Who's Who in Karate Promoted Professor Bloom
In The History of Karate there has not been documented a Black Belt test Witnessed or Certificates Signed by a more prestigious panel of Black Belt Karate Masters and Rated Professional Fighters. Including Grand Masters -Gordon and Yi. Seven International and World Champions -Anderson, Prouder, Washington, Pohnel, Gordon, Gross, and Brooks.
 Professor Bloom's Story
I started my Karate training when I was about 13 years old. . I know that's pretty old by today's standards, but that was over 35 years ago and...continued at the bottom of the page. |  Below is a translation of the signatures on Professor Bloom's Karate Black Belt Certificate
On the panel: not enough room to sign: 10th Degree Wayne Yi, Don Wilson and Dexter Brooks
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Steve “Nasty” Anderson
  | Steve Anderson is an icon in the sport-karate universe. A native of Toledo, Ohio, spent time in various parts of the country before settling in Southern California in 1973, where he rose to the top of the circuit and acquired the nickname “Nasty". The Ten Times World Karate Champion Steve “Nasty” Anderson moved to Canada in 1990 from sunny San Diego, California. After his many visits to Canada in the 1980’s and Ottawa in particular to put on Fighting Seminars for local schools, Mr.Anderson decided to lay down roots in Canada’s capital in 1990. Within just months of opening his first Martial Arts School in Orleans (East End of Ottawa) the Steve Anderson name was becoming very well known in local and national karate tournaments. Very quickly Mr.Anderson was able to duplicate his unique fighting style and innovative training methods to local kids and adults of all ages and abilities. Let’s just say that Steve “Nasty” Anderson had just a few qualifications coming to Canada.
With a massive fitness background from NCAA Football and Wrestling as well as California State Track and Field coupled with unique special forces training in the Navy, Steve “Nasty” Anderson was far ahead of the competition when it came to knowledge of combat, performance athletics, speed training, and motivational training. Mr.Anderson had all this under his belt before 1980 when he started on the National Karate Circuit. The 1980’s were dominated by Mr.Anderson as he won more Karate Tournaments than any Man or Woman in the history of Martial Arts. As Mr.Anderson dominated other well known Martial Artists in the ring such as Billy Blanks (who he beat 20 out of 27 times) he also picked up superior knowledge of professional power lifting, core performance training, nutritional programming, elite coaching and of course a wide array of Martial Arts tools and wisdom. From 20 odd years of information gathering and trial and error, Black Belt Hall of Fame Member and Martial Arts Legend Steve Anderson developed his very own unique style of Martial Arts named the “World Champion Steve Anderson Karate and Self Defense System”. With this system he has literally changed the way Martial Arts is taught locally and internationally and single handedly given Canada and it’s competitors the tools to take on and beat the World’s Best! |
Master Alvin Prouder
  | Master Alvin Prouder is an 8th degree black belt and a living legend. He is the Head instructor at Prouder’s Martial Arts Academy in Inglewood, CA. Master Prouder was one of the first former world champion ranked in three different weight classes at the same time. He held over twenty championship belts in PKA, Full-Contact competition. In point sparring he has won well over 1,000 first place trophies and awards all over the world. He was pound for pound the best fighter. Master Alvin Prouder should be dead. He was the victim of an attack that left one family member dead. He is a medical miracle, the doctors stated that he would never walk, talk or care for himself. They said that being a vegetable would be a miracle unto itself. However, Mr. Prouder vision another outcome and proved them wrong. He stated, “The angels said it was not my time”.
