In the photograph on the left is Elvis Presley and Former World Middleweight PKA Kickboxing Champion Bill "Superfoot" Wallace and Elvis Presley at the then Tennessee Karate institute in Memphis, Tennessee. I was this want to be "Hot Shot" Karate guy who visited this Karate school owned and operated by Red West who is in the center picture with Elvis Presley. Red West was close friends and chief of security for Elvis Presley. What I understand now is that Red West was a tough guy who went to school with Elvis. Story has it that a group did not like Elvis "Duck Tail" hair style and they cornered Elvis in the bath room to cut his hair. Story is that Red West told them if you cut Elvis hair you will cut his hair also. They wanted no parts of Red West. Red saved Elvis and they were long time friends. When Elvis made it he hired Red West as part of his team. They called themselves the "Memphis Mafia."
Red West is about as White as you can be in America. In 1973 or 74 when I visited his Elvis Presley Karate School I never felt one inkling of racism. Red West was nice to let me come to his Karate school. Martial artist carried a respect for each other. It was one culture where races integrated and interacted. When it came to martials art Blacks and Whites interacted.
Elvis Presley had a real passion for Karate and he brought in then "point karate Champion" Bill Wallace to be an instructor at his school. I remember the day I met Red West at the school. He had this "bloodshot eye" where Bill Wallace Kicked him in the eye. My knowing the character of Bill Wallace I know he would kick the hell out of Red West. Bill was a serious fighter. In the picture to the far right is Karate master Kang Rhee who is the father of Karate in Memphis. Master Kang Rhee was a Korean who opened the 1st Karate School in Memphis called Kang Rhee Karate Institute on Poplar Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee. Kang Rhee had a long history with Elvis Presley. A few years ago Master Rhee offered me Anthony "Amp" Elmore an honorary title of Karate master under his Karate Pasaryu System.
The story of Bill Wallace and Elvis Presley was legendary. Bill Wallace injured his knee and his career was almost ended. Elvis Presley asked Bill to come to his house one evening and Elvis flew in to Memphis a Chinese Acupuncture Master. The story was that the Accupunture master put the needles in the knee of Bill Wallace and he could instantly kick again.
In 1974 at the above Karate school in Midtown Memphis directly associated with Elvis Presley my friend egged me to go to the Tennessee Karate Institute and challenge Bill Wallace. To this very day I do not like Bill Wallace. At the same time I respect Bill Wallace because he was a serious competitor. Bill Wallace was a pretty tough "White Boy." What was good about Bill Wallace was he did not care about business as he loved fighting. You could ask Bill Wallace to spar or challenge him to a match and he would gladly accommodate you.
In many ways Bill Wallace was low down. If you challenge him he would fight you, the problem with Bill is that he would knock your head off. I have been in the gym with him and he would knock people out. I thought it was low down to Bully lower rank fighters and knock them out. Bill was the teacher, but he knocked my friend Jeff Mullen out. Jeff is currently the Tennessee Athletic commissioner. In my last bout in Hawaii Jeff worked my corner. Jeff loves fighting and he owns a Martials arts school in Memphis. I talked to Jeff just a few days ago. I reminded Jeff that the Tennessee Athletic commission asked me to be on the boxing and fighing regulation board. I declined the invitation and recommended Jeff. Jeff became the overall state Athletic head.
In 1974 when I went to the Tennessee Karate Institute and asked Bill to spar with me. It was quite an experience. Here I was this tall Black man 6'4 Green Belt and Bill Wallace 5' 10 and world champion. Our going to his Karate School and challenging him while his friends and students were looking was crazy. I remember Red West and everyone looking at the match. I would love to tell what happen. I really pissed Bill Wallace off and he tried to knock me out. I reserve the right not to tell the story. Later in 1974 Bill Wallace became the World's 1st PKA Middleweight Karate/Kickboxing Championship televised on ABC. Bill Wallace became a legend in the world of martial arts. He later became a personal trainer for the later actor a John Belushi. He taught Karate seminars all over America.
