Elvis Presley and Karate

Elvis Presley was a big fan of karate and studied the martial arts for many years. He was first exposed to karate in 1958 while he was stationed in Germany with the US Army. His first instructor was a German shotokan stylist named Juergen Seydel. After he was discharged from the army, Elvis continued his karate training in Memphis, Tennessee. He studied under several different instructors, including Hank Slemansky and Kang Rhee.

In 1960, Elvis earned his first-degree black belt in karate. He continued to train and improve his skills, and in 1973, he was awarded a seventh-degree black belt by Kang Rhee. In 1974, Elvis opened his own karate school in Memphis, the Tennessee Karate Institute.

Elvis was a passionate karate practitioner and he often incorporated karate moves into his live performances. He was also a strong advocate for the martial arts and he believed that they could help people improve their physical and mental well-being.