William Louis Wallace (born December 1, 1945) is an American

karateka (; ; Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tii'' in Okinawan) under the influence of Chinese martial arts, particularly Fujia ...

and former professional kickboxer. He is known for his adept use of high-speed leg

kick A kick is a physical Strike (attack), strike using the leg, in unison usually with an area of the knee or lower using the foot, heel, tibia (shin), ball of the foot, blade of the foot, toes or knee (the latter is also known as a knee (strike), ...

s, earning him the nickname "Superfoot." He was the Professional Karate Association (PKA) World

Full-Contact Contact sports are sports that emphasize or require physical contact between players. Some sports, such as mixed martial arts, are scored on impacting an opponent, while others, including rugby football, gridiron football and Australian rules f ...

Champion, and the Middleweight Kickboxing Champion for six years, retiring with a 23-0-0 record. Bill Wallace is the International Ambassador for PKA Worldwide.

Background

Wallace was born in

Portland, Indiana Portland is a city in and the county seat of Jay County, Indiana, United States. The population was 6,223 at the 2010 census, and in 2018 the estimated population was 6,085. History Portland was platted in 1837. It was named after Portland, M ...

, and trained in

wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat s ...

during his high school years. He began his study of

Judo is an unarmed modern Japanese martial art, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyclopedia Nipponica, "Judo") ...

in 1966 and was forced to discontinue his Judo related activities because of an injury he suffered to his right knee during practice. He then began to study

Shōrin-ryū Shōrin-ryū (少林流) is one of the major modern Okinawan martial arts and is one of the oldest styles of karate. It was named by Choshin Chibana in 1933, but the system itself is much older. The characters 少林, meaning "sparse" or "scanty ...

Karate (; ; Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tii'' in Okinawan) under the influence of Chinese martial arts, particularly Fuj ...

under Michael Gneck in February 1967 while serving in the

U.S. Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Sign ...

. 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, becoming the

Professional Karate Association The Professional Karate Association (PKA), later Professional Karate & Kickboxing Association, now--effective March 1, 2022 PKA Worldwide--was originally a martial arts sanctioning organization, now transformed into a martial arts promotion compa ...

middleweight world

full-contact karate Full contact karate is any format of karate where competitors spar (also called Kumite) full-contact and allow a knockout as winning criterion. History Full contact karate competition comes in several different formats developed for the art of ...

champion and retiring undefeated. He was known for his fast left leg

s,
especially his

roundhouse kick A roundhouse kick (also known as round kick or turning kick) is a kick in which the practitioner lifts the knee while turning the supporting foot and body in a semicircular motion, extending the leg striking with the lower part of the shin and/ ...

and his hook kick, which was clocked at about 60 mph. 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 was kicked to the groin during a point fighting tournament and suffered the loss of one

testicle A testicle or testis (plural testes) is the male reproductive gland or gonad in all bilaterians, including humans. It is homologous to the female ovary. The functions of the testes are to produce both sperm and androgens, primarily testoste ...

. A year later, Wallace turned professional and captured the

PKA PKA may refer to: * Professionally known as: ** Pen name ** Stage persona * p''K''a, the symbol for the acid dissociation constant at logarithmic scale * Protein kinase A, a class of cAMP-dependent enzymes * Pi Kappa Alpha, the North-American so ...

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. 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.

Education

Wallace studied at

Ball State University Ball State University (Ball State, State or BSU) is a public university, public research university in Muncie, Indiana. It has two satellite facilities in Fishers, Indiana, Fishers and Indianapolis. On July 25, 1917, the Ball brothers, indust ...

, earning a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to si ...

in 1971 in

physical education Physical education, often abbreviated to Phys Ed. or P.E., is a subject taught in schools around the world. It is usually taught during primary and secondary education, and encourages psychomotor learning by using a play and movement explorat ...

. In 1976, he earned a

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

kinesiology Kinesiology () is the scientific study of human body movement. Kinesiology addresses physiological, anatomical, biomechanical, pathological, neuropsychological principles and mechanisms of movement. Applications of kinesiology to human heal ...

from

Memphis State University } The University of Memphis (UofM) is a public university, public research university in Memphis, Tennessee. Founded in 1912, the university has an enrollment of more than 22,000 students. The university maintains the Herff College of Engineering ...

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. He has acted, most notably in ''

A Force of One ''A Force of One'' is a 1979 American action martial arts film starring Chuck Norris, Jennifer O'Neill, Ron O'Neal, Clu Gulager and Bill Wallace. The film was directed by Paul Aaron and written by Pat E. Johnson and Ernest Tidyman and released b ...