We move to August 16, 1977 the date that Elvis Presley died and many and the world mourned the death of Elvis. Somewhere along the way the Elvis Presley associated Karate School died. In 1978 I tried my hand at learning PKA Kickboxing Karate. Bill Superfoot Wallace was the "Man in Kickboxing." In 1979 Bill fought his last bout on CBS Television. Bill trained at the local gym at the fair grounds in Memphis, Tennessee. For the 1st time in my life I put on boxing gloves and I got into the ring with Bill Wallace. Bill's trainer was the Gym's coach Bevo Covington. Bill Wallace tried to knock my head off. I was in the ring doing traditional Shotokan Karate. I was very strong, awkward and not the right person to spar with Bill Wallace. The bout was not pretty. Again I will not tell what happen, I did take his best shot and I got in a good shot. On May 29, 1982 I was the man in Kickboxing in Memphis, Tennessee. I fought for the world Heavyweight title against Demetris "Oak Tree" Edwards and I won. Bill Wallace was scheduled to fight an exibition bout at the event that I promoted. Something happen and they made Bill Wallace a judge at my fight. I clearly beat "Oak Tree" that night was my night. Bill Wallace as a judge gave the fight to "Oak Tree." The world saw me win. Bill was not big enough to acknowlege my win. Bill's ego would not accept that I won the bout. He retired in 1979 and it was 1982 and I was the "Kickbox Champ" in Memphis. For the record I never liked those "nigger jokes" the group around Wallace payed. In phenomena of the day so call "Cool Whites" would have this one Black guy in their group. They could joke and call him a "nigger" or tell "Black Jokes." My friend Dino Butler was a part of the entourage. This was cool with my friend Dino but, Anthony Amp Elmore did not play that.
Twenty five years later after the death of Elvis Presley. There was an effort to revive Martial Arts in Memphis in association with Elvis Presley. We kickboxing champions Bill Wallace and Anthony Elmore and movie veteran Cynthia Rothrock, were inducted into the Elvis Presley Memorial Martial Arts Hall of Fame. Patrict Wren who was associated with the Elvis school organized the the event. Six others, including Mayor Willie Herenton and Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Janice Holder, were also inducted as honorary hall of fame members. While Elvis Presley is a part of history, we have so much history to share in regards to our association in regards to Elvis Presley.
From the standpoint of understanding Buddhist teachings we Nichiren Buddhist view all phenomena in the realms of past, present and future.
Memphis, Tennessee is unique in that WDIA radio station in Memphis, Tennessee is the 1st "all Black" formatted African American or Black radio station in America. In the above photograph is King of the Blues B.B. King. B.B. King and Rufus Thomas were disjockies at the station. I personally knew Rufus Thomas in that he was a guest at one of my last fights. Moreover he lived around the corner from me. Rufus played a vital part for Memphis music.
Once I was coming from some where and we were in the bathroom at the Memphis Airport. My friend Tony Rosser was with me. I said Tony do you recognized this man and Tony could not. I said Tony this is Blues legend B.B. King. B.B. was very nice. B. B.King was very nice as he was walking away, he said I know you, you are "Kickboxing Champion Anthony Elmore." I was shocked that a legend like B.B. King knew me. In the WDIA picture on the microphone is the legendary WDIA talk show host Nat D. Williams. Mr. Williams was a history teacher and writer. In 1971 I was a youth leader who organized a cultural event at Fuller Park in Memphis. We appeared on the WDIA radio program of Nat D.Williams.
WDIA Radio Station in Memphis today is still the number one A.M. radio station in America. This station was a community station and the backbone of the Memphis African American culture. Elvis Presley attended station events before Colonel Parker controled his moves. Like many of us African Americans this station also influenced Elvis Presley. Please note that we lived in Segregation but the "airwaves were not segregated." Whites could hear Black music via the radio as did Elvis Presley.