The Bill Wallace Self Defense System

This martial arts presentation from 1982 is hosted and presented by Bill “Superfoot” Wallace.

William “Bill” Louis Wallace is an American martial artist who was a Professional Karate Association world full-contact karate champion. He was the Professional Karate Association Middleweight Champion kickboxer for almost six years.

Wallace was born in Portland, Indiana, and trained in wrestling during his high school years. He began his study of Judo in 1966 and was forced to discontinue his Judo related activities because of an injury he suffered to his right knee during practice. He then began to study Shorin-ryu Karate under Michael Gneck in February 1967 while serving in the U.S. Air Force. After entering the point fighting tournament scene and achieving success there, he switched to full-contact kickboxing.

“Superfoot” Wallace retired as the undefeated Professional Karate Association Middleweight Champion after defeating Bill Biggs in a 12-round bout in June 1980. The victory, 23rd straight, signaled the end to an illustrious 15-year career in tournament and full contact fighting. Known to the karate world simply as “Superfoot,” symbolic of his awesome left leg, which was once clocked in excess of 60 mph, Superfoot left a string of battered and bruised bodies along the martial arts fighting trail. He used his foot as others would use their hands, faking opponents with two or three rapid fake kicks and following with one solid knockout technique. His power was amazing, his precision astounding.

Superfoot, a 5-foot, 10 1/2 inch native of Portland, Ind., began studying karate in February 1967 after suffering a right leg injury in a judo accident. The injury left him without the use of the leg in karate competition. Some observers said Superfoot was committing martial arts suicide. He, however, had other ideas. In the next seven years, Superfoot, named after his manager saw an advertisement for a “super foot long hot dog” at a sporting event, dominated the point-tournament circuit.

In 1973, Superfoot, whose education includes a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Ball State University and a master’s degree in kinesiology from Memphis State University, suffered what many considered a career-ending injury. However, one of Superfoot’s friends, the late Elvis Presley, flew in a Los Angeles acupuncturist to treat the Karate champion at Graceland Manor.

A year later, he turned professional and captured the PKA middleweight karate championship with a second-round knockout (hook kick) of West German Bernd Grothe in Los Angeles. He relinquished the crown in 1980, undefeated and respected around the world.

Despite his retirement, Superfoot continues to be one of the martial arts most popular figures. He is the author of three books: Karate: Basic Concepts & Skills, Dynamic Kicking & Stretching, and The Ultimate Kick.

Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat that are practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental, physical and spiritual development. The term martial art has become heavily associated with the fighting arts of eastern Asia, but was originally used in regard to the combat systems of Europe as early as the 1550s. An English fencing manual of 1639 used the term in reference specifically to the “Science and Art” of swordplay. The term is ultimately derived from Latin, martial arts being the “Arts of Mars,” the Roman god of war. Some martial arts are considered ‘traditional’ and tied to an ethnic, cultural or religious background, while others are modern systems developed either by a founder or an association.