After his recovery, Master Alvin Prouder went on to reclaim many of world championships. He has inspired many people in and out of the martial arts. His talent as a world-class instructor has many students marveling at his techniques and physical talents. Master Alvin Prouder against all odds is a true martial artist and against all odds is a living legend. This is the story of instructor “Master Alvin Prouder”. Everyone has a story to tell. |
Master William Washington
   | William Washington was born in San Francisco, California. At the age of 3, he was relocated to Los Angeles, CA with his family where he has lived, studied, and trained. At the age of 17, he organized a martial arts demonstration team where they performed across the country. His innovativeness and tenacity launched their team to many victories. Incorporating his athletic ability with being a 4TH degree in Hapkido and 3rd degree black belt in Kempo, he also challenged himself at a young age to rodeo competition. William Washington's unique style of fighting and competition was recognized by the entertainment industry and he was asked to work with Steven Segal in "Marked for Death".
Today, Mr. Washington has participated in over 100 films, such as "Candyman", "Philly", "Rhapsody", "Three Strikes", Missy Elliott's "Hit Em Wit De Hee" and Mariah Carey's "Honey". His ability to conceptualize, create, and coordinate stunts that the consumer wishes to see has been much admired by audiences of all ages. He also has written screenplays that have captured the interest of producers as well as his peers. He holds a card as a notable active member of the Director's Guild of America. From Washington's experience of bringing events to life, he is able to conceptualize your vision into a product that viewer's would want to see today and decades from now. For each moment has a life of it's own, his ability to bring your vision to life whether it is music or a story is something that is not short of his talents, passion, and training. Mr. Washington believes in becoming one with the project that he takes. He's proven this time and time again with theatrical clips he has created that has been applauded from critics to his peers such as, the fight scene in "What's Love Got To Do With It" and his acclaimed fight scene in "Player's Club" which was nominated for a NAACP Image award. Years of creating, writing, and directing have made him a veteran of his time. |
John Matthews
 | Under Construction...
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Master Mark Zacharatos
   | MASTER. G.T. MARC ZACHARATOS (seventh dan) (you can call him Zach, or Mr. Calabasas!)
Master Zacharatos, Chief instructor of " Zacharatos Karate & Kickboxing ", has been teaching karate, kickboxng, and boxing, and training fighters, for over 30 years. As an instructor, he has found the right balance between discipline and having fun. He is also known for giving his students nicknames that seem to stay with them for years later. His nickname as a fighter was "Z BOMB" for his stright right knock out punch! He is a Seventh Degree Blackbelt in AmericanTang Soo Do style karate, and a former professional kickboxer, who was rated top ten in the world during his entire professional fighting career from 1977-1982, where he was known for his knockout straight right punch. His pro kickboxing titles include: the WKA North American light heavyweight kickboxing championship title 1979, and the PKA middleweight California State Championship kickboxing title 1980. He began training in Boxing when he was a child, and began training in karate when he was a teenager, one of his instructors was Chuck Norris. After he received his first blackbelt at the age of 20, he began training and then competing in kickboxing (known then as full contact karate). While he was fighting professionally, Master Zacharatos began teaching karate. Growing up in Belgium, he was also a semi-pro "All Star" soccer player. As a young adult, he was deciding whether to pursue Soccer or Kickboxing professionally, and chose Kickboxing. (currently, he has gone back to soccer, teaching workshops to kids and adults.Before going into business with his wife and opening their first studio together, Master Zacharatos was chief instructor at Sherman Oaks Karate for about 15 years, that is where is met his wife who was a student there at the time. In addition to competing as a professional kickboxer, for many years Master Zacharatos also competed in karate tournaments, in both individual fighting and in team fighting competitions. For 5 consecutive years in the 1980's, he was a member of the "Sherman Oaks Raiders" five man blackbelt team. Their team remained undefeated for more than a decade at the world known Ed Parker's International Karate Championships. During the 5 years Master Zacharatos was on the team, they beat the favored to win "Budwiser" team that included Billy Blanks. He has done stunt work in martial arts movies, and appeared in many martial arts magazines and magazine covers. He has also done some bodyguarding and security work. Additionally, he is currently a professional kickboxing and MMA referee and judge for the California State Athletic Commission. He is a former semi professional "all star" soccer player and is a licensed Soccer coach. He is fluent in French and English. |
Grandmaster Don Baird
  Master Baird and Grand Master Suh, Young-ik    | Grandmaster Don Baird (Masters Hall of Fame, 2009) is 4th generation in a colorful lineage of great masters. His own master is Suh, Young-ik who trained with the well known Park, Chul-hee, the founder of Kang Duk Won. Master Park studied with Master Yoon, Byung-in the founder of Chang Moo Kwan (one of the most prominent martial art systems in history).
