Joe Lewis

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 popularizing 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 several 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 trained and primarily 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.