'' starring

Chuck Norris Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris (born March 10, 1940) is an American martial artist and actor. He is a black belt in Tang Soo Do, Brazilian jiu jitsu and judo. After serving in the United States Air Force, Norris won many martial arts championshi ...

. Wallace was the play-by-play commentator for the inaugural

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

pay-per-view Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast. Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program g ...

event UFC 1 in 1993 alongside fellow kickboxer

Kathy Long Kathy Long (born April 21, 1964) is an American kickboxer, mixed martial artist, and actress. Kathy Long Biography">USA Dojo >> Kathy Long BiographyURL accessed on October 7, 2010from the original on August 16, 2016 at the Wayback Machine. She ha ...

and NFL

Hall of Fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actual halls or muse ...

player

Jim Brown James Nathaniel Brown (born February 17, 1936) is a former American football player, sports analyst and actor. He played as a fullback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL) from 1957 through 1965. Considered to be one ...

in which he burped as he said, "Hello, I'm Bill Wallace, and welcome to McNichols Arena" in what has become a much beloved blooper from that event. 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." His film credits include ''

'' with

; '' Killpoint'', with Cameron Mitchell; ''

Continental Divide A continental divide is a drainage divide on a continent such that the drainage basin on one side of the divide feeds into one ocean or sea, and the basin on the other side either feeds into a different ocean or sea, or else is endorheic, not c ...

'' and '' Neighbors'', with

John Belushi John Adam Belushi (January 24, 1949 – March 5, 1982) was an American comedian, actor, and musician, best known for being one of the seven original cast members of the NBC sketch comedy show ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL''). Throughout his c ...

; '' The Protector'', with

Jackie Chan Fang Shilong (born 7 April 1954), known professionally in English as Jackie Chan and in Chinese as Cheng Long ( zh, c=成龍, j=Sing4 Lung4; "becoming the dragon"), is a Hong Kong actor, filmmaker, martial artist, and stuntman known for ...

; ''Los Bravos'' with Hector Echavarria; ''

A Prayer for the Dying ''A Prayer for the Dying'' is a 1987 thriller film about a former IRA member trying to escape his past. The film was directed by Mike Hodges, and stars Mickey Rourke, Liam Neeson, Bob Hoskins, and Alan Bates. The film is based on the 1973 Jack ...

'', with

Mickey Rourke Philip Andre "Mickey" Rourke Jr. (; born September 16, 1952) is an American actor and former boxer who has appeared primarily as a leading man in drama, action, and thriller films. During the star of the 1980s, Rourke played supporting roles i ...

; '' Ninja Turf''; and ''Sword of Heaven''.

Miscellaneous

Bill Wallace was a personal trainer and close friend of both

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the " King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. His ener ...

and

. 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 The Chateau Marmont is a hotel located at 8221 Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, California. The hotel was designed by architects Arnold A. Weitzman and William Douglas Lee and completed in 1929. It was modeled loosely after the Château d'Am ...

, on

Sunset Boulevard Sunset Boulevard is a boulevard in the central and western part of Los Angeles, California, that stretches from the Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades east to Figueroa Street in Downtown Los Angeles. It is a major thoroughfare in ...

, in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...

, California. Wallace has written and co-written a number of books, including: * ''The Best of Bill Wallace'' * ''Competitive Karate: Featuring the Superfoot System'' * ''The Ultimate Kick'' * ''Dynamic Kicking & Stretching'' * ''Karate: Basic Concepts & Skills'' DVD format: * ''BOOST Karate for Children'' * ''Karate: Basic Concepts & Skills'' ASIN B000LBZLTI Bill Wallace also starred in the 1985

James Glickenhaus James Glickenhaus (born July 24, 1950) is an American film producer, financier, director and automotive entrepreneur. He is currently general partner of Glickenhaus & Co., a family partnership originally started by his father Seth Glickenhaus. ...

action film " The Protector" alongside Jackie Chan and

Danny Aiello Daniel Louis Aiello Jr. () (June 20, 1933 – December 12, 2019) was an American actor. He appeared in numerous motion pictures, including '' The Godfather Part II'' (1974), '' The Front'' (1976), ''Once Upon a Time in America'' (1984), ''Hide ...

. 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

, - , , Win , Robert Biggs , , Anderson, Indiana, USA , Decision , style="text-align:center;", 12 , style="text-align:center;", 2:00 , 20–0 , Defends

Middleweight World title. , - , , Win , Tom Georgiades , ,

Denver, Colorado, USA Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the United ...