The following paragraphs describe how the various forms and names of the karate schools of training that developed over the past more than 50 years. Master Yoon, though Korean, was born in China, where he studied under great masters whose lineage stems back countless generations. He lived there until after WWII ended in 1945 before he moved back to South Korea. Shortly after WW II Master Yoon opened his first school in Korea with the name of Kwon Bop. Kwon Bop was an extremely popular style in Korea during the 40’s/50’s which, by the way, is simply the Korean translation for the Chinese words Ch’uan Fa. Kwon Bop IS Ch’uan Fa, a Chinese Kung Fu. A few years later Master Yoon renamed his style to Chang Moo Kwan and was one of the original 8 Kwans that opened following the war. His dear friend was Master Kanken Toyama who also studied Kung Fu in China and then became the Master instructor of his art Shudokan at the Nihon University, Japan. The two of them spent a lot of time training and sharing ideas which helped solidify the concepts Master Yoon was working on when developing Chang Moo Kwan. Master Yoon, the first Grandmaster of our style, went to North Korea in 1950. He never returned. Lee, Nam Suk took over the Chang Moo Kwan style while Master Hong and Master Park developed a new school called Kang Duk Won. Master Park became the Premiere Master of the style and helped pioneer it as a world recognized system. (Chang Moo Kwan and Kang Duk Won were basically the same style but the split came from political and ideological differences.) Master Yoon died in 1983. During the period around 1955, the Korean government was attempting to nationalize their martial arts. While China had Ch’uan Fa Wu Shu (Kung Fu was not a term they heard till the 1900’s), and Japan had Karate-Do, Korea didn’t have a national name for their art form. The government decided to create a new name from scratch – Tae Kwon Do, “the way of the feet and hands.” They wanted a new, unified national system to be developed. Many Senior Masters didn’t go along with the thought too well and wanted to maintain their own heritages rather than manufacturing a new heritage and history. During the dissonance and chaos, promotion certificates would say, for example, Chang Moo Kwan/Tae Kwon Do and so on with the other kwans. The Masters weren’t budging from the original names of their kwans nor moving away from the amazing Ch’uan Fa forms they had mastered. The government then began developing a new system to go to the name of Tae Kwon Do with the thought of reinventing it. The middle 60’s saw the introduction of that work. That attempt succeeded in some ways but still, in the end, failed miserably. By 1973 the Korean government had conjured up the thought they would have it become a sport. They worked hard to design it and quickly got it into the Olympics as a trial sport to see how people liked it. Tae Kwon Do, today, is a sport … though born of Ch’uan Fa, it transformed into a powerful sport that is practiced today all over the world. However, many of the original kwans came through the chaos with absolute clarity. They retained their dignity and continue in the tradition of the time-tested, original Ch’uan Fa forms developed in China. Korean masters, such as Master Baird’s teacher, Grandmaster Suh, committed themselves to the integrity of those forms and their preservation by teaching them to people all over the world. Grandmaster Suh moved to the United States in the middle sixties. He opened his first school in Burbank, California and began his career of teaching martial arts. Teaching seven days a week, he was was a very exacting teacher and his classes left no one unchallenged. While teaching thousands of students during his career, it’s interesting to note that he promoted just three students to the rank of master: Larry Yarbor, Louis Vega and Don Baird. On July 20th, 1976, Don Baird was chosen by Mr. Suh to be his successor. Master Baird has been teaching full time since then. He owns two schools and several of his students own schools as well. Together, they formed the Peaceful Mind Kung Fu Association of which continues to grow and flourish today. In the 80’s, Grandmaster Baird developed one of the most potent sport fighting teams on regional and national levels which put him in the spotlight. Kang Duk