Elvis developed a passion for Karate which continued throughout his life. When he returned to Memphis, Elvis earned his first-degree black belt in 1960 under Chito-Ryu stylist Hank Slemansky.
Between 1970 and 1974, Elvis trained under the tutelage of Master Kang Rhee in Memphis and eventually secured the hallowed Black Belt in September 1974. Famously, Elvis' love for martial arts would become an essential staple of his live show, with his performance featuring karate moves.
Classroom discipline was so strict that Elvis was allowed the same freedom of training as the ordinary students without the usual press from adoring fans. Elvis was awarded 7th Degree Black Belt in 1973 by Master Rhee and on occasion had the opportunity, himself, to test and promote students of lower rank.
In the 1960s, Elvis began incorporating his karate skills into his movie and stage performances. In a semi-autobiographical skit on his televised '68 Comeback Special, he fought off attackers in a karate-influenced dance.
Elvis with his taekwondo instructor Kang Rhee in Mamphis. Elvis was a credible black belt, but he was not a karate master, and the 8th-degree black belt rank he was awarded prior to his death was obviously honorary.
Priscilla was also taking karate lessons from Ed Parker as well. Actually Elvis exposed her to it at these few events we talked about. So, they were not really “outside” interest. It was interested they both shared with many other people.
Karate (5 Years)
The student's commitment is evaluated as well as the standards of the issuing martial arts school. It takes five years of dedicated training to acquire the wisdom and spiritual growth necessary to advance to a black belt.
Elvis Presley took karate lessons from Master Kang Rhee. He studied the style of Shotokan karate, which is a traditional Japanese style. On April 14, 1974, Elvis Presley attained his seventh level of black belt, becoming a master in Shotokan Karate.
Norris has received many black belts. These include a 10th degree black belt in Chun Kuk Do, a 9th degree black belt in Tang Soo Do, an 8th degree black belt in Taekwondo, a 5th degree black belt in Karate, a 3rd degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu from the Machado family, and a black belt in Judo.
Karate's many divisions have separate black belt requirements. The toughest may be Shodokan Karate, which requires around 75 memorized striking moves. It also calls for four different types of sparring sessions and a kata, a memorized sequence of techniques.
“It is so difficult to actually reflect how distinct this is.” He said there are about 20 to 30 10th-degree black belts in the world, and earning one is an amazing achievement that comes after years of dedication. Turnbull doesn't know of any other such traditional belts in B.C. or on Vancouver Island.
Which Martial Arts Belt Is Highest? Usually, the black belt is the highest in martial arts. But, in a few skills, including Judo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and Karate, the red belt is reserved for exemplary masters of the art and is above the black belt.
Joe Lewis is widely considered the greatest men's karate fighter of all time. Often referred to as the “Father of American Kickboxing,” Lewis won more titles than any other karate tournament fighter over the course of his 17-year career.
Elvis' favorite sport to watch and play was football. He played in high school, in the service, during breaks while filming movies, at home, and on Sunday afternoons at the park.
He would work out for an hour each day, doing a variety of exercises including sit-ups, push-ups, and weightlifting. As Elvis Presley got older, he started to let himself go a bit. He stopped working out as much and his weight started to creep up.
8th Dan Black Belt – You are now a Grand Master. This can only be achieved after 7 years of practicing as 7th Dan. 9th Dan Black Belt – Achieved after eight years of being a practicing 8th Dan Grandmaster.
There Are 10 Levels of Black (Dan) Belts, Each One Requiring Years of Intense, Continuous Training. The First Five Dan Levels – The first five levels are named Shodan, Nidan, Sandan, Yodan and Godan.
Most of us are familiar with Elvis Presley as a singer, actor, and a tragic figure in the music industry. An interesting side history of the king, though, is his discipline in the marital arts. Presley held black belts in Kenpo Karate and Tae Kwon Do.
A 5'5″ female black belt absolutely demolished her much bigger male challenger in a Brazilian jiu-jitsu match. Monica Brogan took on Jack Decyk, who had seven-inch height advantage and huge weight advantage over Monica. That didn't stop her, however, from tapping him out with ease during their match.
A Junior Black Belt may be awarded to a candidate under 16 years of age. Recommended Minimum of 1 year of training at the previous rank (and minimum 18 years of age). Recommended Minimum of 2 years of training at the previous rank.
Yellow Belt
Yellow signifies the first beams of sunlight that give a seedling new growth and new life. As such, the yellow belt is worn by a beginner who has learned to practice the basic moves of karate.
On one occasion, Priscilla invited Chuck to watch Elvis concert at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas. It was the first time Chuck met Elvis in person. Chuck sat in the front booth with Priscilla and was captivated by Elvis' showmanship.
Stone has authored several books, most notably Mike Stone's Book of American Eclectic Karate. Stone met Elvis and Priscilla Presley in 1968 at the Mainland vs. Hawaii Karate Championships promoted by Elvis' longtime karate instructor Ed Parker. Stone had a young child and a pregnant wife.
However, this is categorically untrue, as Elvis went into military service because he was drafted, like many others at the time.