Photo by Julia Baker
Bill Wallace and Patrick Wrenn
Right in time for Elvis Week, Bill Wallace came to Memphis from South Florida to teach a karate seminar at Patrick Wrenn’s studio, Tennessee Karate Institute, on Monday, August 14th.
For those who don’t know who these illustrious superstars are, both were hired by and did karate with the one and only Elvis Presley. Bill “Superfoot” Wallace is a two-time world champion, which he may not have achieved had it not been for the help of his friend Elvis. After Wallace endured a nearly career-ending injury to his right leg, Elvis took him in at his house in Graceland. Elvis enlisted the help of an acclaimed acupuncturist from Los Angeles to treat Wallace’s leg.
This proved to be advantageous for Wallace, who, in the following year, went on to dominate the Professional Karate Association’s middleweight championship. His other major victories include three wins in the U.S. Championships and two triumphs in the Top Ten Nationals. His accolades encompass several Hall of Fame honors, most notably “Man of the Year” and “Competitor of the Year” from Black Belt Magazine, and Century Martial Arts’ Lifetime Achievement Awards.
Since his retirement from professional karate in 1980, Wallace has published three books and filmed a series of instructional videos. Wallace is no stranger to the silver screen, either. He has shot films with such legends as Chuck Norris, Jackie Chan, John Belushi, and many more.
Wallace is also known to be the one to have found John Belushi dead in his hotel room from a deadly drug combination. Wallace was Belushi’s personal martial arts trainer.
Wallace’s moniker, Superfoot, refers to his powerful left leg, which is known to have clocked an opponent at 60 miles per hour at one point. He often used a swift and powerful kick when others would normally have used their hands.
Patrick Wrenn, a longtime Memphian, is no stranger to the limelight, either. He once was bodyguard to Sylvester Stallone. He is a five-time record-holder in the Guinness Book of World Records for his ability to break the highest number of boards in the shortest amount of time. His most remarkable feat was his dexterity to break 5,412 boards in 45 minutes. To put that into perspective, all of those boards stacked on top of each other would have been the same height as a 41-story building.
This achievement raised $181,000 for St. Peters Home. Wrenn says his reasoning for breaking world records is to demonstrate to others that they, too, can overcome obstacles.
Tennessee Karate Institute was established in 1974 and ran until 1978, shortly after Elvis died, because Wrenn suffered a back injury and had to quit for a while so he could heal. Recently, Wrenn has been in the process of restoring the studio. During the demolition, he says he knocked down a wall with his foot. The Institute is due to begin classes on Thursday, August 24th. The studio will be holding an open house this weekend for others to see what they are all about.