Won, being a genuine system of Chinese Kung Fu that actually worked, changed the face of competition.After spawning several champions as well as writing many articles for such magazines as Inside Kung Fu & Black Belt, Grandmaster Baird pulled away to concentrate on his school and to continue a personal passion of helping people by teaching the ideals of traditional Kung Fu. In 1993, Grandmaster Baird renamed the style to Pyong Ahn Do Won which means “the Hall of the Peaceful Mind Way” to better represent his attitudes toward the community and mankind. He has committed his life to people, to their growth, their health, their strength and their life goals. Without a single doubt, he believes that Kung Fu is a complete and rich strength that is unparalleled for what our society needs today. Grandmaster Baird, in 1992, was appointed Technical Advisor to the Burbank Police Department. He devoted himself to the department doing research, technical development, and riding hundreds of hours on patrol. At one point, he received a commendation from an officer (Sabatini) that credits Master Baird with saving his life. Later, he was praised in an open letter of recommendation by Police Chief Dave Newsham. Recently, he was given a letter of commendation from the Mayor of Burbank. Great Masters of the past are well rounded individuals that not only were involved with the fighting arts but also the healing, writing, music, painting and calligraphy arts. Master Baird is no different in that respect. Areas of his accomplishments include chi kung healing practices, fine art photography (www.donbairdphotography.com), writing poetry, composing and performing music (www.clarinetpro.com). His performance career includes being a featured soloist, principal clarinetist with several symphonies and playing for most of the major studios such as Warner Brothers, Disney and MGM. Grand Master Baird has been featured repeatedly in Black Belt Magazine, Inside Kung Fu, Inside Karate, and Fighting Stars, he has also been interviewed by Fred Rogin (twice), worked with Jay Leno, and featured along with Arthur Ashe in the 80′s TV series called “The Otherside of Victory”, a show dedicated to featuring professional athletes that are the very best in their field. Grandmaster Baird and Arthur Ashe were presented in the pilot of the series. “The Otherside of Victory” first aired the half hour before the Super Bowl. Millions of people around the world had a special opportunity to see Grandmaster Baird teach as well as demonstrate his impeccable martial art skill. In 2006 he celebrated his 30th year anniversary of teaching and almost 47 years of training in martial arts. With this and many wonderful accomplishments behind him, Grand Master Baird isn’t close to slowing his tireless pace of mastering himself and guiding others to do the same. |
Master Ron Pohnel
  | 9 Time International Karate Champion
Black belt in American Tang Soo Do Karate under Chuck Norris. Was once the chief instructor at the famous Sherman Oaks Karate Studio. 7th degree black belt in American Tang Soo Do Karate under for Chuck Norris black belt Pat E. Johnson. 6th degree black belt in American Tang Soo Do under Chuck Norris. Holds a 9th. degree black belt in Chuck Norris' American Tang Soo Do Karate system. Runs a martial arts school in Hawaii Hosts Tournaments and Runs the Honolulu Sparring Club in Hawaii. Still active in the Tournament Circuit.
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Grand Master Barry Gordon  | My name is Barry Gordon A.K.A The Man, The Myth, The Legend. Since I have started in karate I have won every major karate tournament. I study under Steve Sanders A.K.A. Steve Muhammad. Mr. Muhammad has an understanding of karate like no other living person and I want to thank him for sharing his gifts. I have won so many tournaments that I lost track along the way. Karate has changed many times in many ways. A lot of the changes were made so someone else could win some tournaments. But I kept winning in spite of the changes. When I started fighting in karate tournaments you could hit to the body as hard as wanted and “light” head contact. That changed many time some examples are no head contact, light body contact, no groin, light head, hard head, no body or head contact just to name a few. But I kept on winning.
