Joe Lewis (March 7, 1944 – August 31, 2012) was an American martial artist, professional kickboxer and actor. Originally a practitioner of Shōrin-ryū karate and champion in point sparring competitions, he became one of the fathers of full contact karate and kickboxing in the United States, and is credited with popularising the combat sport in North America.

As a fighter, Lewis gained fame for his matches in the 1960s and 1970s, and was nicknamed “the Muhammad Ali of karate.” 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.” Though initially and primarily and known as a karateka, Lewis cross-trained in several other martial arts, including Ryukyu Kenpo, Boxing, Judo, Jeet Kune Do, Tai Chi, and Folkstyle Wrestling.

His friend and training partner Bruce Lee coined him “The Greatest Karate Fighter of All Time.” He was also named by the STAR System World Kickboxing Ratings as the “STAR Historic Undisputed Heavyweight World Champion” and is credited on their site as the “Father of Modern Kickboxing”. He competed professionally from 1965 to 1983, with an 16-1-4 record and 14 wins by knockout.

In this video, Joe demonstrates the valuable lessons Bruce Lee taught him, to stay on the top of the martial arts podiums during his illustrious fighting career.

Enjoy, Sifu Lak

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