, KO , style="text-align:center;", 2 , style="text-align:center;", , 19–0 , , - , , Win , Raymond McCallum , , Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA , Decision , style="text-align:center;", 5 , style="text-align:center;", 2:00 , 18–0 , , - , , Win , Steve Mackey , , West Palm Beach, Florida, USA , Decision , style="text-align:center;", 5 , style="text-align:center;", 2:00 , 17–0 , , - , , Win , Daryl Tyler , ,

Monte Carlo, Monaco Monte Carlo (; ; french: Monte-Carlo , or colloquially ''Monte-Carl'' ; lij, Munte Carlu ; ) is officially an administrative area of the Monaco, Principality of Monaco, specifically the Ward (country subdivision), ward of Monte Carlo/Spélugue ...

, TKO , style="text-align:center;", 6 , style="text-align:center;", , 16–0 , Defends

Middleweight World title. , - , , Win , Ralph Hollett , , Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada , Decision , style="text-align:center;", 7 , style="text-align:center;", 2:00 , 15–0 , , - , , Win , Glen Mehlmen , , Miami, Florida, USA , Decision , style="text-align:center;", 7 , style="text-align:center;", 2:00 , 14–0 , , - , , Win , Emilio Narvaez , , Providence, Rhode Island, USA , Decision , style="text-align:center;", 9 , style="text-align:center;", 2:00 , 13–0 , Defends

Middleweight World title. , - , , Win , Burnis White , , Honolulu, Hawaii, USA , Decision , style="text-align:center;", 9 , style="text-align:center;", 2:00 , 12–0 , Defends

Middleweight World title. , - , , Win , Pat Worley , , Indianapolis, Indiana, USA , KO , style="text-align:center;", 2 , style="text-align:center;", , 11–0 , Defends

Middleweight World title. , - , , Win , Herbie Thompson , , Miami, Florida, USA , TKO , style="text-align:center;", 2 , style="text-align:center;", , 10–0 , , - , , Win , Ron Thivierge , , Providence, Rhode Island, USA , TKO , style="text-align:center;", 6 , style="text-align:center;", , 9–0 , Defends

Middleweight World title. , - , , Win , Blinky Rodriguez , ,

Las Vegas, Nevada, USA The Las Vegas Valley is a major metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada, and the second largest in the Southwestern United States. The state's largest urban agglomeration, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Statistical Area is ...

, Decision , style="text-align:center;", 9 , style="text-align:center;", 2:00 , 8–0 , Defends

Middleweight World title. , - , , Win , Gary Edens , , Los Angeles, California, USA , Decision , style="text-align:center;", 9 , style="text-align:center;", 2:00 , 7–0 , Defends

Middleweight World title. , - , , Win , Daniel Richer , ,

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...

, TKO , style="text-align:center;", 3 , style="text-align:center;", , 6–0 , Defends

Middleweight World title. , - , , Win , Dieter Herdel , ,

Paris, France Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

, KO (hook kick) , style="text-align:center;", 1 , style="text-align:center;", 0:44 , 5–0 , , - , , Win , Jem Echollas , ,

, KO , style="text-align:center;", 2 , style="text-align:center;", , 4–0 , Defends

Middleweight World title. , - , , Win ,

Joe Corley Joe Corley is an American karate and kickboxing competitor, instructor, broadcaster and promoter who helped achieve the success of the Professional Karate Association and the early establishment of professional kickboxing in the United States. J ...

, , Atlanta, Georgia, USA , TKO , style="text-align:center;", 9 , style="text-align:center;", 1:31 , 3–0 , Defends

Middleweight World title. , - , , Win , Daniel Richer , , Los Angeles, California, USA , Decision , style="text-align:center;", 3 , style="text-align:center;", 2:00 , 2–0 , Wins

Middleweight World title. , - , , Win , Bernd Grothe , , Los Angeles, California, USA , TKO , style="text-align:center;", 3 , style="text-align:center;", , 1–0 , , - , colspan=10 , ''Legend'':

Filmography

References

External links

Bill Wallace's web site
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wallace, Bill Living people 1945 births Mixed martial arts broadcasters Ball State University alumni University of Memphis alumni American male karateka American male kickboxers Middleweight kickboxers Kickboxers from Indiana People from Portland, Indiana Shōrin-ryū practitioners United States Air Force airmen