So finally they figured out the only way to stop me from winning was to ban me for life. What Mr. Muhammad taught me was that a tournament was the closest thing to a real fight. That you do not have to change your fighting in the street or in the tournament. Now I am a 10th degree Grandmaster of the “Black Kenpo Karate Association” duly appointed on the 16th day of june in the year of 2004. I teach sometimes and I have found out that no one can stop you from winning. Top of the world people, top of the world.
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Master Harold Gross
Texas Tournament Champion  | Texas Tournament Champion
Transplanted from Texas via Colorado Master Harold Gross always instituted a friendly atmosphere in his class, although these sessions were never easy, and his students were continually pushed along the rugged approach to Karate. As a Tournament Champion, Master Gross always had great confidence in the Norris System and loved the sport aspect of the art. Note: As Master Bloom remembers it, Master Gross would move though the class like a tiger in a cage and his eyes on the mat changed from a bright blue to kind purple when he instructed and a deep black when he fought. Off the mat he is kind, polite, modest, and the most respectful man you will ever meet.
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Master Bloom's Story
I started my Karate training when I was about 13 years old. I know that's pretty old by today's standards, but that was over 35 years ago and people hadn't learned about the benefits of karate training The sports then, for a boy my age, were Little League Baseball, Pop Warner Basketball, and Pop Warner football. Soccer had not yet become the rage and karate was nearly unheard of.
I was lucky because there was a great Karate studio in Sherman Oaks, just about four miles east of Encino, where my family had recently moved. The studio was on Ventura Boulevard , the main street running through the San Fernando Valley . We lived just a few miles from the studio, which meant I wouldn't have to rely on my parents to get me to class. There was a bus that could take me right there, or I could ride my skateboard. And from the beginning I made sure not to miss, or be late for a class.
The studio was part of a franchise owned by Chuck Norris and Bob Wall when I started, Master Norris had not as yet become fully involved in his acting career. He stayed around long enough to be on my Board when I tested for Red Belt and is said to have commented about my test ,” it was one of the best test he had ever seen at that level”
He sold his studio to tournament champion Master Harold Gross, who ran the classes with the help of instructors like Rick Oki, Dennis Ichikawa and John Matthews. At that time a host of Martial Arts legends trained and occasionally taught at the studio including Chuck Norris (who continued to be somewhat active at the studio) Pat Johnson, Bobby Burbidge, my hero and life time friend Master Cecil Peoples, Bill Parent, Mike Stone, Joe Lewis, Bill Wallace, Howard Jackson and Benny “The Jet” Urquidez.
After a short period of time Rick Oki and Dennis Ichikawa moved to Tarzana, about three miles west of where I lived, and opened the Tarzana Karate studio. However, Sherman Oaks karate remained the stomping grounds for many of the great fighters of that time. Master Gross, in pursuit of his passion for fighting, gave up the day to day running of the studio and hired Chuck Norris Black Belt, Ron Pohnel and John Matthews. The three of them ran the studio.
This arrangement continued for a number of years when a Green Belt (and Pharmacist by profession) purchased the studio from Master Gross and made Master Pohnel the Chief Fighting Instructor and Master Matthews the Foundation Instructor and studio manager. At that time it was uncertain whether the studio would remain under the Norris System or would go its own way.
During that period, I as a red belt, and Master Ron Pohnel an experienced Black Belt competitor, were competing weekly at every tournament available. This meant we often found ourselves at Culver City Civic Auditorium. Not the biggest of tournaments but by far the toughest competition around.
Can anyone say Steve Sanders “BKF” Barry Gordon, Black Belt, Drew Christian, Billy Washington (Hapkido), Nose Bleed Joe, Alvin Prouder and Dexter Brooks, Red Belts, without recognizing how they dominated the sport? Robert Temple Fun Fun Fun…added another dimension to the joy of competing. Culver City was also the home of one of the greatest Martial Artists of all time “Sifu Willy Williams”.
