 2225 Lois Ave., organizer Mike Allen said.

Allen - who teaches at Mike Allen American Karate at Hunter's Green Country Club, 18101 Longwater Run Drive, and at American Dragon Dojo, 4327 Gunn Highway - said this is the second time the conference has been in Florida.

Based on the reaction he gets, Lewis is very popular in Florida.

'I've been traveling all over the country, putting these events on, and most of the guys were from Florida,' he said. 'I'd be doing an event in Wilmington, N.C., and 10 to 15 percent of the people there are from Florida.'

The event is open only to advanced martial artists with at least four years of experience, Allen said. Over three days, participants will take part in workshops on topics such as mixed martial art competition, kickboxing, knife fighting and gun disarms.

Lewis was one of the top American karate fighters of the 1960s. He earned his black belt in seven months while training in Okinawa. After a stint with the Marine Corps in Vietnam, he returned to the United States, winning heavyweight titles in karate and kickboxing.

Other instructors include the Professional Karate Association's undefeated middleweight champion, Bill 'Superfoot' Wallace.

'He travels all over the world because he has the greatest kicking skills,' Allen said. 'They once clocked his kicks at 70 miles per hour.'

Other teachers include Maung Gyi, a grandmaster of the Burmese martial art of bando; Roger Greene and Dennis Nackord, who are kenpo karate black belts and two of Lewis' former sparring partners; and Mike Lee Kanarek, a former Israeli commando and a sixth-degree black belt.

Those interested in taking part in the event are asked to contact Allen at (813) 625-7291 or MikeAllenAkarate@aol.com.

Reporter Sean C. Ledig can be reached at (813) 865-1507 or sledig@tampatrib.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT