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Training with legend a kick for martial artist

By: Scott Niendorf
Record Staff Writer

     From black belt to white, martial artist packed a local dojo Saturday to have a former world kickboxing champion refine their self-defense skills with first-hand training. 
    Students from as far away as San Jose and Santa Rosa eagerly took in advice from Bill “Superfoot” Wallace as the martial arts great, who has appeared in numerous films and written books delivered strategies and encouragement at Flaherty’s Kenpo Karate dojo. 
“I have a bad leg so that’s why I’m called “Superfoot; not Superfeet; “said Wallace an effervescent 67-year old who joked as he engaged more than 20 participants at Saturday’s session. “When you get to be my age, you know it hurts - you just can’t remember where.
    Wallace, the undisputed Professional Karate Association middleweight full-contact champion from 1974-1980 , met dojo owner Randall Flaherty in 1988 Flaherty trained with Benny “The Jet” Urquidez, another full-contact karate champion, in Los Angeles.
“I’d heard about Wallace and wanted to see him,” said Flaherty, who has gone on to become a 10th degree black belt and was inducted into the U.S.A. Martial Arts Hall of Fame as Grandmaster of the year in 2004. “After we met, I trained with him and we became friends.  I talked with (Wallace) back in April and thought it’d be a great idea to bring him to Stockton.... I knew our student would be excited and I was excited for them.”
    Wallace said training and fighting have always been fun for him, and his career certainly seems that way.
    After Wallace had won three martial arts points - fighting titles, he said he drew the attention of Elvis Presley, who came to see him train while Wallace attended Memphis State University.
    Wallace said the two became close friends, adding he trained The King and another celebrity, John Belushi, in self-defense, also becoming the latter’s bodyguard. 
    Wallace has appeared in numerous films, including “A Force of One” with Chuck Norris and “The Protector” with Jackie Chan” and served as an advisor in “The Power of One” with Morgan Freeman, Stephen Dorff and Daniel Craig.
    Saturday, he was back to being and instructor. The session with teens and adults followed a session Friday night teaching younger children.
    “I was in Stockton years ago,” Wallace said. 
    “It was good to come back and to see the people here and have some fun. We had a good time kicking people.”
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