The women didn’t have it very easy either, with the likes of Arleen Limas (Lady Kung Fu), Tae Kwon Do Gold Medalist and Cynthia Prouder, just to name a few. The point is, at that time , the BKF (Black Karate Federation) was the best there was.
.
One Tournament Sunday afternoon after taking second place to Dexter Brooks, I remember sitting in the bleachers next to him and asking how he got to be so good. Dexter replied, “See that guy fighting in that ring?” He pointed to a fight taking place in the heavy weight red belt division. Looking at the division it was no mystery who Dexter was talking about. A skinny black kid that had no business being in the heavyweight division, drop heel kicked his opponent in the head as everyone just ooohed as if they had expected it. “That’s Alvin Prouder!”
Dexter went on, “He is going to win his division, and then he and I are going to fight for Red belt grand Champion and he is probably going to win. And do you see that guy right there?” he continued, pointing to an unimpressive but confident Black Belt, “that’s Barry Gordon. He is going to win his division and then the Black Belt Grand Championship.” I looked at him as if asking him to explain. He did. He paused for a second, smiled and said, “AGAIN?”, with an attitude.
We both started laughing but I knew he was telling the truth… all of these guys were head and shoulders better than anyone else at the tournament or any tournament for that matter. I wanted In!!!
It just so happened that my Instructor at the time, Master Pohnel, had a great relationship with all these guys because he had already experienced what I just had. Walking up to Dexter and me he started joking around. “So you taught my protégée a lesson today” he said, “he will get you. Just give it time he will get you.”
Just then Alvin finished his division and jumped up into the bleachers. “Man did you see that?”… he asked, not really referring to anything in particular, just bragging it up with that smile he always had, keeping his mouthpiece half in his mouth. Then Barry Gordon walked up and joined his friends. Eventually he looked my way and said “and you did pretty ok today too” which led to one of the other guys in the group saying, “No way man. The boy’s great! If he was black he’d be good, but the kids white, he’s Great!” Well I don’t know who said what to whom or if it was something that was long overdue but for the next 15 years every Tuesday night the BKF trained “Fight Night” at Sherman Oaks Karate.
Chuck Norris went on to form the UFAF (United Fighting Arts Federation) and we didn’t see much of him any more, except a rare occasion or in the movies, but these other unbelievable martial artists continued to guide and inspire me and ultimately promoted me to my first degree Black Belt. To all of these great fighters, some no longer with us, I owe my fighting career as a Black Belt. I went on to win many of the major tournaments of that time and now have that knowledge to pass on to my students.
Master, Tom Bloom, World Champion
I was lucky because there was a great Karate studio in Sherman Oaks, just about four miles east of Encino, where my family had recently moved. The studio was on Ventura Boulevard , the main street running through the San Fernando Valley . We lived just a few miles from the studio, which meant I wouldn't have to rely on my parents to get me to class. There was a bus that could take me right there, or I could ride my skateboard. And from the beginning I made sure not to miss, or be late for a class.
The studio was part of a franchise owned by Chuck Norris and Bob Wall when I started, Master Norris had not as yet become fully involved in his acting career. He stayed around long enough to be on my Board when I tested for Red Belt and is said to have commented about my test ,” it was one of the best test he had ever seen at that level”
He sold his studio to tournament champion Master Harold Gross, who ran the classes with the help of instructors like Rick Oki, Dennis Ichikawa and John Matthews. At that time a host of Martial Arts legends trained and occasionally taught at the studio including Chuck Norris (who continued to be somewhat active at the studio) Pat Johnson, Bobby Burbidge, my hero and life time friend Master Cecil Peoples, Bill Parent, Mike Stone, Joe Lewis, Bill Wallace, Howard Jackson and Benny “The Jet” Urquidez.
