Joe Lewis, RIP

The martial arts community lost a great competitor and instructor this past Friday - Joe Lewis.

Joe Lewis

Joe Lewis trained in Karate while station in Okinawa in the US Marine Corps, and went on to become the first heavyweight full-contact karate champion (with an impressive 10-0, 10 KO record). This was back when unprotected full contact was sanctioned and staged, long before the UFC made its big splash in the 1990s. Joe Lewis was an exemplary case of skill plus strength, and he put out a number of DVDs with strength training workouts on them.

Joe Lewis continued to teach martial arts up to until shortly before his death. He will be missed.