After a short period of time Rick Oki and Dennis Ichikawa moved to Tarzana, about three miles west of where I lived, and opened the Tarzana Karate studio. However, Sherman Oaks karate remained the stomping grounds for many of the great fighters of that time. Master Gross, in pursuit of his passion for fighting, gave up the day to day running of the studio and hired Chuck Norris Black Belt, Ron Pohnel and John Matthews. The three of them ran the studio.
This arrangement continued for a number of years when a Green Belt (and Pharmacist by profession) purchased the studio from Master Gross and made Master Pohnel the Chief Fighting Instructor and Master Matthews the Foundation Instructor and studio manager. At that time it was uncertain whether the studio would remain under the Norris System or would go its own way.
During that period, I as a red belt, and Master Ron Pohnel an experienced Black Belt competitor, were competing weekly at every tournament available. This meant we often found ourselves at Culver City Civic Auditorium. Not the biggest of tournaments but by far the toughest competition around.
Can anyone say Steve Sanders “BKF” Barry Gordon, Black Belt, Drew Christian, Billy Washington (Hapkido), Nose Bleed Joe, Alvin Prouder and Dexter Brooks, Red Belts, without recognizing how they dominated the sport? Robert Temple Fun Fun Fun…added another dimension to the joy of competing. Culver City was also the home of one of the greatest Martial Artists of all time “Sifu Willy Williams”.
The women didn’t have it very easy either, with the likes of Arleen Limas (Lady Kung Fu), Tae Kwon Do Gold Medalist and Cynthia Prouder, just to name a few. The point is, at that time , the BKF (Black Karate Federation) was the best there was.
.
One Tournament Sunday afternoon after taking second place to Dexter Brooks, I remember sitting in the bleachers next to him and asking how he got to be so good. Dexter replied, “See that guy fighting in that ring?” He pointed to a fight taking place in the heavy weight red belt division. Looking at the division it was no mystery who Dexter was talking about. A skinny black kid that had no business being in the heavyweight division, drop heel kicked his opponent in the head as everyone just ooohed as if they had expected it. “That’s Alvin Prouder!”
Dexter went on, “He is going to win his division, and then he and I are going to fight for Red belt grand Champion and he is probably going to win. And do you see that guy right there?” he continued, pointing to an unimpressive but confident Black Belt, “that’s Barry Gordon. He is going to win his division and then the Black Belt Grand Championship.” I looked at him as if asking him to explain. He did. He paused for a second, smiled and said, “AGAIN?”, with an attitude.
We both started laughing but I knew he was telling the truth… all of these guys were head and shoulders better than anyone else at the tournament or any tournament for that matter. I wanted In!!!
It just so happened that my Instructor at the time, Master Pohnel, had a great relationship with all these guys because he had already experienced what I just had. Walking up to Dexter and me he started joking around. “So you taught my protégée a lesson today” he said, “he will get you. Just give it time he will get you.”
Just then Alvin finished his division and jumped up into the bleachers. “Man did you see that?”… he asked, not really referring to anything in particular, just bragging it up with that smile he always had, keeping his mouthpiece half in his mouth. Then Barry Gordon walked up and joined his friends. Eventually he looked my way and said “and you did pretty ok today too” which led to one of the other guys in the group saying, “No way man. The boy’s great! If he was black he’d be good, but the kids white, he’s Great!” Well I don’t know who said what to whom or if it was something that was long overdue but for the next 15 years every Tuesday night the BKF trained “Fight Night” at Sherman Oaks Karate.
Chuck Norris went on to form the UFAF (United Fighting Arts Federation) and we didn’t see much of him any more, except a rare occasion or in the movies, but these other unbelievable martial artists continued to guide and inspire me and ultimately promoted me to my first degree Black Belt. To all of these great fighters, some no longer with us, I owe my fighting career as a Black Belt. I went on to win many of the major tournaments of that time and now have that knowledge to pass on to my students.
Master, Tom Bloom, World Champion